stalling fiber cabling systems is the cost of connector standardization. Three of the main connector types are the Straight Tip (ST), the MT-RJ, and the Little Connector (LC). Each type of connector requires specialized tools for installation, and both factory- and field-testing. Technicians perform field-testing prior to installation to ensure that the connectors meet factory specifications. It's critical that connectors match up exactly to the fiber SO that signals don't leak. If the connectors don't exactly match up to the fiber, signal loss impairs the fiber's performance. Fiber-Optic Cabling in Commercial Organizations Because fiber is non-electric, it can be run in areas without regard to interference from electrical equipment. However, due to its higher installation cost, fiber within buildings is used most often in high-traffic areas. These include: Within data centers www.TechnicalPDF.com Between buildings on organizations' campuses Between switches in backbone networks. A backbone connects switches to each other and to data centers. Backbone networks are not connected to individual computers-only to servers and switches. Fiber-optic cabling fiber itself requires more care in handling and installation than copper. For example, it is less flexible than copper and cannot be bent around tight corners. However, given its greater capacity and cost savings in ongoing maintenance, developers install fiber between floors in large office buildings and between buildings in office complexes. See Figure 1-3 for an example of fiber-optic cabling in enterprises. The fiber- optic cabling within commercial organizations is for the most part multi-mode rather than single-mode because of multi-mode's less stringent installation requirements. Moreover, multi-mode capacity is adequate for commercial buildings' bandwidth requirements. www.TechnicalPDF.com Figure 1-3 Examples of fiber-optic cabling used in telephone company networks. (Photo by Annabel Z. Dodd) There are two reasons why fiber is typically more expensive than c