7/26/2017 8 Advantages of Fiber-Optic Internet vs.

Copper Cable

(/)

28
December
2015 1

8 Advantages of Fiber-Optic Internet vs. Copper Cable

Fiber Connectivity (https://www.atlantech.net/blog/topic/ber-connectivity) by Tom Collins

(https://www.atlantech.net/blog/8-advantages-of-ber-optic-internet-over-copper-cable)

Internet connectivity over ber-optic networks has become the gold standard (http://broadbandnow.com/Fiber) for fast, high-quality data transmission for
businesses. The relatively new nature of this technology can leave some hesitant to invest in it for their business.

Fiber relies on light instead of electricity to transmit data, which facilitates much faster Internet connections that are capable of handling higher bandwidth.
According to the FCC (http://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/measuringbroadbandreport/2013/Measuring-Broadband-America-feb-2013.pdf), ber providers
consistently offer 117% of advertised speed, even during times of peak demand.

Business Advantages of Fiber Optic Internet

While most business decision-makers are aware of the speed benets of ber, other advantages are less commonly understood. Spending on a newer
technology can feel risky, especially for organizations who rely heavily on their Internet connectivity for customer communications, productivity, and
collaboration.

In this article, you'll learn a bit more about the various ways ber-optic Internet compares to standard copper cable, including bandwidth potential, speed,
reliability, among other factors.

1. Bandwidth
Investing in ber-optic internet can signicantly increase your bandwidth potential. Copper wire infrastructure and TDM technology are limited in nature.
Because it was originally designed for transmitting voice calls only, the demand for bandwidth wasn't high. For instance, T-1 can only carry 1.5 Mbps of
throughput. And because of how electrical signaling works, many types of connections over copper are limited by distance.

Ethernet over Copper service (EoC) is typically not available if the circuit is longer than 15,000 feet. For organizations considering shifting their voice
communications to Voice-Over-IP (VoIP), having your bandwidth delivered over ber can be an indispensable asset.

https://www.atlantech.net/blog/8-advantages-of-fiber-optic-internet-over-copper-cable 1/6
7/26/2017 8 Advantages of Fiber-Optic Internet vs. Copper Cable

Check Fiber Availability For You

Click here to find out if our fiber services are av
Check My Building
(https://cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/ctas/v2/public/cs/c/?cta_guid=2566826d-0ab0-4a32
bb178f522a75&portal_id=495780&redirect_url=APefjpG15b7wvULVJW4r8p5RkkHZoUn43lh4ibfulj_2PPZ3GHMw8nYa7TpIhgN5jGNS
LvLq3GLwprRI_87IofGox2yveGT97wSIRjBo7s_YmbXEyrajRF39HIx45O9J4MJTWE0FtWzAR2WShvqU5jVRQT-NQLXLnW1KjB13vNv5v0U3nuAP&hsutk=e1
over-copper-cable&click=abc938b8-b9a
04898b9fb0fc&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Flearningnetwork.cisco.com%2Fthread%2F102568&pageId=3729576483&__hstc=104962780.e181971187eb924

2. Upload/Download Speed
Is the speed increase of ber-optic internet noticeable compared to copper? Absolutely.

Many Atlantech Online customers using ber to connect to our network can transmit data at 1 gigabit per second
(https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/01/14/5-things-you-need-know-about-president-obama-s-broadband-announcement-today). That's many times
faster than the federal government's denition (http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/29/7932653/fcc-changed-denition-broadband-25mbps) of broadband
service, which is 25Mbps uploads and 3Mbps for downloads as of January 2015.

Tech blog NorthWest (http://mynorthwest.com/1002/2703227/5-Things-You-Need-to-Know-about-Fiber-Optic-Internet) writes that downloads that take 22

minutes over most copper wire Internet connections, can take as little as 8 seconds on Internet connectivity delivered over ber.

With this technological advancement, the concept of "waiting for things to load" is about to be a thing of the past.

3. Distance
The signal for copper Internet networks degrades as the signal is carried from the central oce (CO). Fiber was originally used for long haul networks. Cell
phone towers in remote locations use ber optic cable to connect towers to the network.

According to Blackbox Technology, (http://blog.blackbox.com/technology/2015/04/8-advantages-to-choosing-ber-over-copper-cable/) certain types of

ber connections can be transmitted for almost 25 miles. While most business build outs won't require similarly robust types of ber connections, your
signal isn't in danger of degrading within metro ber rings that would serve your business.

https://www.atlantech.net/blog/8-advantages-of-fiber-optic-internet-over-copper-cable 2/6
7/26/2017 8 Advantages of Fiber-Optic Internet vs. Copper Cable

https://www.atlantech.net/blog/8-advantages-of-fiber-optic-internet-over-copper-cable 3/6
7/26/2017 8 Advantages of Fiber-Optic Internet vs. Copper Cable

The Insider's Guide to

Fiber Connectivity
Before you make a decision on choosing a provider for phone, internet, or data center services, there are a few
things you need to know. It's important to ask the right questions so you can be sure you're getting what you pay for.

First Name*

First Name

Last Name

Last Name

Email*

Email

Postal Code

Postal Code

Area of Need

- Please Select -

DOWNLOAD NOW

4. Security
In an era of increased attention towards cyber security, ber-optic internet is touted as a cost-effective way
(http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/20/technology/ber-optic-breakthrough-to-improve-internet-security-cheaply.html) of instantly increasing your Internet
security. Intercepting copper cable can be performed by connecting taps to a line to pick up the electronic signals.

Putting a tap on a ber-optic internet cable to intercept data transmissions is incredibly dicult (http://www.commprod.com/Solutions/Structured-
Cabling/Copper-vs-Fiber-cabling). It's also easy to quickly identify compromised cables, which visibly emit light from transmissions.

5. Reliability
There are a number of factors that can cause outages when an organization is reliant on copper cable-based internet. Temperature uctuations, severe
weather conditions, and moisture can all cause a loss of connectivity. Old or worn copper cable can even present a re hazard, due to the fact it carries an
electric current. Additional reliability concerns associated with copper include risks of interference from electronic or radio signals. Additionally, copper
wires are accessed in the building by telephone company personnel and sometimes they can make mistakes and ddle with the wrong wires. Also,
copper wires all go back to the telephone company Central Oce where disconnections can happen. Fiber is typically independent of the phone
company, their equipment and their termination points.

6. Cable Size
The speed of internet transmitted via copper cable is directly correlated with the weight of cable used. For a business to achieve a higher speeds, more
cable must be used, which requires more space in a company's telecommunications room.

https://www.atlantech.net/blog/8-advantages-of-fiber-optic-internet-over-copper-cable 4/6
7/26/2017 8 Advantages of Fiber-Optic Internet vs. Copper Cable
Fiber cable's speed is not connected to its size, and it's far lighter weight than copper. This renders it easier to use, and less demanding of limited space in
small rooms.

7. Cost
Investing in ber internet will cost more than copper in the short term though costs are drastically decreasing as this option becomes more commonplace.
Ultimately, the total cost of ownership (TCO) over the lifetime of ber is lower. It's more durable, cheaper to maintain, and requires less hardware.

The advantages of ber make it overall, a more cost-effective investment for organizations of all sizes.

8. It's Sturdier
Copper cable is a relatively delicate technology. Typically, it can sustain about 25 pounds of pressure without being damaged, which means it can be
compromised with relative ease during routine operations in a company's telecommunications space.

In contrast, ber can withstand about 100-200 pounds of pressure, meaning it is far less likely to be damaged during routine operations in close proximity.

Investing in Fiber Optic Internet

While organizational information technology needs can vary drastically, the benets of ber-optic internet are making it an increasingly common choice for
business data transmission. Companies who choose to invest in ber typically nd that the total cost of ownership, bandwidth potential, and speed gains
are noticeable.

For more information on Atlantech's ber internet solutions for businesses, click here (https://www.atlantech.net/ber) to learn more about connecting your
location.

Tweet Share 114 Like 23 Share

FREE EBOOK
10 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE BUYING FIBER
CONNECTIVITY
Get all the information you need to make the smartest decision for your business' connectivity.

D OW NLOAD (H TT P S:// CTA- SE RVI CE-C MS 2 .H U BS P OT. CO M/ CTAS/ V 2 / PU BL IC /CS / C / ?CTA_G U ID =9 7 5 6D 0F 8 -B 8 77-40 A 3 - 829 6- B504D C62 3 0A A&P L ACEM ENT_ G
E E4 16B 1B 781F&P ORTAL _ ID= 495 78 0 & R EDI RE CT _U RL =A PE FJPE 7 W Z YL P NY W Y B0 6D 3SD U IX TP M C5 DH 7I G 1 H R U P U H M 2DW I RI W DR NG 1OGBMF 8EJ XI OZH OGTDN NSK0 3M 7H
A K EO D0 F I ABW XE _6 X RK X R A8 K P VMW P 3DY MLWP ES 6 G I 4ZU 1 2U N DP R U SIK K B 7QK_ QRUHIX URFJAO2P P1 M -
CYA N TM 7L B6 4 O F TWA_ YP DPX UK3 L7Q6OSY TQI M9O PVPGZ I U OI FD QPANXJWD E 2 A8 7 GAGW IY VP 9 RS & H S U T K =E1 8 1 9 71 1 8 7EB 9 2 40 78 6 C EF 8 D 5C 48 9 3 0 6 & CA NO N =H T T P S% 3 A % 2 F% 2FWWW. ATLA NTEC H.NET %2FBLOG%
E A 3E -4 C9 8 -8D C D-
E6 2 9F 9 4B 1D D 5& U TM _ R EF ER R ER = H T T PS %3A %2 F% 2FL EAR NI NGNET WO RK.C I SC O.C O M% 2F TH REA D % 2 F 10 2 5 6 8 & PAG EI D= 3 72 9 5 76 4 8 3 & _ _H STC =1 04 9 6 2 78 0. E1 81 9 711 8 7E B9 2 40 786CEF8 D5C 4893 0 6.150 0 268 8360 95.15

Subscribe to our blog for more helpful articles like this

Email*
SU BS CR IB E

https://www.atlantech.net/blog/8-advantages-of-fiber-optic-internet-over-copper-cable 5/6
7/26/2017 8 Advantages of Fiber-Optic Internet vs. Copper Cable

About the author: Tom Collins (https://www.atlantech.net/blog/author/tom-collins)

Tom Collins (Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/iproduceresultz), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/iproduceresults?rel=author)) - is the

Director of Enterprise Sales & Marketing for Atlantech Online. He has over 20 years of professional experience in the Internet Service
Provider industry and is known for translating technology into positive results for business. A native of Washington, DC, a graduate from
University of Maryland (degrees in Government & Politics and Secondary Education), Tom is also a ve-time Ironman nisher.

Keyword...

https://www.atlantech.net/blog/8-advantages-of-fiber-optic-internet-over-copper-cable 6/6