Optical fibers are key components in telecommunication technologies. The practical strength of optical fibers was controlled by flaws, usually on the surface. It was well established furthermore, that such flaws can grow in time so that an initially intact silica optical fiber may undergo delayed fracture from the combined influence of stress levels and the chemical environment as air humidity. On the other hand, optical fibers were almost always coated with a polymer immediately after drawing to protect them from subsequent handling damage and from chemical environment. Polymer coatings are currently applied to optical fibers to prevent the formation of surface defects through scratches and abrasion and to minimize the influence of the pre-existing defects. They also act as a diffusion barrier against the surrounding humidity reaching the glass surface. In this paper, the role of the polymer coating was analysed. Silica optical fibers were stripped using a new stripping gel to remove the fiber coating materials and to leave the surface of the glass cladding intact. Optical fibers with and without polymer coatings were submitted to bending tests in inert atmosphere to measure the real influence of the coating on the fiber strength. The result analysis shows that the polymer coating provides protection to optical fiber against detrimental environmental effects and leads to a great fiber flexibility. The polymer coating also increased the fiber strength which is a significant parameter in the case of fibers used in telecommunication networks. The strength gain for optical fibers was close to 10% when fiber is submitted to bending tests.