USB certification already exists, and consistently fails regardless of how hard, and arduous it is to pass, and the only option seem to make it actually work is to make it even more strict, which itself will be a turnoff to hardware, and more importantly, chipmakers.

Thunderbolt chips already cost an arm, and a leg.

USB is a good example of why testing should be hard and should be wholly dependent on the problem and not at all on the feelings of the manufacturer. You don’t see 100G Ethernet links dropping out because of a crappy cable.

Optical cables are not robust enough for the use as everyday cable.

Today's singlemode is quite abuseproof. Saying this, while having one cable in the office which was ridden over by carts, stepped, and stumbled on for years. I can't imagine UTP5/6, or especially 7 surviving this.

I'd say a purpose made, abuse proof optical cable is better than high frequency copper cabling.

How abuse-proof are the optical connectors on those? Can you carry devices and cables in dusty bags all day and not worry about getting dirt in the optical path?

Yes, I think connectors are now the weakest part of an optical cable.

Singlemode's biggest weakness is alignment, optics, and a big change for a single dust particle to do a double digit decibel drop.

Either terminations will have to be done with some abuse proofing ferrule with a built-in lens, or every optical cable have to be active, with a transmitter glued to it.

The later in comparison to first, solves the issue in its entirety, and is not that much of a crazy proposition today.

Even the most fancy laser chips like EAM, and MZI modulated ones, can be made for cents if the competition will made vendors to drop prices.

>The later in comparison to first, solves the issue in its entirety, and is not that much of a crazy proposition today.

Right - you can buy these right now: https://www.corning.com/optical-cables-by-corning/worldwide/...

And how much more do they cost in comparison with hooking a few copper wires to a simple copper plug manufactured in china?

$30-$40 wholesale in China, but...

1. Single mode fibre already costs less than high high frequency cabling.

2. A standard written from scratch can move all smart electronics, and even some passives from the transceiver into the device.

3. The moment a transceiver turns into a standardised single chip device, economies of scale turn enormous.

4. Optics can be simplified for direct attach devices.

5. Cheapest transceivers sets + cabling for single mode 10G ethernet already cost less than $10 wholesale.

Obligatory xkcd: https://xkcd.com/927/