Advantages & Disadvantages of Optical Fiber internet

The internet has come a long way. It seems an impossibility to think of living without fast broadband connection today, and yet- the majority of the masses aren’t even aware of how they get their internet connections. A decade ago, the method through which the Internet was transferred was telephone lines. It was slow, could drop signal mid-way and worse of all- occupied the calling line (thereby rendering the phone useless whilst the internet was running). In recent years a new method has gained traction and advantage- fiber optic internet. Fiber-optic speed tests will show readings ranging from 10 to over 1000 Mbps which is a massive improvement over the old method. But what exactly is this medium and how does it work? Let’s have a detailed look at optical fiber internet and its advantages and disadvantages.

What is optical fiber internet- the basics

In simple terms, the data is transferred through a fiber optic cable which is thin and cylindrical. Many of these individual optical fibers are then bound together with outer coating protection from materials, usually aluminum. Inside the cable are thin glass wires through which the data is transmitted. The data is transferred through light signals- which is what makes the information go through so fast.

Fiber optic internet speed is the future and already today optical fibers are fast replacing metal ones which are slow and cumbersome. One startling fact to consider in favor of fibers is that today even most telephone companies in the United States have started using fiber optic cables alongside computer networks and power lines.

Advantages of Optical Fiber internet

Great bandwidth and speed: As stated above, internet speed tests show a download range of 10 to over 1,000 Mbps. Fast connectivity is a necessity for most businesses today, with productivity losses due to slow or bad internet connection. Moreover, even households have become accustomed to fast speeds and fiber optic internet speed is unparalleled in this regard.

Reliability and Security: Another major advantage of optical fiber internet is its refined security aspects. In simple terms, the copper cables used in the DSL method can be easily intercepted and hacked. But with these glass fiber cables, it is next to impossible to hack or get information. The method is secure in ways phone lines can never be. Cybersecurity is a major threat today which must be taken into consideration.

Cloud facilities advantage: Today almost everything from business operations to content sharing is done on the cloud and online data service needs great, fast and reliable access- another major reason an internet optical fiber service would be an absolute necessity. There is no going around the fact that a top internet connection would be needed for the sort of heavy and taxing online applications that would be in use today and in the future.

Suggested Read : Which is Faster and more Reliable – Cable Internet or Fiber Internet

Disadvantages of Optical Fiber internet

Having listed the advantages of optical fibers, there must also be a mention of the setbacks of this method and there are a few:

Cost: One of the major drawbacks of optical fiber internet is that it is more expensive to set up and utilize than DSL. The setup is expensive for the simple reason that this is a new technology and there isn’t the established infrastructure you get with telephone lines. Plus, anything that is faster and more secure will cost more.

Regional availability: This is a major one- Fiber optic internet is region-specific (as of now) and many areas in far off places will find it difficult to get this technology. The more densely populated areas are getting the infrastructure, but it will still take time to catch up with the laid-out maps of telephone line connectivity.

Conclusion and parting thoughts

Fast connectivity is a necessity for anyone who wishes to install an internet connection be it a home installation or business. Internet speed tests show that the advantages of optical fiber internet far outweigh the disadvantages. Barring installation costs (which decrease with time) and the issue of regional availability aside there is no reason to not opt for a fiber optic internet connection. Be it security or bandwidth optical fiber internet is the finest option available today.

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