At 1 Gbps, fiber optic internet speeds are roughly 20 times faster than those of traditional cable.
Why is cable internet via fiber optics so much better than regular cable internet? from cable internet travel along metal wires. The signal is weakened and interference is picked up as the metal heats up. That explains why fiber optics internet is so much faster and more streamlined than cable and DSL.
The workings of fiber optic internet?
For fiber optic internet to work, files like movies and games are broken up into groups of ones and zeros. The “wire” is about as thick as a single strand of hair.
A special covering called a “cladding” keeps the light beam inside the filament. Up to 60 miles of wall-bouncing later, it emerges from the other end where a modem decodes the light into a format that your computer can understand.
Three varieties of fiber optic cable internet
Three different fiber optic cable internet options are available, with speeds ranging from “whoa, I can’t believe how fast this is” to “okay, this is not much better than regular
- Fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) or FTTH (Fiber To The Premises)
Due to the fibers’ direct access to your door, this fiber optic connection is the fastest and most reliable available.
- FTTC (Fiber to the Curb) (Fiber to the Curb)
This uses coaxial cable to connect the fiber to the utility pole outside your home. A bottleneck exists due to the copper wire’s short length.
- FTTN (Fiber To The Node or Neighborhood)
The fiber optics reach your home within a mile. This option is the slowest of the three due to a longer trip through metal wires.
Why Fiber Outperforms Cable?
- Bandwidth
Your bandwidth potential can be significantly increased by making an investment in fiber optic Internet. The infrastructure for coax cables is rather constrained. because it was initially intended to only be used for downloads at faster speeds.
The slower upload speeds are no longer practical for business. Having your bandwidth delivered over fiber can be a crucial asset for organizations considering switching to Voice-over-IP (VoIP) and using video.
- Download/Upload Speed
Is there a discernible difference in speed between fiber optic and cable Internet? Absolutely.
With a fiber connection to our network, many Atlantech Online customers can send data at a rate of one gigabit per second. That is significantly faster than the federal government’s definition of broadband service, which as of January 2023 calls for 100 Mbps for uploads and 20 Mbps for downloads.
According to the tech blog NorthWest, uploads that typically take 22 minutes over coax cable Internet connections can be completed in as little as 8 seconds when using fiber.
The idea of “waiting for things to load” is about to become obsolete thanks to this technological advancement.
- Security
Fiber optic is marketed as a practical way to instantly boost your Internet security in a time when cybersecurity is receiving more attention.
Compromise cables, which audibly emit light from transmissions, are also simple to spot. DDoS attacks are becoming more frequent, making it crucial now more than ever to strengthen your network’s security.
Fiber optic internet speed benefits
- Reliability
We’ve all experienced it. As you and the kids are watching The Incredibles, Bob Parr’s face starts to become blocky. He stops moving in midair. Is that a treacherous freeze ray? When it stopped, your four-year-old asks, “Daddy, why?”
In reality, your cable connection should be fast enough to let you stream video without any interruptions, but when it’s busy, the wires get too full. At that point, it’s clear how much faster fiber optic internet is than cable internet. More users and more data can be handled by fiber optics at steadily faster speeds.
Added benefit? Fiber optic cable internet is less prone to outages than cable internet because it doesn’t require energized lines. Even when the lights go out, your bits and bytes can still be delivered as long as the fiber optic cable is intact.
Improved gameplay
As the holy grail of gaming connections, fiber optic internet speed is likely already known to those who enjoy playing Fortnite or League of Legends. Gaming doesn’t require a ton of bandwidth. In actuality, gaming consumes less data—less than 1 Mbps—than high-quality video streaming.
What then is the issue? Consistency. In your preferred game, a minor glitch at the wrong time can result in your death. Additionally, a cable internet or DSL connection constantly has numerous minor hiccups. Every time you move your mouse hand, the game responds thanks to the smooth and consistent flow of data made possible by fiber optic internet service providers.
- Healthier
You might be aware of the competition for 5G internet access. It boasts 10 Gbps speeds, which is ten times as fast as fiber optic internet. Why then do fiber optics at all?
We might benefit more from fiber optic cable internet, which is one reason. The World Health Organization (WHO) asserts that since 5G wireless internet signals cannot pass through human skin, there is no need to be concerned about them. However, hundreds of researchers and medical experts recently petitioned the WHO, claiming that 5G will increase the risk of cancer. Fiber optic signals don’t carry those worries because they stay contained in their cables.
- Telemedicine
Nobody enjoys visiting the doctor. While you wait in waiting rooms, you lose hours of work. You repeatedly respond to inquiries about your home address and any allergies you may have to medications. However, can fiber optic internet service providers actually assist with that? They can, yes.
Medical professionals can evaluate, diagnose, and even treat patients remotely thanks to telemedicine. Telemedicine is more dependable because of much faster fiber optic internet speeds and higher quality video chats. It can also aid in the independence of the elderly and the disabled.
- Safety
5G and fiber optic cable internet speeds aren’t just for show; they’ll also make the world a safer place. The National Broadband Plan, which the US government unveiled in 2010 [9], calls for a stronger national network to enhance public safety.
The plan states that in order to obtain voice, data, and video to aid in lifesaving, first responders need faster, more dependable internet. All Americans have greater access to emergency services thanks to improved internet. In addition, it boosts national security and offers more trustworthy disaster notification.
- Networking with many devices
The era of the “household computer” is over. Our homes now contain a variety of gadgets, including laptops, PCs, tablets, phones, smart speakers, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices like smart locks and thermostats. Our requirement for dependable and quick data transmission grows along with our usage of the internet.
Rescue is provided by fiber-optic internet service providers. We can connect with multiple tablets, laptops like the HP Specter, and multiple phones simultaneously thanks to the steady signal with less signal loss and ten times more bandwidth. Fiber optics can handle the load even when multiple people are simultaneously streaming music and video.
Fiber optic internet drawbacks
- Slow rates of growth
Slow growth rates are yet another negative. Due to the development of 5G wireless internet, efforts to extend fiber optic cable internet to the rest of the nation have slowed. Without wires, 5G will provide 10 times the speed of fiber optics. The major carriers are vying for the first to deploy 5G. Most have either given up on or scaled back their ambitious fiber plans.
- Expensives
Finally, the cost has increased. The initial cost of installing new infrastructure made fiber optic prices skyrocket. These days, the prices have decreased a little. Therefore, even though fiber optics will cost a little more than cable or DSL, you might only pay an extra $10 or $20 per month.
Conclusion
Although organizational information technology requirements can vary greatly, fiber optic Internet is becoming a more popular option for business data transmission due to its benefits.
Businesses that decide to invest in fiber frequently discover that the total cost of ownership, available bandwidth, and speed improvements are noticeable.
