Fiber Internet Ultimate Guide

If you love gaming, or if you stream or video chat all day, you might want to consider fiber internet. There are various reasons that fiber internet might be the right solution for your needs, but many people are unaware of what fiber can offer.

Fiber internet used to be offered to very limited locations, and it has only recently become accessible enough to most people to consider it an option for their needs.

Fiber internet delivers a superior and stable internet connection that you will likely never achieve with standard internet connections. This is typically the best internet option for those who want lightning-fast internet that rises head and shoulders above the competition. Fiber-optic technology is not new, but it has just recently become more practical to apply for this need.

If you are ready to learn more about fiber internet and what it can do for you, you need to read on.

What is Fiber Internet?

Fiber-optic internet is an internet delivery method that uses fiber-optics to deliver the internet to your home or business. This transfer is done by sending the internet connection as a beam of light along a fiber-optic cable. This creates ultra-fast connectivity that is typically about 1,000 Mbps at all times. The pulses of light that are carried along with the fiber optic cables also allow for symmetrical upload and download speeds, something that is not a standard feature of regular internet connections.

In the world of high-speed internet, the connection speed that you are accessing is only as powerful as the symmetry between upload and download speeds. With fiber-optic cables handling the connection and data transfer, the seamless balance between the two processes makes for incredibly fast speeds that feel effortless and never experience lag or throttling.

Dark Fiber is a connection to the fiber-optic network that is leased by a third-party internet carrier on a long-term contract. This allows for the fiber to be connected between two locations without being connected to the carrier’s larger network. This is where the term “dark” comes from since the connection is dark to the carrier but available to the customers who have paid for fiber internet through their ISP. This is one of the key ways that fiber internet is being delivered to more and more customers every year.

Do I Need a Modem for Fiber Internet?

This is one of the key benefits of this kind of internet connection because you will not need a traditional router for your fiber internet use. The ONT/ONU acts as a modem when you are connecting fiber that is provided by your ISP. Your connection can be completed with access to a router that has the capacity to deliver the internet speeds that you are paying for with your fiber connection.

This is a helpful solution for those who don’t want to have to deal with more technology than necessary and it can prevent problems with connectivity that are being caused by hardware and not the internet connection itself. Fiber cable installation will have to be done when you are using the connection without a modem, but when you have access to this kind of connectivity, there is no reason to lean on a modem for one of the necessary steps in your internet delivery system.

Kinds of Connection to Your Address

If you are thinking about getting fiber internet for your home or business, you need to know about the kinds of connections that can be provided to deliver it. You might not be able to choose between direct fiber lines that are delivered straight to your address, copper lines, or fiber to the cabinet, but you will likely be offered one of these three options for your connection type when you make the switch.

FTTP is fiber optic right to the premises which means that you will get a fiber optic connection directly to your address. This will have the highest speeds for your use and it is the preferred method of delivery. This is also the most expensive option.

FTTB is fiber to the building, which is common for apartment buildings or business complexes. In this setup, you will pay for access, and the fiber is delivered through copper lines that are spread throughout the building.

FTTC is fiber to the curb/cabinet which is a connection that is delivered to a street cabinet that is intended for common use in the neighborhood or your local area. This can save everyone money overall and this is the most cost-effective means of gaining access to this kind of internet. This is the least infrastructure-heavy of the options and it is the most common choice for companies providing this kind of internet.

While you might not get to choose between these three options, you should get superior performance from your fiber internet as soon as you get connected to it. This is becoming an increasingly affordable and available internet option and connections of any style will deliver you the speedy internet that you have been looking for.

The Future of Fiber

Many people will say that fiber internet will be replaced by 5G or that it will remain impractical to deliver effectively to homes and businesses in all locations. This is likely not to be the case, however, because of the rise of the Internet of Things and its need for an effective and fast internet connection. Companies that build for fiber are looking ahead of the curve to see the advantages that this option will make available for homes, businesses, and more.

Fiber internet speeds will eventually be required for many businesses to handle daily processes and to support automated shopping and other kinds of IoT functionality. If the demand is present for the IoT solutions that need fiber internet, fiber will have its place in the future. Many ISPs are already dedicating themselves to the development of fiber internet access in their local area and it is likely only a matter of a time before everyone can choose fiber internet for their home internet if they wish.

If you want to get Fiber internet access yourself, contact our team of specialists to get set up!