Copper cables rely on metal conductors to transfer data through electrical current pulses. Pure fiber optic data transmission cables contain no metallic copper. But does the composition of these advanced cables include metallic copper elements alongside the optical fiber strands? This. Fiber optic cables and copper wires are the two primary types of cables used in networks. Fiber optic cables transmit data using light waves, enabling higher. The core of a fiber optic cable consists of extremely thin strands of glass or plastic, which guide light with minimal loss.