光缆

• Pinyin: guāng lǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 光 = 火 + 人 (light); 缆 = 纟+ 览 (thread + overlook — a thick rope of many strands)

Meaning

Fibre-optic cable. A bundle of optical fibres enclosed in a protective sheath, used to transmit data as pulses of light at high speed.

A key term in telecommunications and infrastructure. Commonly appears in 铺设光缆 (lay fibre-optic cable), 海底光缆 (submarine fibre cable), and 光缆宽带 (fibre broadband). Central to discussions of internet infrastructure, rural connectivity, and 5G rollout in China.

Examples

1. 政府大力推进农村光缆宽带建设，努力缩小城乡数字鸿沟。 The government is vigorously pushing fiber broadband construction in rural areas to narrow the urban–rural digital divide.
2. 一艘货轮在港口附近意外拖断了一条重要的海底光缆，导致区域通信中断。 A cargo ship accidentally dragged and snapped an important undersea fiber-optic cable near the port, disrupting regional communications.
3. 光缆的信号传输速度远超传统铜缆，是现代通信网络的重要基础。 Fiber-optic transmission is far faster than traditional copper cables and is a key foundation of modern communications networks.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, telecommunications, infrastructure

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 铺设跨洋海底光缆是连接各大洲互联网络的核心基础设施工程。(Laying trans-oceanic submarine fibre cables is a core infrastructure project for connecting the internet networks of all continents.)
• 随着光缆入户工程的推进，越来越多的家庭用上了千兆宽带。(With the advancement of fibre-to-the-home projects, more and more households are gaining access to gigabit broadband.)

Don't Say

• 用光缆打电话 — technically possible but awkward phrasing; use 通过光纤网络拨打 or simply 用宽带打网络电话; 光缆 refers to the physical infrastructure cable, not a service or medium for making calls

Origin & History

光 (light) + 缆 (cable, rope). A cable that transmits light — the optical fibre technology named for its medium of transmission.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern China

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal