An excellent primer for students beginning to study the subject, this current edition provides a practical, real-world perspective on the fundamentals of fiber optic technology and optical communications. It examines the reasons that optical fibers are the preferred communications medium, surpassing copper wire in all performance measures. A thorough explanation of how fibers work is offered, as well as useful coverage of other related optical components and how those components fit into system-level applications. Premises (LAN), metro, 10G Ethernet, and long-haul applications are also briefly surveyed.