While wireless technology is a hot topic, the wired world is also seeing significant advancements. Let’s explore the future of copper and fiber optic services over the next decade.
Fiber optic networks are rapidly expanding, driven in part by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act’s $7.2 billion investment in nationwide broadband access. This initiative particularly targets underserved rural areas, enabling competitive carriers to expand their networks by leveraging funds allocated for middle-mile fiber optic cable installations. While fiber optic cables are being laid across rural areas to deliver broadband to Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) serving sparsely populated regions, metropolitan areas are witnessing even more extensive fiber optic deployments to connect businesses of all sizes. In these cases, government incentives aren’t necessary as businesses eager for increased bandwidth are either directly funding connections to metropolitan fiber optic networks or committing to service levels that justify carriers installing fiber optic infrastructure in their buildings.
Why the strong interest in fiber? Because it’s not just mobile bandwidth that’s hitting its limits. While T1 lines, with speeds of 1.5 Mbps, might have been sufficient for small and medium-sized businesses in the past to handle email, web browsing, and website server communication, today they are inadequate even for the smallest operations. Businesses now rely heavily on cloud connections, Software as a Service, video conferencing, hosted VoIP, and other bandwidth-intensive applications.
The transition from 3G to 4G wireless technology has also put a strain on cellular carriers’ backhaul connections. While T1 lines were suitable for connecting towers handling voice calls, the demand for 10 to 15 Mbps broadband speeds has made fiber optic cables the optimal solution. Although the initial construction cost was once prohibitive, it’s now viewed as a worthwhile investment, providing virtually unlimited upgrade potential for future needs.
Cloud computing is a significant draw for many businesses, as the pay-as-you-go model is more palatable than investing millions in data center upgrades. By outsourcing to cloud service providers, businesses eliminate the need for extensive server infrastructure, specialized facilities, backup power, and 24/7 technical support. However, this introduces a new challenge: connecting to the cloud effectively. Low-bandwidth, high-latency connections can cripple operations. What’s needed is a high-bandwidth, low-latency backbone with minimal jitter and packet loss to ensure seamless connectivity to virtual servers. This necessitates fiber optic lines, ideally with redundancy for reliability.
Fiber technology hasn’t remained stagnant during this period of expansion. While businesses were previously limited to SONET services ranging from OC3 to OC12 and occasionally OC48, Ethernet over Fiber has emerged as a strong contender. Carrier Ethernet aligns better with the LAN networks it connects to and offers greater scalability to accommodate evolving business requirements. Moreover, Ethernet services are often significantly more cost-effective than comparable SONET fiber optic offerings.
However, copper’s reign is far from over. Just as carriers considered decommissioning their copper infrastructure, Bonded T1 and Ethernet over Copper have gained traction as viable business bandwidth solutions. Although a single T1 line might be insufficient, bonding multiple T1 lines can create a larger bandwidth service, reaching speeds of 10 to 12 Mbps. Ethernet over Copper (EoC) utilizes the same twisted-pair copper cables as bonded T1 but employs a more advanced modulation technique. While EoC bandwidth is distance-dependent, it can easily provide speeds of 10 to 20 Mbps for most businesses, with 30, 50, or even 100 Mbps achievable over short distances. Ongoing advancements incorporating wireless techniques like MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) for crosstalk cancellation are pushing copper’s capabilities even further, potentially reaching hundreds of Mbps and even fiber-like Gigabit per second speeds.
The next decade will likely see widespread fiber optic deployments in fixed locations like office and industrial parks, with copper solutions bridging the gaps until fiber reaches those areas. Wireless technology is steadily progressing towards a ubiquitous 4G LTE infrastructure, with compatibility integrated into mobile devices as commonplace as WiFi is today. We might also witness unexpected developments such as extensive, interconnected WiFi hotspots, whitespace transmitters competing with traditional wireless services, high-bandwidth satellites providing superior rural coverage compared to fragmented fiber and cable deployments, and the emergence of higher-frequency microwave (60 GHz and beyond) and infrared mesh networks as alternative service options.
I trust this exploration of potential developments in bandwidth over the next decade has been insightful. The demand for high-bandwidth internet and private network connections is driving remarkable innovation. Numerous excellent options are available today to fulfill current business needs. You might be surprised by the advancements in your area that have enhanced service levels and reduced costs. Now is an opportune time to explore competitive options and obtain quotes for business bandwidth services.
Explore the latest offerings in T-carrier and Ethernet over Copper, SONET and Ethernet over Fiber, fixed wireless, and Hybrid Fiber Cable (HFC). Obtain instant bandwidth pricing for services up to 1 Gbps and receive prompt quotes for other options.
This has been a 5 part series on bandwidth. If you’ve missed any part of it, you can access Part I, Part II, Part III, or Part IV to catch up at any time.
