Fiber-optic is the connection that all businesses ought to have. Fiber-optic technology has now thrown its competitors such as Wireless Internet, Cable, and DSL out of the market thanks to its speed of up to 1Gbps. With fiber-optics, signals pass through ultra-thin fiber-optic glass cables.
Unlike fiber, DSL uses copper phone lines which have been with us for over a century. Cable internet uses coaxial cables while fixed wireless internet uses radio waves, broadcast through towers, and over to frequencies.
The Advantages of Fiber-optic Internet for Business Over Its Competitors
Below are 7 reasons why you should adopt fiber-optic internet for business:
- Does not emit electromagnetic waves
DSL Copper wires are run the risk of causing serious damage if badly installed. They emit electromagnetic currents which can damage a network by interfering with wires. Copper wires are also good conductors of electricity so they risk causing fires in case of wrongful installation. These wires are also highly susceptible to lightning. All these inconveniences will slow down the productivity of your business.
Fiber-optic cables neither emit electromagnetic waves nor get damaged. They are made of glass or plastic which means they are not affected by harmful waves.
Fiber internet remains robust in almost all conditions, unaffected by changing weather conditions and human interference.
- No loss of signal
Copper wires cables degrade at a much higher rate than fiber. The degradation causes a situation known as attenuation which refers to the loss or weakening of a signal. A DSL cable will lose more than 90% of a signal compared to fiber.
- Symmetrical upload and download speeds
If you run a business where you frequently or regularly upload and download content, the speed these functions matter a lot.
For other internet connections, download speeds tend to be faster with upload speeds lagging. With a fiber-optic internet, both of these speeds are symmetrical.
- Consistent speed
Internet sharing with other internet connections results in slow internet speeds. With cable internet, for example, businesses can share the internet from a central node where the internet service provider (ISP) meets the local coaxial network. When over 100 businesses are sharing such a node, slow internet speeds are inevitable, especially during peak hours.
Since such ISPs know this, they start slowing down your bandwidth after you have exceeded a certain amount. That is to ensure that everyone in the network can get an even amount of service, which ends up frustrating users. Some companies go as far as capping your internet usage and charging you an extra amount should you exceed the set amount of data.
Fixed wireless also suffers from congestion. Speed slows as more people access the network.
Slow internet speeds can result in the loss of at least one week of productivity every year. Fiber is faster than the fastest copper connection.
Unlike cable internet, shared fiber-optic internet has consistent speed regardless of how many people are using it. Fiber internet is also the best choice when you want a reliable internet connection that you can use to access your cloud data.
- It is not dependent on the line of sight
The biggest downside of fixed wireless internet is that for you to get connected, your business antenna has to be within the vicinity of the provider’s tower, which is known as the line of sight. If the provider cannot locate your business due to obstructions such as hills or mountains, fixed wireless will not be an option for you. With fiber, issues of visibility do not come into play.
- It does not degrade with distance
Few internet connections can match up to the speed of fiber-optic internet. Wireless, for example, degrades as distance increases. Businesses closer to the provider would enjoy better quality internet that those who are far away.
With fiber, quality does not decreases based on how far your business is from the mains. You will still enjoy strong signal strength even when your location is far from the telecommunications room.
- Safe for your business
Traditional able internet makes it easy for thieves to gain access to your internet through cable tapping. Using a fiber-optic business solution can help keep your business safe. Fiber cables are hard to penetrate and internet thieves will have to cut the wires to gain access.
Conclusion
When you are looking for an internet service for your business, always have the future in mind. Internet use is growing rapidly and the functions in your business that will require an internet connection in the future will only increase. The traditional copper connections which are undependable and insecure are not cutting it for today’s modern business.
You need to invest in a fast and reliable internet connection to accommodate your increasing needs. Adopting a fiber internet is a smart, forward-looking move for your business.