A fiber optic pigtail has a connector only on one end, leaving the other end free, whereas a fiber patch cord has connectors on both ends. For procurement managers and engineers, understanding fiber pigtails is not only about knowing another product type, but. A fiber optic pigtail is a short, usually unjacketed, optical fiber cable that has a factory-installed connector on one end and a length of exposed fiber at the other. The connector end can be linked directly to network equipment, while the exposed end can be spliced to another fiber optic cable.