What is Fibre Optic Broadband?
The first point that you need to know is what fibre optic broadband is. The most common type of broadband in the UK is ADSL. This runs on the copper cables of the telephone network. Fibre optic broadband is different because it runs on separate cabling, which is the fibre optic cable network. This is often linked to the TV cables that enter the house; think Virgin Media. This is the reason why optical fibre broadband is also known as cable broadband in the US and sometimes in the UK. There are two ways that you can get fibre optic broadband, and they are FTTH and FTTC. FTTH means that the fibre optic cable that the broadband connection runs on will be travelling into your home.
The FTTC connection means that the fibre optics runs to the cabinet in the street and then the broadband connection will be brought into the house using the copper cables of the phone network. It is important that you find out which of these connections you are going to be getting. When you do this you will be able to determine the costs of the broadband and the full benefits that you are able to get.
The Benefits of Fibre Optic Broadband
There are a number of benefits that you are able to get from fibre optic broadband that you need to know about. The first benefit is that you will be getting faster speeds with the broadband connection. Fibre optic broadband does not degrade over long distances like ADSL.This means that you are able to get the speeds you need regardless of the distance your home is from the phone exchange.
Another benefit of fibre optic broadband is that you are going to be getting a more stable Internet connection that is more suited for heavy use broadband. The ADSL copper wires were not made with broadband in mind. This means that the connection is not as stable as it should be. Fibre optics was created with the idea of fast and stable data transmission in mind. This means that the overall broadband connection that you have will be more stable than any other. The last benefit that you should consider with fibre optic broadband is the fact that you will not need to have a phone line if you have FTTH. This can save you money as you will not have to pay for a phone line.
The Drawbacks of Fibre Optic Broadband
While there are a number of benefits that come with fibre optic broadband there are also a number of drawbacks that you need to know about. The first drawback is the cost of the package. Fibre optic broadband will generally cost more per month than ADSL broadband. Of course, when you take into account the phone line rental then the fibre optic package may work out to be the same. However, this is only accurate when you are getting fibre optic broadband that does not require a phone line. Another drawback to fibre optics is that the network infrastructure is not as far reaching as it should be. Around half of the country will not be able to get fibre optic broadband. There is a roll out plan that will have most of the country covered, but this will take time. This means that you may not be able to get fibre optic broadband in your area.
Should You Get Fibre Optic Broadband?
Fibre optic broadband is not something that all consumers actually need. You need to carefully consider whether or not this is the right option when you look at the broadband that you are able to get. When you consider the connections and packages you have to look at a few things. You need to consider whether or not you need the speeds of fibre optic and you need to consider why you are looking at this connection to start with.
The primary attraction of fibre optic broadband is the speed that you are going to be getting. However, fast speeds cost money and you need to determine whether or not you actually need this. To determine your speed needs you have to look at the number of broadband users who are going to be connecting to the broadband. You also have to consider what they are going to be doing with the connection. The more people using the connection, the more the speeds are going to be distributed. This means that if you have a lot of people connected you need to have high speeds so that everyone is able to connect properly. Of course, the speeds that you need will depend on what the people do online. If you are doing graphic design on your Mac, broadband may need to be fast to deal with the software and upload requirements of the activity.
Why you are looking at fibre optic broadband should also be considered. If you are looking at this broadband because you are unhappy with the speeds that you are getting then you first need to determine if you are getting the speeds that you should be. It could be that you can improve your existing connection. You also need to see if fibre optic speeds are what you really need.
If you are looking at fibre optic broadband because you are dissatisfied with the service you are getting then you should consider some of the other packages. The service that you get may not be linked to the package you have and more to the provider that you are using. Upgrading to fibre optic may not change the service that you are getting. Fibre optic broadband may not be the best option for you. There are a number of factors that you have to consider when you look at this connection and whether or not you should be getting it. If you decide that this connection is right for you then you should use a comparison website like uSwitch to find the best deals.
Phil Turner has multiple computer devices in his home so he needed to find a heavy use broadband package. He visited sites such as uSwitch.com for more information and found a great deal.
