本文描述了目前用于5兆比特/秒（MBPS）数据通信的低成本光纤链路，并将其与为100兆比特/秒局域网和千兆/秒远程通信开发的链路进行了比较。本文还回顾了在工厂环境中，光纤相对于双绞线和同轴介质的抗噪特性和其他优势。讨论了局域网，以及为未来可用于宽带语音和视频系统的100 MBPS数据传输的应用安装光缆的潜在好处。

THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE LOW-COST FIBER OPTIC LINKS CURRENTLY BEING USED FOR FIVE MEGABIT/SECOND (MBPS) DATA COMMUNICATION AND COMPARES THEM WITH LINKS DEVELOPED FOR 100 MBPS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS AND GIGABIT/SECOND LONG DISTANCE TELECOMMUNICATIONS. IT ALSO REVIEWS THE NOISE IMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS AND THE OTHER ADVANTAGES OF FIBER OVER TWISTED-PAIR AND COAXIAL MEDIA IN THE PLANT ENVIRONMENT. LOCAL AREA NETWORKS ARE DISCUSSED, ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF INSTALLING FIBER CABLE FOR APPLICATIONS THAT CAN BE USED IN THE FUTURE FOR 100 MBPS DATA TRANSMISSION ON FOR BROADBAND VOICE AND VIDEO SYSTEMS.