People can claim fiber internet is the best service available today, but what does that mean? Do their claims that it is faster and more reliable hold up compared to other internet connections? What should a person know before making the switch?
The Basics of Fiber Optic Internet
Before a person can learn more about fiber internet and its benefits, they must understand how it works. Fiber internet is different because it carries light pulses through thin glass or plastic fibers to their destination. The cables are less susceptible to outside interference, which offers many benefits.
Speed
Fiber optic internet travels at 1 GB per second, significantly faster than the 50 to 100 megabytes people get with their connections. Fiber internet lets a person download a 2-hour HD movie in only 40 seconds. It would take 7 minutes to complete the same task with a cable connection and 30 minutes with DSL internet.
Upload and download speeds are synchronous. Other internet providers offer fast download speeds and significantly slower upload speeds, but that is different when a person upgrades to fiber internet. Fiber internet allows a person to upload a large file or other data quickly and easily. Their device won’t be tied up for minutes or hours trying to send this information when they have fiber connections.
Reliability
Fiber internet is highly reliable. Peak traffic won’t overload it, and fiber internet carries data at consistently high speeds. There is no need for energized lines, so fiber internet does not struggle with outages like cable internet. The only thing that would cause fiber internet to go down is if the cable is cut or severely damaged.
No Throttling
The ISP may throttle service when multiple people simultaneously use a cable internet connection. Doing so helps prevent an outage, but everybody’s speed slows down. The provider must ration service to avoid bigger problems. Fiber internet providers don’t need to throttle because the system isn’t susceptible to overload.
Viewing Experience
Men and women may upgrade to a 4K TV only to be disappointed with their purchase. While the TV packs four times more pixels into the viewing experience, it requires more bandwidth. The viewer may be unsatisfied if the internet connection cannot keep up. A fiber internet connection ensures a high-quality 4K TV viewing experience.
Better Gaming
Gamers typically refuse to use anything other than a fiber connection today. Gaming doesn’t require significant bandwidth, but consistency is an issue. If the internet lags at the wrong time, a person could lose the game in a fraction of a second. Fiber internet ensures a smooth and consistent data flow to prevent this from happening.
Multiple Devices
When the internet first became popular, most households had one computer. Today, individuals have multiple devices, and families can have 25 devices or more connecting to the internet simultaneously. They may also have smart home devices operating in the background, requiring bandwidth. Fiber internet connections can handle all of these devices simultaneously without degrading service.
Fiber internet offers numerous benefits over other internet connection options today. The biggest problem people encounter is that it is not readily available in some areas. Fortunately, this is changing as the federal government works to expand broadband access to more people. Anyone who cannot benefit from fiber internet today should continue watching. A provider may soon be available in their area so they can receive the same benefits.