Is fiber optic internet better?

• Fiber-optic Internet can provide speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second (Gbps), which is 200 times faster than a 50 Mbps broadband or satellite connection.
• Fiber-optic Internet offers a much higher bandwidth capacity than satellite or broadband.
• Fiber-optic Internet offers greater reliability, as fiber cabling is much stronger than copper cables and is more resistant to weather conditions, fire hazards, power outages and electromagnetic interference.
• Fiber-optic Internet is more secure, as data sent over fiber cables is quite difficult to intercept.
   

Fiber-optic Internet services have become widely available for business and consumer use in recent years, and fiber Internet service providers have made bold claims about the superiority of fiber. But is fiber-optic Internet better than broadband and satellite connections in reality?

Here is a brief discussion of “Is fiber-optic Internet better?” that compares fiber to other high-speed Internet technologies in four key areas.

What are fiber optics and is fiber-optic Internet better than other technologies?

Fiber-optic cables use very thin strands of plastic or glass to carry binary transmissions of light, sending data at very high speeds over long distances. This is in contrast to broadband Internet that transmits data via electrical signals over copper cable and satellite Internet that uses radio waves. Consequently, fiber-optic Internet can outperform other forms of high-speed Internet access in terms of speed, bandwidth, reliability and security.

Is fiber-optic Internet better in terms of speed?

In commercial offerings, fiber-optic Internet can provide speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second (Gbps), which is 200 times faster than a 50 Mbps broadband or satellite connection.

Is fiber-optic Internet better in bandwidth?

Fiber-optic Internet offers a much higher bandwidth capacity than satellite or broadband, since the frequencies over which data can travel long distances are much higher for fiber cables than for copper or satellite transmissions.

Is fiber-optic Internet better in terms of reliability?

Fiber cabling used in fiber-optic Internet is much stronger than the soft metal of copper cables. Fiber is harder to break and is more resistant to weather conditions and fire hazards. Additionally, because fiber-optic Internet does not use electricity to transmit data, power outages will have little effect on Internet service and proximity to powerful electrical equipment will not create electromagnetic interference, as is the case with broadband and satellite service.

Is fiber-optic Internet better for security?

While intercepting data sent over copper lines or satellite transmissions is fairly easy, intercepting data sent over fiber-optic Internet cables is quite difficult and any attempt to tap a fiber-optic line will immediately be noticed by network administrators.

Is fiber-optic Internet better at Spectrum Enterprise?

Spectrum Enterprise is a leading provider of services for fiber Internet access. Our gigabit network offers dedicated Internet access with upload speeds as fast as downloads, and bandwidth that can easily scale up to 100 Gbps.