Optical fibers transmit data at incredible speeds

Optical fibers zip information across vast distances by guiding laser light pulses through ultra-thin glass strands. These fibers, often as fine as a human hair, convert electrical data into light, which bounces along the core at nearly the speed of light. While light travels fastest in a vacuum, inside the fiber's glass, it still moves at about two-thirds that speed, allowing data to cross continents in milliseconds.