By: John Shepler

Previously thought to be an excessive amount of bandwidth only suitable for large telecom companies, 10 Gbps connections are quickly becoming the desired level of connectivity for businesses, local governments, medical facilities, content creators, and online retailers. The good news is this bandwidth level is now attainable at a reasonable cost.

Where Can I Get 10 Gbps Dedicated Internet? 10 Gigabit Ethernet service is now commonly available in most cities due to the widespread adoption of fiber optic infrastructure. Fiber optic lines are necessary to deliver the increased bandwidth required to support 4G LTE and 5G cell towers, replacing the older, slower T1 copper lines. Cable companies also utilize fiber lines for their core infrastructure, although the final connection to a cable modem still uses coaxial copper cable. Many cities are now installing fiber infrastructure as a public utility to bring service to all homes and businesses.

Once fiber optic cables are in place, establishing Gigabit and 10 Gigabit broadband connections is simple. Each fiber strand can handle 10 Gbps of bandwidth on just one channel. These same strands can also be configured to use multiple wavelengths of light to carry numerous Gigabit and 10 Gigabit services. A single fiber optic cable can hold anywhere from a few to over a hundred fiber strands. You can be confident that there is an abundance of 10 Gbps capacity readily available.

What 10 Gbps Service Options Are Available? The most popular service in demand is Dedicated Internet Access (DIA). Dedicated means you have exclusive use of your internet connection. All unused capacity on your connection is idle and at your disposal. You do not share bandwidth with other users.

Dedicated Internet Access provides the most consistent connection with the lowest latency (delay) for accessing the core of the internet. This is important if your company relies on remote servers in the cloud or uses colocation hosting. This type of connection is also important if you conduct business over the Internet and need your customers to have a smooth, responsive online experience.

There are also private, point-to-point 10 Gbps connections that can link your business locations or connect your company to a cloud service provider. This type of connection is a step above accessing services over the public internet. Private lines provide the lowest latency and the least amount of congestion. Having a dedicated private line makes your servers feel like they’re right down the hall, even if they’re geographically located across the country.

Cable internet providers now offer a shared bandwidth service that can achieve 10 Gbps download speeds using the DOCSIS 3.1 standard and will soon offer symmetrical 10 Gbps upload and download speeds using the DOCSIS 4.0 standard. While sharing an internet connection with other users can save money, connection speeds can fluctuate depending on network congestion and the number of active users.

What about wireless internet options? In some metropolitan areas, fixed wireless internet service delivered over microwave frequencies can provide bandwidth as high as 10 Gbps without the need for a wired connection. Installation times for fixed wireless are typically fast, sometimes only taking a few days or a week.

How Much Does 10 Gbps Internet Cost? Fiber optic service used to be very expensive, but prices have dropped in recent years due to increased competition among service providers and the economies of scale that come with more users subscribing to higher bandwidth services. If you haven’t priced out 10 Gbps internet service recently, you should get quotes from several providers. You may be surprised to find that several providers can now meet your needs.