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6 Reasons to Choose Fiber Optic Internet
At a time when we’ve become wholly dependent on apps, when gaming has become an identity moreso a hobby, and when professionals are mostly working remotely, connectivity is no longer a perk.
Not just any connectivity, but fast and reliable internet connectivity that keeps us constantly plugged-in. Legacy broadband systems are soon to be outpaced by this never-ending stream of information, which requires a consistently reliable and high speed internet connection to keep up.
Fibre optic internet is the much-needed answer to what users demand now to engage with each other, work together and spend their leisure time. It transmits data through beams of light, as opposed to cable, which sends its signals through copper wires. This change in medium paves the way for a multitude of advantages that make fibre optic internet vastly superior.
Here are six reasons why you should make the switch to fibre optic internet and experience what is now the benchmark for how your internet should perform.
1. Unparalleled Speed
Fibre optic cable provides the fastest internet connection, in a way that’s not even comparable to alternative broadband solutions. It is 20 times faster than cable internet. HP demonstrates this stark difference in how long it takes to download a 2-hour HD movie via different connections:
- Fibre optic internet speed 1 Gbps: 40 seconds
- Cable internet speed 100 Mbps: 7 minutes
- DSL speed 25 Mbps: 30 minutes
- 4G LTE speed 35 Mbps: 25 minutes
A high-speed internet connection makes every aspect of using the internet far more efficient and pleasant. For businesses specifically, slow internet speeds are more than just an inconvenience that slows down the workflow.
It can result in a direct loss of customers – and therefore revenues – who can easily switch to a faster online shopping or eCommerce experience.
2. Reliability
Whether it’s while you’re streaming a TV show, having a Zoom call, or during a power outage, you can’t always rely on your cable internet connection to continuously perform optimally. It can often let you down at the time you need it the most.
The reason for this inconsistency is that cable is pretty sensitive to high demand and peak hours, and requires a proportional spike in power to keep up with capacity increases. Fibre optics operate independently from energy lines since they do not transmit electricity. They can accommodate more users and more data at consistently higher speeds, keeping your internet running at its peak at all times, and even during power outages.
3. Symmetrical Download and Upload Speed
Cable speeds are typically slower for uploads in comparison to downloads. The reason for this disparity isn’t because of an innate technical deficiency in cables – it is purely due to bandwidth allocations by internet providers. Because users download considerably more content than they upload, internet providers assign more bandwidth to downloads.
This becomes particularly inconvenient for plenty of other users who do their fair share of uploads, specifically content creators and heavy social media users who use the internet bilaterally. Even businesses and working professionals carry out an equally proportional amount of downloads and uploads and need a connection that facilitates that.
So, how fast is fibre optic internet in comparison? Well, capacity planning is rarely a worry since it is inherently built to handle high demand. Bandwidth is never rationed across downloads and uploads–they both perform at symmetrical speeds and quality.
4. Future-Proof Technology
Businesses need their infrastructure to be aligned with their strategic goals. Whether exponential growth ever happens or not, you still need your system to be scalable enough to match growth and not hold you back. With the biggest limitation of cable internet being its capacity restrictions, organisations will never be able to future-proof their connections.
Fibre optics promote scalability due to their hardware simplicity. They are much smaller and tighter than copper wires, and can easily accommodate additional installations and upgrades for network expansions. Whatever the vision of your organisation for the next 15-20 years, you will be better prepared for it with fibre optics.
5. More Secure
The growing threat of cybercrime has made security a growing concern for organisations. They need a connection that shields them from hackers and is redundant enough to go into failover mode whenever needed.
Fibre optics provide much higher security than other networks. Because data is transmitted as pulses of light, it literally travels at the speed of light. No hacker can ever intercept this data transmission and compromise any information. Furthermore, copper cables transmit data via electricity, and so can easily be tapped to pick up electric signals. Since fibre optics are precisely as thin as strands of hair, any attempts to tap them will result in system failure, making security breaches instantly and easily discovered.
6. Eco-Friendly
Fibre optics innovate the way we exchange information in a way that doesn’t come at the expense of the environment. They have the capacity to provide a greener IT environment along with their capabilities to deliver higher bandwidth and faster internet connections.
They do this by consuming way less energy than their counterparts. While cables take up to 3.5 watts to transmit light pulses over 100 metres, fibre optic technology only consumes 1 watt to transmit the same amount of data. This means a far lower carbon footprint and fewer cooling systems needed to offset high heat generation. The lack of any copper also presents a more gentle impact on the environment in terms of metal contamination, which often harms vegetation.
Just how fast is fibre optic internet?
The switch to fibre optic internet will really just make life easier for users and businesses alike. You can guarantee that you will always stay productive and securely connected, and activities such as streaming or gaming become easy and trouble-free. Contact us today to find out how we can bring fibre optic internet to your home or business.