While copper cables have been here for a long time and did their best to deliver businesses with what they wanted, the changing scenario makes it impossible for copper cables to meet the increasing demands of enterprises.
A copper cable sends electric pulses through the metal strands inside it. The cable is thick and appears similar to a television cable. The way in which data is transmitted is also similar. Copper cables have suffered during long-distance connections and couldn’t sustain the changing weather conditions. Yet, with no other viable option to choose, enterprises had to make do with what was available.
But with fiber network services for business gaining popularity, enterprises are upgrading their network and switching over to using the fiber optic cables. Even though fiber optics have been in the market for years, it wasn’t until recently that it came into the limelight. The main reason for this is the cost of investment, which made enterprises prefer copper cables despite their apparent disadvantages.
During the last few years, more and more service providers entered the market with the intent of changing the way industries looked at internet connectivity. This led to building an extensive network of fiber optics, that too for competitive prices. While not all service providers deliver what they promise, the best ones have more than proved that fiber optics is the best choice for an internet connection in the current scenario.
Enterprises can find a detailed comparison between the copper cables and the fiber optics network so that they know what factors to consider when looking for fiber network services for business and how to make the most of it.
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Bandwidth and its Importance
Let’s start with the most important factor, the bandwidth of the internet network. It has been found that the demand for a better bandwidth has been increasing every year. No matter how good a network is, people want something even better. Bandwidth is the maximum rate data transfer rate that is possible through the network. It is usually calculated in Mbps or Gbps.
Bandwidth is different from speed as it deals with the data transfer rate per second. However, they are interconnected and equally important. Copper cables use electrons for data transfer while the fiber network uses photons. These photons travel faster as light is invariably faster than electric pulses. If copper cables can provide around 300 Mbps, fiber network can handle up to 10 Gbps.
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Reliability and Durability
There’s hardly any point in having an internet network that’s not reliable. If we cannot trust the network to carry data through long distances without compromising the quality, how can be sure of its performance? Also, when an enterprise invests a good amount of money in installing a network, it has to last for a while.
The optical fiber cable is thin but strong and durable. It doesn’t get affected by the electromagnetic field or the changing weather conditions. It cannot be ruined easily to corrupt the data and the network. The only way to damage the fiber optic cable is by physically cutting it. Even then, it is easier to cut through the copper cable than a fiber cable.
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Data and Network Security
Enterprises that are located away from the city can safely use the fiber network to transmit data. Copper cables tend to lose 94% loss in signal over 100 meters distance when the fiber optic cable loses around 3%. Also, the fiber network is known for providing symmetric speed (equal time for downloads and uploads), which is important for an enterprise that relies on the internet for daily operations.
The fiber network provides greater protection against hacking and data theft during transmission. The service providers also offer additional network security features to make sure that the data transmitted through the network cannot be tampered with.
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Cost of Installation and Maintenance
While the cost of installation has come down, enterprises that use outdated hardware and software will need to upgrade their systems to make them as efficient as the fiber network. Looking for fiber network services for business includes searching for the right service provider company that is capable of providing what it promises. As mentioned at the beginning of the blog, not all service providers can take up the challenge of catering to the growing demands of enterprises. Be it technical support or round the clock connectivity with minimum or no interference, the success of the fiber network relies majorly on the ability of the service provider.
Enterprises should do their research, make a list of the best service providers, and contact each of them to understand how they work. Even though the cost is a factor, finding a balance between cost and quality of services is essential if the enterprise wants to get the best deal.
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