Why Your Small Business Needs Fiber Internet
Whether you’re a brick and mortar retailer, an online provider of goods and services, or sell street food out of a truck, all businesses in the twenty first century rely on the internet for a whole host of business needs. And with the internet playing a bigger role in our lives every day, it’s important that we’re using the best service available.
Business fiber internet is the cream of the twenty first century crop. It’s fast, reliable, and offers benefits that can set your business apart from the competition in an always connected world. Let’s look at what business fiber internet is and what it means for you and your company.
What is Business Fiber Internet?
If you aren’t familiar with business fiber internet or fiber internet in general, let’s get you up to speed. Fiber internet is an incredibly fast type of broadband internet connection that has become the new backbone of the world wide web. Here’s what it looks like, in a nutshell.
Fiber optic cables are made of glass cores, surrounded by a cladding layer, as well as a protective outer layer. Digital data is transmitted through the cable using pulses of laser light, meaning that data is able to travel at the speed of light. The cladding layer keeps the light progressing down the length of the core like bumpers on a bowling lane, and the outer layer protects the inner components from damage and interference.
Not only are fiber optic cables faster than their predecessors, but they are far less susceptible to interference. They can also transmit data approximately 60 miles without experiencing any loss of signal strength or signal degradation. The addition of signal boosters to the pipeline allows us to send information around the globe in the blink of an eye.
Business fiber internet delivers all the benefits that come along with fiber optics to the business community.
Why is fiber optic internet important for businesses?
So now you get the basics. Faster speeds, more reliable service, increased bandwidth, etc. But what does that mean for your business? You’ve gotten by this far without it, so why would you make the switch now? Is fiber internet better than all the other options out there?
The internet is an incredibly important part of how we do business these days, so it’s essential that you choose a provider and product that serves you well. There are a number of benefits of fiber internet that can be game changers once you understand their impact on your daily operations.
Identical Upload and Download Speeds
Upload speeds weren’t incredibly important in many industries during the previous century, but today’s demands require something better than the old status quo. We’ve got a workforce that is increasingly working remotely, and that means we communicate via video calls like we’ve never done before. Also, with increased image and video fidelity come larger file sizes. If you’ve got slow upload speeds, that could spell trouble in the form of missed communications and deadlines.
Older internet technology was heavily tilted toward the download end of the spectrum. All the data flowed from one big pipeline, branching out to all the homes and businesses in the region. Any uploads had to fight against the current, meaning our upload speeds were a fraction of what we were getting on the download end.
Business fiber internet has leveled the playing field. Fiber optics are capable of producing nearly identical upload and download speeds, meaning those of us who rely on strong upload speeds can work with confidence. Some everyday business activities that rely on fast upload speeds include:
- Video calling and conferencing
- Working with cloud based applications
- Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
- Large file transfers like video and image/graphics files
- In-house web hosting
- Sending emails with large attachments
Increased Reliability
If you take pride in your business and employees for their reliability, you should feel the same way about your internet connection. Business fiber optic internet service is the most reliable internet connection available today, and an upgrade can mean big things for your business.
If you’ve ever experienced internet downtime that affected your ability to conduct business, you’d probably do whatever it takes to avoid running up against that again. Fiber optic internet isn’t likely to go down in a power outage, nor is fiber optic internet affected by weather. It also isn’t likely to be affected by extreme temperatures or water. Keeping your business online 24/7 with business fiber internet could make you the lifeline people need in the case of an emergency.
More Bandwidth
Another great benefit of business fiber internet is that the cables allow for much greater bandwidth than traditional cables like coax and telephone lines. That greater bandwidth will deliver greater speeds for your current team and will set you up for future expansion.
If you plan on growing your business, you’ll need to make sure your internet service is able to handle the additional users. Conducting video conferences in an office with lots of employees and bandwidth problems can leave you with video and audio integrity that’s dicey at best. Fiber optic cables have higher bandwidth limits, which delivers the scalability to add the staff you need without slowing down your internet speeds.
Faster Connection to the Cloud
If you’re like most businesses, many of the software programs and applications you use on a daily basis are based in the cloud. It’s a great way to eliminate the headache of storing everything in house and keep your data secure and backed up, but if you have a slow connection, you can run into issues when running your programs. With business fiber internet, you’ll have the fastest connection available and add efficiency into your team’s day.
Set Yourself Up for the Future with Business Fiber Internet
Fiber internet is seen as the gold standard in commercial internet speeds for the foreseeable future, so making the switch now will give you a leg up against your competition. Waiting until your current infrastructure breaks or becomes completely outdated can mean making the switch at an inopportune time and possibly losing business.
The industry is so confident that fiber will drive the next generation of internet service that they are building the entire infrastructure on it. With fiber internet, businesses are able to focus on providing their products or services without having to rethink their internet needs for the next few decades.
Fiber is Cost Effective
Most people associate the newest and best technologies with big price tags, but that’s not the case with fiber internet. It may have been a little more expensive than cable in the last decade, but as the fiber internet business has boomed across the country, costs have come down, and you can now actually save money by making the switch to business fiber internet.
In addition to saving money on your internet utility each month, you’ll save money in increased productivity and less time wasted waiting for data to upload and download.
How to Get Set Up with Business Fiber Internet
If you’re ready to set your business up with the fastest internet service available, it’s time to talk to your local fiber optic cable businesses about your options. There’s a good chance your current provider offers fiber internet options, but that’s not always the case.
How do I Find Fiber Internet in My Area?
If you live in a relatively populous city or town, you’ve probably got fiber optic infrastructure running through the neighborhood already. If you live way off the grid, it may or may not be currently available, but don’t worry. Fiber is on its way.
Which Internet Suppliers in My Area Offer Business Fiber Internet?
If you’ve got broadband access, most reputable internet service providers will offer business fiber internet. Not all services are created equal, though. To get the most out of your fiber optic connection, you’ll want to make sure your providers offer FTTH or fiber to the home. That will cut out the antiquated cables that can act as a bottleneck for your bandwidth.
If you’re ready to experience all the benefits the fastest and most reliable internet service has to offer, reach out to our sales team to see how quickly and affordably you can get started.