Fiber optic internet popularly known as fiber internet is a broadband connection that can offer speeds of up to 940 Megabits per second (Mbps).
What is Fiber Optic Internet? What does Fiber Internet mean?
Fiber optic internet is a pioneering technology that uses fiber-optic cable instead of copper wires for transferring data. It can send and receive data at 70% of the speed of light, unlike the traditional cables, fiber optic cables are not at risk from severe weather conditions this helps in reducing any chances of outages.
Fiber optic cables can also handle electrical interference effectively. Fiber optic Internet is an Internet connection that uses fiber optic cables for transferring data.
“Fiber” refers to thin glass wires enclosed in a larger protective cable whereas “Optic” refers to the way the type of data transferred i.e. light signals.
Therefore a fiber optic internet connection is an internet connection which uses flexible glass wires for delivering light signals.
What is the difference between the cable internet and fiber internet?
There two major internet connections available are cable internet and fiber optic internet. Both these internet connections are different in their structure, functionality, dependability, and even speed.
Cable internet uses a coaxial cable (coax) for transmit data. The coax cable is made up of copper wires which are insulated with aluminum, a copper shield, and a final plastic outer layer.
A Coax cable can be used for supplying both internet connection and television network together at the same time.
This helps the service provider to provide both these services together as a package. For accessing cable internet one needs to have a cable modem.
As seen above a fiber optic internet connection is transmitted using fiber optic cables that contain plastic or glass, which transmit light signals.
These thin strands of fiber can transmit digital information in form of light signals over very long distances.
Cable internet connections are hugely impacted by factors affecting the electric supply. If there is an electricity outage, cable internet will not work. Fiber optic internet is not affected by electricity disruptions or outages.
The download speed of the cable network is in the range of 10 to 500 megabits per second (Mbps) while its upload speed is in the range of 5 to 50 Mbps.
Fiber optic internet speed is much faster than cable internet, it can offer a speed of 250-1,000 Mbps in both directions.
Read this article to know the difference between broadband and business fiber internet
What equipment is needed for Fiber optic internet? Does fiber optic require a modem?
Fiber optic internet uses a technology that is different from cable internet technology or DSL technology. Fiber optic cables comprise thin pieces of glass that help in sending and receiving the internet signal.
The glass pieces carry beams of light that transmit the data. Regular internet equipment cannot be used for fiber optic internet services. New cables, modems, and routers will be required for Fiber optic internet. You will need a fiber-compatible modem for running fiber optic internet service.
Fiber optic internet services are not affected by deteriorating copper cables or crowded cable lines, it can transmit data faster and too long distances without any problem.
Getting a fiber compatible modem will help you get the best out of the fiber optic internet services. Several internet providers say that any modem will work for offering fiber optic internet, however, one needs to understand that you cannot enjoy the full speed advantage of your fiber service if you don’t use a fiber internet modem.
The new fiber optic modem is usually provided by your fiber optic internet service provider.
Why is fiber better than other internet connections?
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High Speed
Fiber optic internet can connect people to spread across different continents and regions. Fiber is the fastest choice for connecting your home and all your devices.
Most fiber optic internet plans offer 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps) speed which will suffice even if you invite all your friends over to your house and they all use the internet connection. 1 GBPS is at least 20 times faster than the 50 to 100 Mbps speed offered by cable internet.
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Distance
Cable wires are made up of copper wires. The signal carried by these copper wires starts degrading it moves farther from the central office (CO).
Initially, fiber optic cables were used for long haul networks. Cell phone towers located in remote areas used fiber for connecting to other towers for the network. Some types of fiber connections are known to be transmitted for around 25 miles.
Though most business or residences may not require this kind of robust fiber connections, one can be assured that the signal from fiber won’t get degraded within the metro fiber rings which are serving their business.
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Security
With the growing focus on cybersecurity threats, fiber-optic internet is considered to be a cost-effective way of improving Internet security. Copper cable can be intercepted by connecting taps to the cable for picking up the signals transmitted.
It is very difficult to connect taps to fiber optic internet cables; therefore intercepting the signals is not possible. Fiber cables emit light while transmitting signals, therefore it is very easy to identify if any of the cables are compromised.
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Reliability
Several factors like fluctuations in temperature or severe weather conditions or high humidity and moisture can cause outages in copper cable-based internet. Old or damaged copper cables can even present a risk of fire since it carries electric current.
Another reason why copper cables are not reliable is that it faces the risk of facing interference from electronic or radio signals. Copper cables are controlled by the telephone company, the staff has access to them and there are chances of mistakes happening if the staff mixes some wires while handling them.
Fiber is completely independent of the telephone company, their equipment, and their termination points.
Fiber optic cables are highly resistive to electromagnetic and radio-frequency interference and other issues like the impact of weather conditions and damage by water or moisture.
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Cost
The cost of Fiber cable has decreased significantly over the years. This has resulted in the reduction of the price of fiber internet services. This fall in price is expected to continue in the recent future also.
Fiber has already become cheaper as compared to the other alternatives in many scenarios. If you are looking for higher bandwidth or systems which are network response sensitive, the cost of fiber connectivity is much less than the TV or phone cable.
Once fiber connection is availed, more options like moving services and applications to the cloud become easy and possible; this provides cost-savings and scalability.
Best Fiber Optic Internet Providers and Connection
Looking for the Best Fiber Internet providers in your area? Get in touch with our team at Integral Choice to learn more about the fiber internet services provided.
Our team would be more than happy to answer your queries regarding the fiber optic internet services offered by us, they can help you find the best fiber internet provider depending on your home or business requirements. Contact us today at Nick@4ici.com or (678) 255-2707.