Multimode fiber optics has a longer distance rating than singlemode fiber optics.

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Distance capability in fiber types is determined by how light propagates inside them. Multimode fiber supports many propagation paths, and those paths have different lengths, causing modal dispersion. This pulse spreading limits how far high-speed signals can travel before they blur too much. Singlemode fiber guides light in essentially one path, so pulses stay sharp over much longer distances, enabling far longer links. Because of this, singlemode fiber generally has a longer distance rating than multimode fiber. Wavelength can affect attenuation and dispersion, but the primary reason is modal dispersion in multimode versus the near single-path guidance of singlemode.