WHY FIBER INTERNET IS A BETTER OPTION THAN CABLE AND DSL

You’ve probably heard of/use cable or DSL to access the internet. Have you heard of fiber internet? It could become the future of digital communication. The U.S. government has considered expanding access to it, and internet providers are showing interest. Fiber internet might be coming to your town in the near future.

 

Basically, fiber internet utilizes fiber-optic lines to transmit information, as compared to cable or DSL internet services which use copper lines. Fiber-optic lines consist of tiny strands of plastic or glass which carry binary transmissions of light. Data can be transmitted using fiber internet in a really fast and reliable way– more so than even cable/DSL!

 

FASTER SPEEDS

Ultimately, internet speed is dependent on how much data the current infrastructure can handle. Keep in mind that copper wires were originally intended to just transmit people’s voices, right? So they’re limited in the amount of data they can deal with. Now if you think about satellite internet, which takes the copper wires out of the equation, it’s about the same speed as cable/DSL but has a higher latency. The problem with satellite internet is that information has to travel huge distances– from one spot on the planet, up to the satellite, then back down again… It’s good, but not ideal.

 

MORE BANDWIDTH

Now fiber-optic lines are able to use modulated light to transmit data. This gives them a higher bandwidth capacity than cable/DSL copper lines, which use electricity. For example, fiber internet connections work at speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second– and this is 100 times faster than what copper wires allow.

 

BETTER SIGNAL STRENGTH

Fiber internet utilizes fiber-optic lines, which are great at carrying info over long distances. Copper systems have to deal with electromagnetic and/or radio interference, messing with the signal strength. Fiber, however, is insulated against interference, so signal transmission is more secure. Fiber also doesn’t have the wear and tear damage problems copper does. Copper can break down over time. Fiber, meanwhile, is stronger and can handle much more pressure before being damaged.

 

It’s no surprise that internet providers are looking into fiber internet to replace their somewhat antiquated copper line systems. Fiber-optics are the future of digital communication.