By: John Shepler

If your business still relies on DSL, T1 lines, or Ethernet over Copper for internet connectivity, it’s time to consider Metro Ethernet over Fiber. This superior option offers greater bandwidth at a more competitive price, with the added benefit of long-term availability.

Copper Decommissioning is Now

While copper-based telecom services have been the standard for the past century, their time is ending. Twisted pair telephone lines, despite their long reign, are being phased out as they struggle to meet current and future bandwidth requirements.

Both phone companies and network operators recognize that copper’s capabilities have reached their limit. Across the nation, copper lines are being retired or decommissioned. In some instances, copper is being completely removed and replaced with fiber optic cables. In other cases, existing copper networks are being disconnected and left inactive. As we move forward, copper wireline options will become increasingly scarce.

Fiber is the Future AND the Present

Modern replacements for copper-based telecom include hybrid fiber/copper Cable systems, Fixed Wireless Access, and Fiber Optic bandwidth, often referred to as Metro Fiber or Metro Ethernet in urban areas. The majority of businesses, regardless of location, now have access to Metro Ethernet and its adaptable features.

Fiber offers unparalleled flexibility for several reasons. Its high bandwidth capacity, reaching 10 Gbps or more, can be further amplified through wavelength division multiplexing, essentially multiplying available bandwidth. This, coupled with the multi-strand design of most fiber optic cables, translates to virtually limitless bandwidth potential. Once installed, fiber infrastructure is designed for long-term use.

Unlike cable or wireless, fiber can support dedicated line services, providing exclusive point-to-point connections with dedicated bandwidth. This contrasts with shared bandwidth models often used in consumer broadband services to reduce costs. With dedicated internet access or private lines, businesses avoid competing for limited resources during peak hours. This is particularly advantageous for businesses connecting their network to a geographically distant cloud provider hosting critical applications.

Beyond its bandwidth capabilities, fiber service is also highly scalable. Starting at speeds as low as 10 Mbps, with pricing often comparable to a T1 line but with significantly more bandwidth, businesses have ample room to grow. While 100 Mbps is suitable for many smaller businesses, Gigabit and even 10 Gbps speeds are readily available and surprisingly affordable over fiber. For larger enterprises, content creators, or facilities like hospital complexes, speeds of 100 Gbps are now becoming available.

Why Ethernet over Fiber

Early fiber optic service relied on SONET, a telephone company standard designed primarily for voice calls rather than data. SONET, with its fixed bandwidth levels, required protocol conversion circuitry to become a backbone of the internet. Carrier Ethernet has emerged as the preferred standard, extending the familiar switched Ethernet used in local networks to cover distances of hundreds or even thousands of miles.

Metro Ethernet utilizes the Carrier Ethernet standard, delivered over fiber optic cabling. This creates a practically plug-and-play experience for businesses, with the ability to seamlessly connect locations across states or even the entire country as if they were part of a single unified network. Metro Fiber Ethernet has become the new benchmark for business connectivity, with connections within a metropolitan area classified as MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) and those spanning larger distances designated as WAN (Wide Area Network).

If you’re ready to upgrade from outdated T1, DS3, DSL, or other legacy network services to a future-proof solution that is potentially more cost-effective, explore the possibilities of Metro Fiber Ethernet for your business locations today.