Cable Vs Fiber Optics- Why Choose Fiber Optics Internet for Business
Cable Vs Fiber Optics- Why Choose Fiber Optics Internet for Business
A reliable internet connection is termed as the backbone of any business. In the world where almost every aspect of the business relies on internet connectivity, not having a high-speed, secure, and trustworthy network can push a business down the list. Competitors who have a better network have more chances of making a profit.
Right from the interactions between the employees to communicating with vendors, suppliers, associates, customers, stakeholders, etc. the internet is an essential tool. Not everything takes place over telephone communication. Emails, sharing files, downloading and uploading data, require a stable internet connection.
And this brings us to the question of choosing the right network provider and the right network connection. We’ve come a long way from using DSL for the internet. Though some small scale enterprises still use it, the percentage of businesses that depend on DSL is very less. Copper cables arrived on the scene as a better option over DSL.
Copper cables are expensive when compared to DSL but did the job effectively. However, they had and have their downfalls. But copper cables still became the most preferred way to connect to the internet until fiber optics was released.
Fiber optics changed the way people perceived internet connectivity. With a high-speed network, low latency, and high stability, fiber optics brought a lot of advantages to business enterprises. And with the increasing dependence on technology, it seemed that fiber optics did indeed arrive at the right time. But not everyone agrees with the statement.
In this blog, let us see the difference between copper cables and fiber optics and also understand why fiber optics internet for business is the most suitable and feasible option in the short-term and long-term.
Reliability
Copper cables are far reliable than a DSL connection. The cables are being used for personal, residential, and commercial purposes. Even today, many homes use copper cables for the internet. But when we compare a copper cable with the fiber optic cable, the latter invariably scores more marks. One of the main reasons for it is that fiber optic cables do not need electricity to transmit data. In regions where power fluctuations are common, fiber optics will be an effective solution.
Since fiber optics doesn’t require electricity, the cables are not susceptible to the changes in the electromagnetic field. The data shared through fiber optic cables have little no chance of being lost or tampered during transmission.
Cost
This is one aspect where copper cables gain an advantage over fiber optics. Copper cables are cost-effective and easily affordable. However, fiber optics cost much less than what they did when they were first released into the market. Setting up the fiber optics network takes up some money. But compared to the benefits it provides, businesses can get back the returns in a short while.
Moreover, fiber optic cables provide a lot of long-term advantagesffor business by reducing other operational costs. So, it is safe to conclude that the amount invested in installing and maintaining a fiber optics network is more than worth the money.
Speed
Copper cables can deliver a download speed of around 10-500 Mbps. The upload speed is about 5-50 Mbps. While this works well for residential and small scale usage, the same cannot be said for medium and large scale enterprises. Also, with an increase in the load, the network speed will reduce drastically.
Fiber optic cables do not have any such issues. With a speed of about 250-1000 Mbps and almost unlimited bandwidth, these cables offer symmetric speed and do not suffer from high-speed fluctuations even during peak usage times.
Structure
A copper cable, as the name suggests, has copper wires (core) which is insulated with aluminum, a copper shield, and an outer casing (for protection). This is the regular television cable that transmits data. Instead of connecting to the TV, the copper cable is connected to a modem. The cable is not resistant to weather conditions, which means that in extreme temperatures (especially in winters) the cables may not work as expected.
A fiber-optic cable has thin, hair-like strands of optical fiber which transmit the data in the form of light. These optical fibers are bundled together as the core and enclosed in the cladding that prevents the light from leaking. Fiber optic cables are weather-resistant due to their strong outer protection and can be used over long distances to share data. This makes fiber optics internet for business a viable option as enterprises can be located at far off distances from service providers.
Though fiber optics is undoubtedly the best choice, it is equally important to choose the right service provider. A network connection delivers the best results only when the service providers maintain, monitor, and update the network regularly and make sure that there are noirregularities.
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