Houston, Texas, the fourth largest city in the US, is a hub for various industries, including healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and aerospace. The city’s demand for high-speed internet, particularly fiber optic bandwidth, is constantly growing. To address this need, Alpheus Communications is expanding its fiber optic network to include key buildings in Houston’s business district.

](http://www.fibernetworkquotes.com/)What does a “lit building” mean? In this context, it refers to a building equipped with active fiber optic service. The term “lit” comes from the laser light used to transmit digital signals through fiber optic cables. Conversely, “dark” fiber refers to fiber optic cables installed in a building but not connected to any active equipment.

Having access to pre-installed, active fiber optic service offers several advantages. It allows for quick and easy connections with bandwidth up to 1 Gbps (or potentially higher) since the necessary equipment is already in place. In a “lit” building, other tenants might already be utilizing the fiber optic service, simplifying the process of adding connections.

Besides guaranteed and readily available connectivity, being in a “lit” building eliminates the high cost of installing new fiber optic infrastructure. Installing fiber can involve digging trenches for new conduit, threading cables through existing underground conduit, or even aerial installation on utility poles – all expensive undertakings.

Why is Alpheus investing in “lighting” these buildings? The demand for high bandwidth is already significant and projected to rise. The buildings Alpheus has chosen are strategically located business centers that require robust internet services. These buildings, including 1001 Fannin St., Two Allen Center at 1200 Smith St., and 601 Travis St., will gain “on-net” status for fiber optic service.

Alpheus plans to connect 100 buildings in Dallas and Houston to its fiber network, with additional investments planned for the future. Their core network already connects to over 300 central offices and Points of Presence (POPs) using both fiber optic and copper connections.

Why copper? While fiber optic cables offer superior bandwidth, not all businesses require Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) speeds. Many companies have relied on T1 lines operating at 1.5 Mbps. However, with the rise of cloud-based services, T1 lines are becoming outdated. Ethernet over Copper (EoC) offers a solution by providing higher bandwidth using existing copper wiring.

Basic EoC services start at 3 Mbps, double the bandwidth of a T1 line, at a comparable cost. Higher bandwidth options, such as 10, 20, 50, or even 100 Mbps, are available at reasonable prices, though EoC’s effectiveness decreases with distance from the central office. EoC allows businesses to defer fiber optic investments until their bandwidth demands increase. By then, providers like Alpheus may have already installed fiber optic infrastructure.

Alpheus Communications is a competitive, high-performance carrier catering to businesses in the Dallas-Austin-San Antonio-Houston (DASH) region. Their service offerings include Metro Ethernet, private line, managed wavelength MPLS network, Ethernet LAN (E-LAN), Ethernet Line (E-Line), and PRI and SIP telephone trunking.

Businesses in Houston or other US locations with connections to the United States can access a variety of affordable, high-bandwidth copper and fiber optic network solutions. Businesses are encouraged to compare pricing and features to find the best fit for their needs.

Note: Photo of Houston skyline at night courtesy of Bobby L. Warren on Wikimedia Commons.