What Small Businesses Need to Know About Cable Versus Fiber
There are distinct differences between cable and fiber optic, but both have their positive attributes. Small businesses can’t afford to waste money and need to choose the option with the best features for their needs. If you are not technically savvy, you may have a hard time evaluating the merits of cable and fiber. We compare the two to help you decide.
Two other options exist: satellite and digital subscriber line (DSL). We have not included them as they are not on the same level as cable and fiber optic in terms of quality and speed. If you are in a remote area, which is unlikely for a business, satellite may be your only (expensive) option.
The Main Difference Between Cable and Fiber Optic
The core variance between cable and fiber optic is related to how they transfer data.
Cable internet is conveyed by electricity, using coaxial cables which are responsible for the transmission. Coaxial cable is made of copper cable. It is protected by various shields (aluminum, copper, and plastic) to prevent anything from interfering with the signal. Cable is more vulnerable to certain weather, such as storms and excessively cold temperatures. It makes use of electrical signals, which makes it more susceptible to electromagnetic interference than fiber optic experiences.
Downloading speeds are quicker than uploading speeds, whereas optic fiber speeds are symmetric; they are also faster than coaxial cable. A small business can cope with speeds provided by cable, but if you upload more than you download, you need to consider and compare what each offers.
The technology for fiber optic internet consists of tiny pieces of glass which convey data using light. Thus, data travels at the speed of light. The glass is enveloped in protective plastic layers. These features enable fiber optic to hold more data, and it has greater clarity and speed.
Comparison Between Cable and Fiber Optic
With cable internet, you are looking at typical speeds of 10 Mb/s to over 200 Mb/s for downloading and a much lower upload speed. Download speeds of 200 Mb/s and up are adequate for households who are not big gamers and who don’t mind that bandwidth covers the neighborhood, therefore speed slows down during evening peak usage hours. A small business is less likely to be affected by peak traffic if they close at the end of the day, but if they do a lot of video conferencing, for example, they will be subjected to lagging.
Fiber optic internet can download a two-hour movie in under ten seconds. Cable will take a minimum of ten minutes for the same movie. Certain Old Monroe Internet providers can provide fiber internet with no caps, data speeds of 250 Mb/s to 1 Gb/s, and the capacity to upload as fast as you download.
Availability
Cable is widely available in the USA with 88% coverage of areas with its top speeds. Fiber optic is only available to 14% of Americans at 1 Gb/s. It costs ISPs between three and eight thousand dollars to roll out their infrastructure per home. If there is no fiber in your location, you can buy Direct Internet Access (DIA) fiber.
This comparison should make it relatively easy to choose which option will work for your business.
Two other options exist: satellite and digital subscriber line (DSL). We have not included them as they are not on the same level as cable and fiber optic in terms of quality and speed. If you are in a remote area, which is unlikely for a business, satellite may be your only (expensive) option.
The Main Difference Between Cable and Fiber Optic
The core variance between cable and fiber optic is related to how they transfer data.
Cable internet is conveyed by electricity, using coaxial cables which are responsible for the transmission. Coaxial cable is made of copper cable. It is protected by various shields (aluminum, copper, and plastic) to prevent anything from interfering with the signal. Cable is more vulnerable to certain weather, such as storms and excessively cold temperatures. It makes use of electrical signals, which makes it more susceptible to electromagnetic interference than fiber optic experiences.
Downloading speeds are quicker than uploading speeds, whereas optic fiber speeds are symmetric; they are also faster than coaxial cable. A small business can cope with speeds provided by cable, but if you upload more than you download, you need to consider and compare what each offers.
The technology for fiber optic internet consists of tiny pieces of glass which convey data using light. Thus, data travels at the speed of light. The glass is enveloped in protective plastic layers. These features enable fiber optic to hold more data, and it has greater clarity and speed.
Comparison Between Cable and Fiber Optic
With cable internet, you are looking at typical speeds of 10 Mb/s to over 200 Mb/s for downloading and a much lower upload speed. Download speeds of 200 Mb/s and up are adequate for households who are not big gamers and who don’t mind that bandwidth covers the neighborhood, therefore speed slows down during evening peak usage hours. A small business is less likely to be affected by peak traffic if they close at the end of the day, but if they do a lot of video conferencing, for example, they will be subjected to lagging.
Fiber optic internet can download a two-hour movie in under ten seconds. Cable will take a minimum of ten minutes for the same movie. Certain Old Monroe Internet providers can provide fiber internet with no caps, data speeds of 250 Mb/s to 1 Gb/s, and the capacity to upload as fast as you download.
Availability
Cable is widely available in the USA with 88% coverage of areas with its top speeds. Fiber optic is only available to 14% of Americans at 1 Gb/s. It costs ISPs between three and eight thousand dollars to roll out their infrastructure per home. If there is no fiber in your location, you can buy Direct Internet Access (DIA) fiber.
This comparison should make it relatively easy to choose which option will work for your business.