Today’s fiber optic infrastructure plays a key role in enabling revolutionary technologies such as 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT). Although not directly “visible” to the end-user experience, fiber optics are the “backbone infrastructure” – the place to transport high-speed, low-latency data, ensuring the reliability of the entire digital ecosystem to operate smoothly.
1. Optical Cable – Essential Infrastructure for 5G Network
5G is more than just a speed upgrade over 4G. With the ability to deliver gigabits per second of bandwidth and millisecond latency, 5G opens up enormous potential for real-time applications like autonomous vehicles, remote surgery, and augmented reality. But to make these capabilities a reality, the “invisible” back end—the fiber-optic network—must be robust and widespread.
5G requires dense deployment of 5G base stations, especially in urban areas. These need to be connected by ultra-high-speed transmission networks to data centers – and fiber is virtually the only technology that can meet this requirement. Fiber is immune to electromagnetic interference, can carry large amounts of data with extremely low latency, and has virtually no attenuation over distance.
In addition to connecting base stations, fiber optic networks also play a role in the backhaul and fronthaul systems – two important components in 5G networks. In which, backhaul is used to transmit data from base stations to the core network, while fronthaul is the connection line between the signal processing unit (BBU) and the radio transceiver units (RRUs). As 5G networks move towards distributed architecture and edge computing, the requirements for bandwidth and stability in both of these lines will increase – and fiber optic cables are the most optimal choice.
2. Fiber Optic Cable – The Key to Powering the Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things (IoT) is an inevitable trend in the digitalization of industries, agriculture, cities and life. From soil moisture sensors in smart agriculture, to personal health monitoring devices, or smart transportation systems – all generate huge amounts of data and require almost immediate processing.
In the IoT ecosystem, data from millions of end devices will be transmitted to processing centers, through gateways, transmission networks and clouds. Fiber optic networks, with extremely low latency and super high speed, become the “highway” to help IoT data circulate quickly and securely.
In particular, when IoT scales up to billions of devices, optimizing transmission lines to avoid network congestion and ensure stability is vital. Optical cables not only help increase transmission capacity but also easily expand infrastructure scale. In smart city or smart factory models, optical networks will connect key nodes such as control centers, environmental sensors, AI camera systems, measuring devices, etc. to help operate the entire system efficiently and safely.
3. Synchronous connection between 5G and IoT via fiber optic cable
One of the key intersections is this: 5G and IoT are evolving together and rely on fiber infrastructure for optimal performance. 5G is the “radio access platform” for mobile IoT devices, while fiber is the “transmission backbone” that carries data from those devices to the processing center.
In many countries, telecom operators are investing heavily in expanding fiber networks in parallel with the deployment of 5G and IoT services. This architecture enables the deployment of complex applications such as: real-time disaster warning systems, smart grids, autonomous transportation, and even real-time economy, where all data is reflected instantly.
4. Situation in Vietnam and development potential
In Vietnam, with the national digital transformation policy, fiber optic networks are being heavily invested in. According to data from the Ministry of Information and Communications, by 2025, Vietnam aims to universalize fiber optics to 100% of urban households and 80% of rural households. At the same time, major network operators such as Viettel, VNPT, MobiFone, etc. are testing 5G and expanding IoT networks, creating a clear convergence of three factors: optical infrastructure - 5G - IoT.
With private enterprises participating in the construction of fiber optic infrastructure and data centers, Vietnam has a golden opportunity to form a modern digital infrastructure that can be compared with advanced countries in the region. This is a premise to attract international investment, develop future industries and enhance national competitiveness in the digital economy.
Fiber optic cables are not just telecommunications infrastructure, but are becoming a strategic factor in creating the digital future. 5G networks cannot be fully utilized without a strong enough transmission network. IoT cannot operate safely without a high-speed and stable connection system. In that picture, fiber optic cables are the silent but extremely essential "bloodline" - helping all connections become smart, flexible and sustainable.