Order Fiber Optic Internet Service in your area
What is Fiber Optic Internet and How Does it Work?
Fiber optic communication is the future of data transmission where the data is transmitted through plastic or glass wires as waves of light. This method allows fiber optic to offer unmatched speeds and bandwidth with room to grow. When we say fast, we mean really fast. While DSL has yet to achieve gigabit internet speeds, several fiber providers offer 1 Gbps; that is 1000 Mbps. Researchers have reached speeds up to 255 Tbps which means it has a large amount of growth available for years to come. These speeds can allow you to stream 4K video on Netflix, Hulu or Disney+ and finally cut your cord from cable and dish. Download large files and games in minutes instead of waiting overnight. It is impossible to argue that fiber is the future of the internet. Fiber availability is constantly expanding and growing. Providers are increasing availability every year with incredible speeds. View the list of providers below.
Who provides Fiber internet service in your area?
Main Fiber Optic internet providers
Since Fiber Optic uses glass/plastic, it makes sense that the largest providers are telephone companies since it is expensive to grow. AT&T and Verizon are the largest telecommunications company in the US that offers Fiber services. Google Fiber is another fast growing Fiber provider.
AT&T: available in 21 states with major service areas in the south, midwest and parts of Nevada and California
CenturyLink: available in 35 states with main service areas in the west, middle west and southeast
Frontier: available in 29 states with main service areas in the west, northwest of the Pacific, midwest, northeastern and Appalachian regions
Verizon: available in new states with main service areas in the northeast and the middle Atlantic
Windstream: available in 18 states with major service areas in the Greater Llanuras, Middle West and South regions
Pros and Cons of Fiber Optic internet service
Pros
- Incredibly Fast Speeds - download/upload speeds up to 1 Gbps and more!
- Symmetric Download/Upload - fiber allows for the same speeds down as up unlike other providers. Perfect for streamers and large project file uploads.
- Room for Growth - since Fiber is the prevailing internet technology, with no competition on the horizon, providers are investing billions for growth and development.
Cons
- Limited Availability - since it is a new technology, time is required to install more Fiber lines through out the country.
- Expensive - it's limited availability and high tech makes it expensive. But as availability grows the price will drop.
Equipment You Need for Fiber Optic Internet
Fiber Optic Modem - Since fiber optic cables transmit data via light, the traditional DSL and Cable modems are useless. Those legacy modems are capable of interpreting analog signals into digital, but they're not capable of translating the light signals from fiber optic cables into digital signals.