A optical fiber comprising a central core region having an outer radius r.sub.1 of 3 μm to 7 μm, and a maximum refractive index Δ.sub.1 of 0.25% to 0.5% and an alpha (a) profile of 1 to 20; a cladding region comprising (i) a first inner cladding region surrounding the core, having a refractive index Δ.sub.2 of −0.25% to 0.05% and a radius r.sub.2 of 6 μm to 15 μm, (ii) a second inner cladding region, surrounding the first inner cladding region, having a refractive index Δ.sub.3 of −0.1% to 0.2% and a radius r.sub.3 of 7 μm to 15 μm, and (iii) an outer cladding region, surrounding the second inner cladding region, having a refractive index Δ.sub.4 between −0.05% to 0.1%; wherein the optical fiber exhibits a cable cutoff of less than 1260 nm, a mode field diameter at 1310 nm of greater than 8.2 microns.

There is provided a single mode optical fiber including a core layer, a first cladding layer, and a second cladding layer, in which when a refractive index of a center portion of the core layer is set as no, a radial position where a refractive index becomes n.sub.00.45 is set as r.sub.CORE, a minimum value of a refractive index of the first cladding layer is set as n.sub.3, and a radial position where a refractive index becomes the n.sub.3 is set as r.sub.3, a relative refractive index difference of the first cladding layer is reduced continuously and gently from the r.sub.CORE to the r.sub.3.