Once considered something of a novelty because of a lack of significant availability, fiber internet is becoming increasingly accessible in many parts of the country. Powered by fiber optic cables, fiber internet, or simply “fiber,” differs from cable internet in that information is transmitted via electricity sent through copper wires instead of cable lines. It’s an appealing alternative to cable because of the impressive high-speed capacity and other perks.
Fiber internet is a service usually offered by incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs), referring to local or regional phone companies. Verizon, for example, offers fiber internet as a service referred to as Verizon Fios. It’s also an increasingly competitive market, which means it’s not too difficult to find a good deal on this type of internet service. If you haven’t yet considered switching to fiber for your preferred internet access option, take a moment to consider some of the top reasons why you should try moving to fiber internet.
Impressive Speed
The top reason to consider a move to fiber internet is the speed. Spectrum internet is one of the top fiber optic internet services which offers high-speed internet. This is appealing for home users, but even more for businesses. Research suggests that internet delays can affect employee productivity, and potentially impact the bottom line as well. Fiber has impressive speeds that range from 5 Mbps to 100 Gbps.
Great Reliability
The copper lines used for fiber internet are extremely reliable and dependable. Coaxial cable, on the other hand, is more susceptible to wear, damage from bad weather, and electrical interference. Unless fiber lines are actually cut, they are pretty much likely to remain fully operational.
Higher Bandwidth Availability
If you’re currently noticing slower download or upload speeds at certain times or issues with pixelated videos and availability delays, you’ll appreciate fiber internet. You’ll be less likely to deal with bandwidth issues of this nature with fiber, thanks to much higher bandwidth availability. Bandwidth with fiber isn’t unlimited, but you’ll definitely have enough bandwidth to do such things as:
• Accessing cloud applications in a more seamless and convenient way
• Web conferencing
• File sharing
• Streaming high-definition video content
Fewer Frustrating Delays
Latency refers to internet connection and signal strength delays that can be frustrating when doing certain activities online, like watching streaming content. It can also be a serious issue for gamers and when downloading and uploading files. You’re less likely to experience connection or signal delays with internet because of the higher bandwidth and increased reliability. For business users, not having to deal with unexpected delays makes it easier to:
• Collaborate with employees
• Work remotely
• Shift more applications to the cloud
• Enjoy better voice quality with VoIP
Improved Security
Security breaches can be devastating for any business. In fact, the average cost of a data security breach for a business is nearly $4 million. This can be especially hard on smaller businesses without the ability to absorb such losses or get everything back up and running quickly. One of the ways hackers gain access to data is with what’s known as “cable tapping” along with other techniques in which cable lines are compromised. It’s not as easy to physically cut or disrupt fiber-optic lines, however. This fact alone provides an added security boost coupled with much-appreciated peace of mind.
Final Thoughts
Many ILECs are making the shift to offering fiber internet options. In some instances, these local or regional phone companies are willing to absorb the construction and setup costs to improve fiber access in areas that previously didn’t have this option. This minimizes the chances that costs will be passed along to customers in a significant way. To be fair, fiber internet is still, on average, more expensive than traditional cable internet. However, the added boost in speed along with the other perks discussed here can easily justify a move to fiber internet.
