Fiber optics have revolutionized communication. In the late 1800s, Alexander Graham Bell came up with the first fiber optic application - that light could carry voice recordings through the use of wiring. In the late 1970s, Corning Glass Works created minute glass tubing that could be used as a wave-guide to transmit information using light. The use of these fiber optics spread widely across the U.S. during the 1980s and virtually all conventional copper cables were replaced in the telecommunications industry by the mid-1990s. Cutting fiber optic cables is much like cutting conventional cables, with only a slight difference. Check the fiber-optic cable by following it along its length. Look for bends in the cable, which obstruct the cable's optical fibers. Gently straighten any unnecessary bends. You should remove the things on the top, or put pressure on the cable. Check for excess tension in the cable. Fiber-optic cables should have some slack, as tension causes stress on the fibers. Slacken any cables that are pulled tightly. Shorten cable spans that seem excessively long by placing connected devices closer together and using shorter fiber-optic cables. Identify any splits, rips or tears in the cable. Replace any damaged cables with new fiber optics. Direct a laser pointer into the connector at one end the fiber-optic cable. If no light shines through the other end, the cable is dead and needs to be replaced. Locate the point at which the fiber-optic cable connects to a device, whether it be a modem, router, television or other piece of electronic equipment. You should make sure that the cable to the electronic device is safe to avoid the connection loose. Inspect the cable's connectors. Spray the connector with compressed canned air to remove dust and foreign particles. Disconnect the fiber-optic cable and reconnect it to the device if simply tightening the connection fails to remedy the problem. Investigate the point of access for any fiber-optic cable that enters your home from the outside. Any foreign things should be moved away to avoid putting stress on the cable. If you've recently had cause to cut fiber optic cables, you may be curious about the proper method of cutting. If so, you'll be pleased to know that with the right set of tools, fiber optic cable cutting can be a very simple undertaking. Read on to learn the basics of cutting fiber optic cables. You should put on a pair of protective gloves when you do this work. Next, use your knife or wire strippers to cut into the cable's outer jacket. After making an incision, peel away the fiber optic cable's protective jacket. Having removed the fiber optic cable's outer jacket, you should now see glass fiber tubing, several coated wires and a number of exposed Kevlar fibers. You'll now need to twist the Kevlar fibers, causing them to form a strand the resembles a rope. Once the fibers have been sufficiently twisted, use your metal scissors to trim them. Now that you've trimmed the Kevlar fibers, use your knife to make a small scratch across the point in the glass tubing at which you intend to make your cut. You should bend the glass tubing at the point you marked before by your fingers. As glass tubing is not particularly resilient, this should cause it to cleanly break. Having bent your glass tubing, use your wire cutters to trim the rest of the wires accordingly. click / to see more information.