By: John Shepler
If your current bandwidth solution is nearing its capacity, it might be time for an upgrade. While your existing setup has served you well, you need something faster, more reliable, and with lower latency. Fiber optic technology offers a compelling solution, especially compared to traditional copper or cable. Let’s explore whether fiber is the right choice for your future needs and budget.
What Makes Fiber Superior to Copper?
Fiber’s key advantage lies in its future-proof nature. While all copper-based technologies have limitations, fiber offers virtually unlimited upgrade potential. Although advancements have extended the lifespan of copper, fiber’s capacity continues to expand beyond our current needs.
Can I Add Another T1 Line Instead of Switching to Fiber?
Yes, you can “bond” T1 lines to achieve double the bandwidth. However, this approach has limitations. You’ll need to obtain all lines from the same provider and the cost can be prohibitive. In many cases, a 10 Mbps fiber connection is more cost-effective than bonding multiple T1 lines for the same speed.
What About Ethernet over Copper (EoC)?
EoC, a competitor to T1 technology, utilizes the same twisted pair copper infrastructure. While it can deliver higher bandwidths at lower costs than T1, EoC is distance-sensitive. Achieving speeds of 10 to 50 Mbps requires close proximity to the service provider’s office. Higher bandwidths, particularly 1 Gbps and above, are rare and often rely on fiber optic connections.
Do Cable Companies Provide Fiber-Like Speeds?
Cable companies offer high-bandwidth internet services, often reaching hundreds of Mbps or even Gbps, over their existing coaxial cable networks. However, this “shared” bandwidth fluctuates based on user traffic and lacks the performance guarantees of dedicated business-grade fiber optic services, which are also offered by cable companies.
Is Fiber Difficult to Obtain?
Contrary to past perceptions, fiber optic services have become more accessible. While the traditional SONET technology was expensive and limited, the newer Ethernet over Fiber (EoF) is offered by a wide range of competitive carriers. With all new network construction focused on fiber, its availability continues to expand.
Where is Fiber Currently Available?
Ethernet over Fiber and SONET are prevalent in major metropolitan areas and increasingly accessible in suburbs and smaller cities. The push for faster 4G and 5G cellular networks is driving fiber optic infrastructure deeper into previously underserved areas.
How Can I Find Fiber Optic Service?
The easiest scenario is being located in a building where fiber optic service is already installed and operational. Adding a new customer in such a “lit” building is a straightforward process. If your location lacks existing fiber infrastructure, proximity to existing fiber networks is crucial to minimize installation costs.
Note: Companies facing high fiber installation costs often choose to house their bandwidth-intensive equipment, such as servers, in colocation data centers where multiple fiber options are readily available.
Where Can I Find These “Lit” Buildings?
Specialized search engines like Telarus GeoQuote can help you quickly locate existing fiber services and determine availability in your area without any obligation.
Is Fiber Optic Service Affordable?
The affordability of business-grade fiber optic service may surprise you. Starting at 10 Mbps, similar to traditional Ethernet, fiber optic service can be competitively priced, even compared to long-standing T1 contracts. While the initial cost might be higher than basic cable broadband, the performance gains are substantial.
What Bandwidth Do I Need?
Smaller businesses often find 10 Mbps Ethernet over Fiber sufficient. High-tech or medium-sized businesses typically benefit from 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet. Gigabit Ethernet is becoming increasingly common for companies requiring highly responsive cloud applications or extensive video usage. Municipalities and school districts often find Gigabit Ethernet a good fit for their needs and budget.
How Easy Are Upgrades?
Unlike legacy services like T-Carrier and SONET, which require unique interfaces for each bandwidth level, Ethernet over Fiber is designed for easy scalability. After installing a port with the highest anticipated speed (typically 100 Mbps or 1 Gbps), adjusting your bandwidth often requires a simple call to your provider or can even be done online.
What is the Maximum Bandwidth Available?
Currently, Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gbps connections are widely available. 100 Gbps business bandwidth is offered in some locations and is expected to become more prevalent. For exceptionally high-bandwidth users or those with specific protocol or security requirements, wavelength services, where each fiber can carry multiple 10 Gbps wavelengths, are an option.
Interested in exploring fiber optic service options and costs for your business? Obtain quick, no-obligation quotes and receive expert guidance to select the best option for your needs.
