What is Fiber-Optic Internet?
Wightman is bringing fiber-optic technology to your town and you’re wondering just what IS fiber internet, and why should you connect to it? Fiber-optic internet is state of the art, future proof technology, which is ideal for homes and businesses that require a fast, reliable internet connection, that is going to meet their ever day demands.
How is Fiber different from other forms of internet?
Fibre technology uses light delivered through a fiber glass core to transmit services to your home. Because of this delivery method, fibre provides a connection that is more reliable, can support much higher speeds, is less susceptible to the effects of weather, and able to handle periods of high internet usage across multiple users.
Fiber internet is dramatically different from other internet connection types which you may have experienced in the past. Here is some information on other delivery methods you may have previously experienced.
Dial-up internet
Dial-up, which is far less common than it was 20 years ago, utilizes existing telephone lines, which are usually made of copper. Dial-up uses the audible frequency of the landline, which is why you hear a series of beeps and noises when it connects. Dial-up and Telephone services share the same line which creates an environment where you can’t use both at the same time forcing you to always choose one or the other.
The average speed of dial-up connections is about 56 Kbps (that’s about 0.05 Mbps) for downloading and uploading.
DSL internet lines
DSL (digital subscriber line) internet also uses telephone lines to transmit data. But in contrast to dial-up, DSL uses inaudible frequencies, so it doesn’t compete with your voice phone service meaning you can be on the phone and surfing the web at the same time.
Speeds are dependent on your proximity to the DSL main distribution point. The closer you are the faster your service will be until you a reach a point where the service simply can’t be transmitted across that distance. DSL internet is also vulnerable to the effects of weather, especially wet rainy conditions, which can impact the speed and consistency of your connection even when you are very close to the distribution point.
Cable internet
Cable internet uses the same technology as your cable TV service uses, known as “coaxial cable.”
Speeds for cable internet can vary widely typically maxing out at 940 Mbps for downloading and up to 50 Mbps for uploading. The interesting fact with cable internet is that you often have many users on the same shared connection. Meaning, the more people using the service during peak times will create noticeable speed decreases for those on that shared connection.
Is Fiber internet really the better choice?
Fibre internet connections will allow for download and upload speeds of up to 1gig! The faster speed offered by fiber internet makes it an excellent choice for homes with many devices and users, gamers, people working from home, and businesses. With speeds of up to 1 gig you could download a 2 hour movie in as little as 40 seconds!
Fibre- optic technology is not as prone to outages as other connection types because it does not require a power source, remember it uses light to transmit data and keep you connected. As long as the fiber optic cable stays intact, it can keep delivering your bits and bytes even when the lights are out, or the weather is wet and stormy.
Have you ever noticed that your internet speed gets slow during times of high usage? This is because some Internet providers use “throttling” to prevent outages during high traffic hours. At peak times, your ISP may lower your speed from 100 Mbps to 20 or lower to ration their service. Fiber optic internet speed doesn’t need to throttle, because it’s less susceptible to overload.
Ready to Switch to Wightman Fiber?
Wightman offers Fibre to The Home in many of our serving areas. To find out more about getting the fastest, most reliable high speed Internet, TV and Phone service installed at your home or business, contact Wightman today!