on Jul 3
Just like any new technology, businesses are excited by the idea of “fiber” connectivity. The buzz around this network has been growing for a good reason. It offers the fastest speeds that can’t be found by any other network, but speed isn’t the only great thing about fiber. There are lots of benefits for all companies that are not found in other types of networks. Even our customers ask all the time about our fiber - so here’s some answers to the most commonly asked questions.
What Exactly is Fiber?
No, it's not the edible type. In the telecom world, a fiber network operates with fiber optic cables. These cables contain pieces of glass fibers known as optical fibers inside an insulated casing that’s designed for high performance data transmission and telecommunications. Fiber optic cables carry communication signals between two locations through optical light technology. These cables are much more efficient and transmit larger amounts of information at one time compared to the average copper wire. Fiber networks are used for transmitting telecommunications signals such as telephone, internet, and cable television. Fiber networks use singlemode fibers, consisting of single strands of glass fibers and smaller cores for carrying light. This type of fiber is better for transmitting light across longer distances.
If more capacity needs to be added on an existing fiber network, service providers now use wavelength division multiplexers (WDMs). These devices combine light signals with different wavelengths coming from different fibers, onto a single fiber. This increases bandwidth and maximize usage because different streams of data are sent simultaneously over a single optical fiber network.
What are the Drawbacks to Fiber?
1. Longer Installation. While cost-effective in the long term, fiber is not ideal for businesses that need a quick fix for short-term solutions. Building a fiber network takes lots of time, and installation require expert engineers and special equipment from testing all the way through implementation. Hawaii’s geographic location and limited telecom market creates a longer process for installing and extending existing fiber networks
2. High Costs for Set-Up. Fiber does cost more to set-up for a business compared to traditional copper networks because it takes more time and the cables require extra care during installation.
Can Fiber Benefit My Business?
1. Faster speeds. Fiber networks offer speeds that many times faster than the highest speed copper networks, some even as high as 100 gbps. Businesses shouldn’t experience the same service slowdowns and continue their productivity. Many fiber connections even offer symmetric up and down speeds for faster upload and download speeds.
2. More Reliability. While traditional copper cables are susceptible to extreme weather including fires, hurricanes, and flooding, fiber cables are more resilient to natural or human interference. Fiber cables don’t carry electric currents, so they can withstand electric interruptions and data transmission issues.
3. Increased Bandwidth. Copper networks were originally designed for voice transmission and have limited bandwidth. Fiber networks offers tons of bandwidth to connect with your devices with no problems.
4. Less Latency. Fiber eliminates latency issues that user experience on other networks, especially when downloading large files or streaming content. There’s less delays with a faster fiber network, providing easier downloads and uploads and improving collaboration between employees.
5. Efficient Management. Business telecom services such as VoIP phone, internet, and cloud storage can be supported by a single fiber connection with all the troubleshooting and support handled by a single provider.
6. Cloud Access. More businesses now use cloud services for applications, hosting, and data storage. Fiber networks offer direct access to the cloud with faster connection to your data and applications with fewer delays.
7. Save Money. While it does cost more money to invest in fiber network installation, faster connection and easier cloud access for services provides major savings in productivity and less hardware to manage.
8. Better Security. Fiber networks provide a much more secure connection compared to copper. Copper connections are easy to compromise and hackers can access the signal. Fiber cables are made up of glass and don’t emit electric or magnetic signals, so it’s difficult to hack the data signals. In addition, fiber optic internet providers offer security against online threats, and provides a state-of-the art defense system for your sensitive data.
Is Fiber Available in Hawaii?
Hawaii’s geography provides limited options for businesses, but Servpac offers a dedicated fiber network in business areas throughout Oahu that offers dedicated connection, symmetrical bandwidth, advanced firewall, and 24x7 local support. Our fiber is optimized for VoIP and cloud services and already installed in more than 100 buildings throughout Oahu, so click here to see if your building is included.
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Servpac is a Hawaii-based telecommunications company providing innovative and integrated telephone, internet, cloud, and data center colocation solutions for Hawaii businesses since 2004. The company is the largest locally based CLEC (competitive local exchange carrier) in the state and provides 24/7 local support for island businesses to help them compete in the global marketplace. Call 808-237-5000 or request a FREE CONSULTATION with a local expert today for more information.
