What is Fiber Internet?

 

With traditional internet connection methods, having multiple devices connected can slow down the speed, making it impossible to accomplish tasks efficiently or creating frustration when enjoying entertainment. However, with the arrival of fiber optic internet technology, businesses can operate more efficiently, while home internet users can stream movies and play games without interruptions.

 

Business owners and residents throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania count on Omni Fiber to offer unbelievably fast and hassle-free internet speeds of up to 2 Gbps at affordable prices through fiber internet. Learn what fiber internet is and how fiber internet works.

 

Fiber internet is broadband internet—but faster. More and more businesses, consumers, and entire districts are turning away from conventional cables and preferring the faster speeds that fiber internet can provide. At Omni Fiber, we specialize in fiber internet, providing high-quality fiber services and ensuring our clients have convenient access to the types of internet they need. Learn more about the difference between fiber and cable internet and the benefits of fiber so you can decide on cable vs fiber.

 

 

How Does Fiber-Optic Internet Work?

 

Fiber internet works by using light to transmit data. Light is the optimum medium for data transmission because of its speed and reliability. How fast is fiber internet? There’s nothing faster than light, and it does not lose its strength when traveling in a straight line until it encounters objects that will either reflect, refract, or absorb it.

 

That should tell you how fast fiber optic internet is. Fiber optics also allow data to be transmitted over longer distances with minimal signal loss. Learn what a fiber optic internet is constructed of and how data is transferred.

 

What Makes Fiber Different?

 

Fiber internet is a form of broadband internet that uses fiber optic cables—or tight bundles of glass fibers—rather than conventional cables made of copper. This change gives users speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second, compared to 100 Mbps (which is typically the fastest a good broadband internet can reach). However, the difference in speed and the type of hardware are not the only differences in cable vs fiber. Consider these specifics:

 

• Fiber cables allow for better bandwidth distribution, facilitating higher speeds. You can upload and download more data, making your internet faster, especially if you have a large household or business.
• The network doesn’t require the same active electrical system as conventional cable internet, making it more reliable and less prone to failure.
• However, fiber internet can be more expensive. The technology is relatively new, and fiber cables must be physically installed for properties to access fiber internet. As a result, only homes with the infrastructure can access fiber internet, and areas with new or in-progress fiber installations may have higher rates to pay for the project. Only around 14% of the United States has physical access to a fiber optic network.

However, the debate isn’t simply about cable vs fiber. The four most important types of internet are cable, fiber, DSL, and satellite. Both cable and fiber internet are the leaders in speed, reliability, and quality. For advanced levels of internet usage, they’re the primary options. However, DSL and satellite are far more available, as they don’t require companies to physically lay out specialized cables. These are great options for rural or remote areas without access to either copper or fiber cables.

 

The Construction of Optical Fibers

 

Optical fibers are long, thin strands of glass about the diameter of a human hair. The strand is made of three layers. The core is made of ultra-pure silica glass. The pureness of the glass is important for the light to travel through it uninhibited. If the glass contains contaminants, these act as obstacles that can lessen the strength of the light as it attempts to pass through.

 

The ultra-pure glass core is surrounded by a less pure layer of glass or plastic called cladding. The less pure glass prevents the light from escaping from the core by acting as a reflector. The reflection properties it provides keep the light moving forward inside the core with minimal signal loss as data is carried through. The glass layers are surrounded by a thin rubber coating that protects the glass from scratches. The individual strands are then bundled into cables.

 

What Does Fiber Internet Mean?

 

Just one strand can carry a large amount of data. Before light can be transmitted, digital data signals must be modulated onto lightwaves and then changed back to electrical signals. Light pulses or different wavelengths of light reflect the data being transmitted.

 

For example, light can be transmitted with light pulses in binary code, whereas the presence of light signifies 1s, while the absence of light signifies 0s. Multiple light signals of different wavelengths can be transmitted simultaneously through a single optical fiber strand to increase data transmission rates and bandwidth capacity.

 

How is Fiber Different from Other Types of Internet?

 

Now that you know what fiber internet is, you might wonder how good is fiber optic internet compared to other types of internet. Other internet services use audio or radio frequency (RF) signals to carry data from end to end. Audio signals carried through Digital Subscriber Lines (DSLs) cannot be transmitted effectively over long distances. The speed of your internet service will depend on how near you are to the DSL main distribution point. Fiber internet can be transmitted long distances without experiencing internet quality issues.

 

Cable coaxial cables can provide RF signals without significant loss over long distances. However, when exposed to electromagnetic interference, coaxial cables are prone to signal degradation. You might experience poor internet quality and speed issues if RF signals deteriorate. Fiber optic cables cannot be influenced by electromagnetic interference.

 

Why Would I Want Fiber?

 

Fiber is increasingly popular among consumers and professional markets. So if you find yourself asking, “Why is fiber internet better?” or wondering if getting fiber is worth searching for, consider these advantages:

 

• You can stream from multiple devices. Increasingly, households have several devices using large amounts of internet bandwidth simultaneously. Even a single user might be streaming videos while they play games or work on the cloud; you may also have Zoom meetings and lots of applications running in the background if you’re live streaming. If you multiply that across multiple occupants, it can make conventional cable internet lag severely.
• Fiber is much less likely to drop your connection. You can’t risk a dropped video call during the work day when you work from home. Fiber uses a passive connection, so outages and disruptions are much less likely.
• It can improve the value of your home. If you live in an area where fiber connections are possible, your home has an in-demand feature that most homes across the United States can’t compete with.

 

Contact Our Team Today To Learn More About Fiber Internet Solutions

 

Whether you’re a business owner, an internet shopper, a movie watcher, or a gamer, we understand that you can’t tolerate long buffering times and slow responses when clicking on user interface buttons or waiting patiently to download and upload important files or documents. Omni Fiber offers fast fiber internet to ensure almost instantaneous website page transitions, data preloading, downloads, and uploads. Visit our website to check for fiber internet availability in your area.

 

Learning more about cable vs fiber and the benefits of fiber puts you in a better position to take advantage of its value. Reach out to Omni Fiber, to learn more about the fiber networks available in your area and how to get started.

 

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