This article compared key aspects of optical fiber coating methods, focusing on durability, cost performance, and manufacturing process differences, and organized their respective advantages and disadvantages. Coatings play a key role in helping the fiber meet environmental and mechanical specifications as well as some optical performance requirements. If a fiber were to be drawn and not coated, the outer surface of the glass cladding would be exposed to air, moisture, other chemical contaminants, nicks. Market leader Covestro uses unique technical capabilities to identify solutions and deliver high performance fiber coatings for the world's telecommunications market. Pristine silica fibers have strengths of approximately 7 GPa at ambient condition.