We demonstrate a 1550-nm narrow-linewidth fiber ring laser with stable single polarization by using single-mode Er-doped fiber as active fiber and saturable absorber. A polarization-maintaining circulator is used to acquire single-polarization laser light with the degree of polarization of 99.8%—99.9%. The linewidth measured using a delayed self-heterodyne method is less than 0.5 kHz. Frequency of the fiber laser can be modulated by driving the waveguide phase modulator with proper voltage. A Mach-Zehnder interferometer with the optical path difference between two arms of about 36 km is used to study the long-distance coherent detection of the fiber laser for frequency-modulated continuous-wave application.