How can I Find Fiber Optic Internet Near Me? Are they Reliable?

Optical fiber or fiber optic is the best internet connection to date. The bandwidth of this network is 1GBps to 2GBps. With the help of low latency, you can play online games with ease. In addition to that, watching HD videos is quite flexible. The upload speed is also fast enough to help you upload any file without any downtime. 

It seems that you have made up your mind to opt for the fiber optic connection. But, the service is not available everywhere and can be costly. That is why you might be questioning how to find Fiber Optic internet near me? Do they provide good fiber optic internet service? Here in this guide, you will get all your answers and by following some basic methods you can find a fiber optic ISP.

The Fiber Optic Internet Connection: How does it work?

Fiber optic is the collection of fiberglass bundled together. And, these bundled glass materials have the ability to transmit data packets. Therefore, it is used for establishing an internet connection. When compared with other modes of internet connection, the fiber optic is much more efficient. Technically speaking, the data packets inside the fire optic cable travels at the speed of light. 

Since the last few years, the fiber optic internet connection is ready to replace coaxial and DSL connections. Several network device manufacturers have also taken the initiative to produce routers, modems and switches that will be compatible with fiber optic internet connection. 

Finding the fiber Optic Coverage in your Area

There might be multiple ISPs. This doesn’t mean that all of them provide the fiber optic connection. Gather their contact number and have a conversation with them about the optic fiber connection availability. Apart from that, you can also search digitally. 

Of course, you know the pin code of the area where you live. Open the fiber Coverage Map on your computer and input the pin code. After that, select the correct address from the drop-down menu and start checking the availability. 

If any ISP provides the fiber optic connection, the ISP name and all the details will appear on the screen. Regarding the unavailability of the fiber optic ISP, you will be given a form. Fill up with all the desired information. This will notify you regarding the fiber optic ISP in the future. 

Fiber Optic or Copper Connection: How can you Verify?

Let’s say your ISP promised you to deliver the fiber optic connection. Are they really providing you with the fiber optic or initiating propaganda with a copper connection? Since you have got the answer of how to find Fiber Optic internet near me, you will also be able to verify whether the ISP is providing you with a fiber optic connection. 

The presence of Optical Network Terminal is obvious. If you see the Network Interface Device box somewhere, surely you are given a copper connection instead of fiber optics. So, you should be careful about that. 

Fiber Optics: Is it worth using or not?

It seems that you have got some information about Fiber Optic internet near me. Due to the blazing-fast download and upload speed, anyone would like to avail connection. But, there are some advantages as well as disadvantages, to take into account. Let’s know them in detail. 

Advantages 

You already know the bandwidth of the fiber optic internet connection. In short, it is 20x faster than that of other DSL, broadband and 2x faster than coaxial connections. The starter bandwidth of the fiber optic internet connection starts from 500 Mbps to 1 Gbps. 

There are no data cappings. And, this indicates that the internet facility is unlimited. Broadband and other connections provide a comparatively slow speed in peak hours. But, while using the fiber optic internet connection, you will never face any connection downtime.

The term latency means the slow arrival of data packets. Other connections might face the issue of latency but regarding fiber optics, you won’t face any such issue. But, how to prove that there is no latency? Play an online game and see how it works. 

Disadvantages 

After a lot of research and effort, you might not get the proper information of Fiber Optic internet. This can happen because of limited availability of the network facility. Most of the ISPs don’t provide fiber optic internet connection. And, there is one major reason behind this – It’s the cost. 

Let’s take for example the one-month package. If you compare the price of a month’s package of DSL, co-axial and other internet services, the fiber optic internet connection packages are in higher registers. On the other hand, the competition is low. That is why there are no chances for the package price to decrease. 

Fiber Optic Internet Connection Quality 

The upload and download speed will help you why it is essential to know about Fiber Optic internet near me. Let’s take the lowest bandwidth into consideration. For 1Gbps, the upload speed will be 30 Mbps to 40 Mbps. Whereas, the download speed will vary from around 45 Mbps to 55 Mbps approx. 

This type of upload and download speed will help you to download and upload data in no time. When face to face interaction takes place on virtual platforms, you don’t have to spare more than 5 seconds to establish the connection. 

The Elapsed Time to Download (Comparison)

Have you ever compared the elapsed download time of Dial-up, DSL, and cable connection with fiber Optic? As you have found the facility of Fiber Optic internet near me, getting an idea about the elapsed download time will boost your eagerness to opt for the connection. So, let’s consider that you are about to download a file that is of 7 GB size. 

The dial-up connection will take the longest time ever to download the file, a maximum 10 to 14 days. The DSL will take about 3 to 9 hours. Cable broadband connection will take 5 minutes to 10 hours. Now, can you calculate the time of fiber optic connection? It would take less than one minute. 

Introducing the Dark Fiber Optic Internet Connection 

It seems that you have got some information about Fiber Optic internet. But, you might also come across the term “Dark fiber”. What is a Dark fiber optic internet connection? How does it play a crucial role in normal optical fiber connection? 

The dark fiber is interlinked with lit fiber. Telecommunication and internetwork organizations have kept the dark fiber cables as a reserve. In the future, there is a chance that the optical fiber might be upgraded. The upgrade will be complete with the help of lit fiber that is still in service. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is Fiber Internet better than wifi?

Fiber in the United States is faster than the average speed of broadband. More, faster, you can download with fibre. Fiber is more trustworthy than copper and less ‘patchy’ than wifi.

How much does it cost to install fiber optic Internet?

The installation of fibre optic cables costs, depending on fibre count, on average from $1 to $6. An accurate estimate of the cost of a whole building is difficult to calculate, however for a building of 100-200 drops, an example would amount to $15000 to $30,000.

How can I speed up my fiber optic Internet?

Place your router (Network Box or Google Wifi Point) generally near your home centre for maximum coverage. Keep your cabinets and cabinets off your floor router. If you remain within 100 feet of the router, your WiFi speed will increase.

Mario C. Morrissey
Mario C. Morrissey
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