Many people have heard of fiber optic internet, but don’t understand the mechanics and dynamics of this type of internet connection. Service providers are great at installing the cables and setting everything up, but will rarely give you a picture of how fiber optic internet works.
Introduction
Firms with branches across multiple locations or have a complex infrastructural set up would most likely adopt fiber optic connections for their internet needs. They include video conferencing and VoIP calls. In fact, new businesses that opted for voip service saved up to 90% on start-up costs, with most of these businesses opting for fiber optic internet. Residential complexes also have fiber optic setups for basic internet needs like streaming and online gaming.
In this post, we’ll discuss the basics of fiber optic internet, including its definition, the major difference between fiber optic internet and other types of connections, and its benefits.
Let’s get straight into it.
What is Fiber Optic Internet
Fiber Optic is internet provided through fiber optics. Data in light form is transmitted through fiber optic cables from the world wide web to your computer. These fiber optic cables allow the internet provider to transmit data over very long distances without distorting to the light signal or any attenuation.
In computer terms, attenuation is the weakening of a data signal over time as it travels to your computer. This weakening makes it harder for your computer to process data and subsequently leads to slow internet or internet pages that won’t load.
The light from fiber optic cables is a binary form of communication with the computer. For instance, a flash of light may represent the digit 1, and no flash may represent the number 0.
DSL internet Versus Fiber Optic Internet Versus Cable Internet
The major difference between fiber optic internet and these other types of connections are in the cables used. Cable and DSL internet uses copper wires, similar to the wires used in telephone lines, to transmit data.
Fiber optic internet, on the other hand, employs fiber optic cables. They contain very thin strands of glass or sometimes plastic fibers. While copper wires in DSL and cable connections transmit voltage through copper wires. Fiber optic cables use light technology for data transmission.
The way these different cables transmit data gives fiber optic cables an edge over the rest. This is because data transmission through light has very minimal distortion and attenuation, which makes them excellent for data transmission.
DSL and cable connections don’t do well over long distances. This poor performance is ascribed to the same attenuation and distortion that gets worse over long distances. So how far you are from your internet provider will determine how good your signal will be. The closer you are to the internet service provider, the better your signal will be, the farther away you are from your internet provider, the worse the signal and the slower your internet speeds will be.
A fiber-optic connection set at 1000 Mbps download speed will take 12 seconds to download a 2-hour movie that is about one and a half gigabytes in size. A 100 Mbps cable connection will download the entire 2-hour film in two minutes and eight seconds, while a 25 Mbps DSL connection will download a 2-hour movie in eight minutes and thirty-five seconds.
Who is Fiber Optic Internet Suited For?
Fiber optic internet is suited for anyone looking for high speed internet connectivity. While 1000 Mbps may seem too high for normal streaming or online gaming it may be necessary for big firms. Most internet providers have data speed caps for various packages, so you pay for the speed you need. Unlike DSL and cable internet connections, fiber optic connections rarely fluctuate or have downtime. This consistency makes fiber optic connections a natural fit for many business where the internet is an integral part of the enterprise.
Conclusion
Fiber optic internet is the future of internet and is bound to replace other modes of internet connection. Hopefully, this piece gives you a rough idea on the basics of fiber optic internet.