How fast is fiber-optic Internet, and how is that determined?

Fiber connection is the fastest internet speed being used at the moment. Due to its expensive infrastructure. It is not available widely yet. But it has given the other internet connections a run for its money. Unfortunately, another kind of internet connection is no match for this internet connection. In Xfinity internet plans, if you are opting for a fiber-optic internet connection, you will have to go for the Xfinity Gigabit plan, offering speed up to 1.2G, along with a higher upload speed of around 35Mbps. However, the price and availability depend on the area that you are living in.

No competition

As of now, fiber-optic internet connection has no competition in the market. DSL internet connection is the slowest internet connection coming up after the ever-obsolete dial-up connection, with the highest downloading speed reaching up to 100Mbps. Satellite internet has made some improvements in handling weather interference. But its internet speed is slower than that of the DSL internet connection. Also, satellite internet is the only preference for internet users living in rural or remote areas. Even if the internet users living in such areas had the option to choose between fiber optic internet or satellite internet connection.

They would go for the fiber optic internet connection without any hesitation. It is no doubt more reliable, but unfortunately, fiber internet is not very much available in rural or remote areas. However, cable internet has been known to reach up to 1000 Mbps. That is plenty of speed for anything that anyone can do online. Xfinity Internet service providers offer both cable and fiber-optic internet connections. Their cable internet connection can get up to 1000Mbps and known to undoubtedly fast. 

Fiber-optic internet VS cable internet

To determine how fast a fiber-optic internet connection is. it will compare with a cable internet connection. The closest competition.

• Fiber-optic internet connection uses small, flexible strands of glass to transmit data from one place to another in the form of light. In contrast, cable internet utilizes copper material in their wiring, and data transmits in electricity. Data transmission in the fiber-optic internet connection travels at the speed of light. Much faster than how data transmits in cable internet.

• Fiber-optic internet connection is known to represent the backbone of the telecommunication and cable industries. However, it is not available everywhere yet due to its expensive infrastructure. So cable internet might be the best option if there is no fiber-optic internet connection in a locality. A cable internet connection uses the cable connection to send data transmission to customers’ end. Which is why it is found in all urban and suburban areas. Most businesses also own cable internet and are making use of fast, reliable internet connections. However, fiber-optic internet providers are looking to expand their network with fiber-optic cables, and some might even negotiate construction fees. 

Fiber-Optice VS Cable Internet

The speed of fiber-optic Internet is much faster than cable internet, and it can go up to 1Gbps and more. Fiber-optic internet connection also has symmetrical download and upload bandwidth. The transmission speed of cable internet can go from 10 Mbps to 1Gbps. But it doesn’t go more. Also, download and upload speeds are asymmetrical, and upload speeds are from 3Mbps to 50Mbps. Another drawback of cable internet is that since the cable share around the neighborhood with multiple other residents.

There are bound to interference in the internet connection. A fiber-optic connection is equippe to handle multiple bandwidths.

Having a shared connection doesn’t make cable internet a very reliable internet connection. However, internet users get to have a consistent and dedicated network connection with a fiber-optic internet connection.

Features of a fiber internet connection

With the help of these features. It will determine how fiber-optic internet connection is the fastest in the world. 

• The fiber-optic internet connection has the lowest error and energy resources consumption, along with having the fastest speeds.
• This connection is also efficient in quality information transmission.
• Optic cables are designe to carry a beam of modulate light, and their frequency is closer to an infrared ray, making them more reliable than copper cables. 
• Also, fiber-optic cables are designs to insulat, so electromagnetic interference and radiofrequency waves do not affect the fiberglass material. 
• Security is also one of the promising strengths of a fiber-optic internet connection. The light that passes through the optical fiber cables has no radiation, and no one can eavesdrop on the transmission path. This makes a fiber-optic connection ideal for military purposes. 

Fiber optic internet connection is ideal for businesses and large organizations that need the fastest internet connection, have greater bandwidth demands, and need reliability for smooth and essential functioning of their responsibilities. Fiber-optic internet connection also delivers the best results over longer distances.

How does fiber-optic internet work?

Fiber-optic Internet is a complex technology that allows the transmission of information in the light rather than electricity. Many pieces make up this advanced technology, but two key components are optical fibers and the so-called “last mile” of the fiber-optic network.

Optical fibers

Optical fibers are tiny — about 125 microns in diameter or slightly larger than human hair. Many of these fibers are bundled together to form cables (not to be confused with coaxial cables made of copper). The optical fibers carry laser or LED light pulses down the line, transmitting information in “binary” form, similar to the 0s and 1s used in electronics.

The last mile

Once these super-fast pulses of light reach their destination,.They are convert into electrical output that your devices can understand and use. This performes by a special piece of equipment called the optical network terminal. Which sends the signal through an Ethernet connection. The stretch between the main fiber network line and the end-user is the “last mile” (though it is often much shorter than a mile).

“Pure fiber” refers to fiber connections that run to the end user’s home, business, or desktop computer. This is the fastest and most expensive “last mile” option, as it brings the full speed and reliability of fiber straight to the consumer. 

As an alternative, copper cables often used to carry the fiber connection from a terminal called a “street cabinet” to a whole housing block, campus, or residential building. This option is less expensive. But a small fiber speed is lost in the “last mile.”

A 2-minute history of fiber optics

Though many people think of fiber-optic as a new technology, it dates back to the 1970s, when it was first used in telecommunications.

In 1988, fiber-optic cables laid beneath the ocean, connecting the U.S. to Europe. Over the years, more and more lines laid under the sea, so today, a huge network of fiber-optic cables stretches around the entire globe. With their high-speed capabilities and reliable transmission of data, growing fiber networks have allowed for dramatic progress in the telecom field. Some say fiber-optic technology is what made the Information Age possible.

In developed nations, fiber-optic lines replaced the older copper lines years ago, forming our current internet networks’ core or “backbone.” However, only recently has it become more cost-effective to install fiber lines than copper ones. So, as the technology keeps improving, fiber-optic networks are expanding rapidly across cities and directly to homes.