What characterizes the standard usage of polymer optical fibers compared to glass fibers?

Polymer optical fibers (POFs) are generally characterized by lower transmission speeds for data compared to glass fibers. This difference primarily arises from the materials used in manufacturing. Glass fibers typically utilize silica, which allows for minimal attenuation and higher bandwidth, enabling faster data transmission over longer distances. In contrast, polymer fibers, while being more flexible and easier to handle, exhibit higher attenuation and greater signal degradation over distance, leading to lower overall data transmission speeds.

The practical applications of polymer optical fibers often involve short-distance data transmissions, where the simplicity and lower cost of installation are significant advantages. This stands in contrast to glass fibers, which are favored in situations where high-speed and long-distance data transmission is critical. Therefore, the distinction in transmission speed is a key factor that sets polymer optical fibers apart from their glass counterparts.