Is Gigabit Bandwidth Enough? Maybe Not Anymore.

Think Gigabit internet is enough for your business? Think again. The huge growth in video content and cloud computing is changing everything we thought we knew about internet needs. Today, 10 GigE connections are becoming the new normal.

Just a few years ago, 10 Gigabit bandwidth was reserved for the core of network infrastructure. Now we’re talking about 100 Gbps and even 40 Gbps is getting left behind. What this means is that 10 Gbps is readily available for both local and long-distance connections.

Not ready for the full 10 GigE just yet? Consider fractional 10 GigE, offering speeds between 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps. These flexible bandwidth services are more common with Carrier Ethernet than SONET because Ethernet is designed for scalability. Instead of fixed WAN speeds like OC-48 or OC-192, you can customize your bandwidth up to the full capacity of your Ethernet port.

So, what can you do with a 10 GigE connection? Point-to-point private lines are common, providing a dedicated optical connection from your location to anywhere in the world. These are great for connecting data centers for high-speed backups and data mirroring. This becomes especially important when establishing geographically diverse data centers for disaster recovery, protecting your data from regional threats like natural disasters or large-scale accidents.

The most exciting use for 10 GigE might be the newest one: connecting your business directly to the cloud. Cloud services are incredibly powerful, and scaling resources is so easy that you can quickly find yourself with terabits of processing power but only a megabit connection. A 10 GigE connection solves this bottleneck, seamlessly handling the massive data flow between your offices and the cloud.

Amazon Web Services, for example, offers AWS Direct Connect. This bypasses the public internet and uses a private 1 Gbps or 10 Gbps line for accessing their cloud services. Given the immense scale of Amazon’s cloud, it’s no surprise they are leading the way in high-bandwidth connectivity. Other cloud providers are quickly following suit, and it won’t be long before 10 Gbps becomes the standard for cloud connectivity.

Speaking of the internet, relying on it to connect to your cloud services has drawbacks. Latency, jitter, and bandwidth fluctuations due to congestion are unpredictable and beyond your control. For businesses relying on high-performance applications, this lack of control can impact productivity, especially as more employees rely on cloud access.

While not ideal for cloud connections, high-speed internet connections are crucial for internet service providers, content distributors, and large e-commerce platforms. The public internet is the only way to reach a global audience. Large cable companies and wireless providers need massive bandwidth, potentially at the 10 Gig level, to handle the needs of thousands, even millions, of simultaneous users.

Just as with cloud connections, the limitations of the public internet also impact large-scale content delivery. Video distributors are increasingly bypassing the internet and connecting directly to cable and satellite providers via Content Delivery Networks (CDNs). CDNs are private networks designed for secure, high-speed content delivery. While the content is ultimately intended for public consumption, it never touches the public internet, ensuring consistent speed and reliability.

What does this mean for your business? If you deal with e-commerce, video, or internet services, a high-speed connection to a CDN or internet backbone is crucial. This is where a dedicated 10 Gigabit Ethernet line becomes essential, even if it’s just for that final connection point.

If your current internet service is holding you back, it’s time to explore what’s possible. Get pricing and availability for 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections for your business today.