You’re sure to have heard that fibre internet connections are the fastest and most reliable internet connections out there today.
It’s the culmination of a progression that started with the now-obsolete dial-up internet before advancing to DSL internet and cable internet.
But how does fibre internet work and should you try to get it?
In this article, we’ll give you the basics you need to know, including the different types of fibre internet you may encounter.
Why is Fibre Internet so Popular?
Broadband signals arrive at your home or place of work via cables.
Previously, copper cables were the commonest solution, but nowadays, fibre-optic cables have become the preferred way to connect.
Advantages of Fibre in Practical Terms
Summing up the top advantages of fibre in practical terms, you may enjoy the following speed and bandwidth-related benefits:
- No more buffering when gaming, streaming, or using video chat
- Back up your data to the cloud within minutes – even if you’re backing up an entire hard drive
- Download full HD movies in a matter of seconds
- Upload files as quickly as you can download them
- Eliminate peak-time congestion
- Connect more devices at once
We can use a 6.5 GB file to demonstrate how long a download would take using fibre versus DSL or cable. DSL would take between 1 and 14 hours to download your file.
Cable would do it in anything from 1 minute to 14 hours depending on your connection speed. Fibre would do it in under a minute.
Expanding on this, we can look at the more technical side of fibre, contrasting it with cable.
Faster With More Bandwidth
Fibre internet cables are made from glass or plastic fibres that transmit data using light as a signal.
These fibres offer more bandwidth and can carry much more data than any other type of cable.
They’re also faster because the information moves at a speed that’s 70 percent the speed of light. Instead of light, the older cables use electrical signals and are unable to offer the same levels of performance.
More Consistent and Handles More Traffic
Besides faster speeds and greater bandwidth, there’s less signal degradation when signals move through fibre optic cables, contributing to signal speed and consistency.
And, of course, their higher bandwidth means that besides being faster, the cables can accommodate more traffic without signals slowing down because of congestion.
In cable connections, bandwidth is shared between multiple users – and when there’s a lot of traffic, the connections slow down.
But fibre internet gives each user their own dedicated bandwidth – so you don’t have to worry about a slowdown when your neighbours start streaming video in the evenings, for example.
Symmetrical Upload and Download Speeds
You may have noticed that cable internet is much slower when it uploads data than when it downloads it.
Because of the limitations of cable, ISPs often prioritise download speeds at the expense of upload speeds.
Most fibre connections have symmetrical upload and download speeds – in other words, uploads are as fast as downloads.
This is especially handy for small businesses, remote workers, gamers, people with smart home systems and people who often use video conferencing.
Types of Fibre Internet Connection
A full fibre connection means that your home or business is directly connected to the fibre network. It offers the fastest fibre internet you can get.
However, many fibre connections are “part fibre.” Your home connects to the fibre network using traditional copper cables.
It’s still faster than the old ADSL broadband connection, but the last little bit of copper cable does slow it down a little.
To help you make sense of all this, here are the “official” names of the different types of fibre internet you may encounter.
1. Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) – Part Fibre
Fibre optic cables handle signals up to your internet service provider’s exchange. It will usually be located in a cabinet about 300 metres from your home or office.
From the cabinet to you, the signals travel via copper cables. This type of connection delivers 30-70Mbps.
From your perspective, this is fast enough for most common internet-based activities.
You should be able to stream video and music smoothly and uploading or downloading large files shouldn’t take long.
Currently, FTTC connections are the ones you’re most likely to encounter in Canada’s urban areas.
2. Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) & Fibre to the Home (FTTH) – Full Fibre
In this type of connection, the fibre-optic cables connect directly to your premises. It’s the fastest type of connection and it can deliver speeds of up to 1Gbps (1000 Mbps).
However, you might not be able to get an FTTP connection. It relies on costly infrastructure, and your provider may not be able to justify the investment.
3. Fibre to the Node (FTTN) – Part Fibre
Fibre to node is very similar to fibre to cabinet. The main difference is that the exchange is situated further from your home. It may even be kilometres away.
From the exchange, your signals are transferred using copper wiring which slows it down somewhat. As a result, your speeds will be 25-100 Mbps on average.
It’s still a step up from ADSL (1-24 Mbps) and cable (5-50 Mbps) on average.
Fibre and Phone?
You may be wondering whether you’ll still need an old-fashioned phone line for your fibre. If it’s a full-fibre connection, there’s no need for a phone line.
Instead, your provider will install a fibre-optic cable.
But if you’re using one of the part fibre variants, you’ll still need a phone line to act as the copper cable connecting your premises to the exchange.
Do You Need the Fastest Fibre Connection You Can Get?
If you’re feeling left out because FTTP isn’t available in your area or you can’t access fibre at all, you may be reassured to know that those super-fast speeds aren’t always necessary. It all depends on how you use the internet.
If you browse a little and watch the occasional video, you probably won’t benefit much from the fast internet that comes with fibre.
However, even part-fibre solutions may make a noticeable difference if you’re streaming movies and TV and want the best picture quality.
Some games consume a lot of bandwidth too, and they’ll become more responsive with a faster connection.
And, of course, if you’re using your internet to upload and download large files, those faster speeds will save you a lot of time.
People with slower connections who run several devices in a household at once might also enjoy a change to fibre since it can handle all the devices simultaneously.
However, a good cable package might be all you need.
Fibre vs Other Types of Internet
If we’re to compare fibre to ADSL, it’s a no-contest situation. Fibre is a clear winner.
The same goes for satellite, which is comparatively slow compared to fibre. On the other hand, if you’re living in a remote area, satellite could be your best option.
Cable is a competitive alternative for most folks looking for a next-best option.
Depending on your provider, you can get download speeds of 400 Mbps to 1Gbps, and that’s more than enough for most internet users.
Upload speeds won’t be as good, but not everybody needs super-fast uploads.
Can You Get Fibre Internet?
The availability of fibre internet depends on your location. You’ll also find that different providers offer different deals on cable and fibre.
The easiest way to find out what you qualify for is to use your address to search for available offers in your area.
Check it all out in one place using our handy tool and pick the option that works for you!
