The first connections of what would become the internet used phone lines to transmit information. Eventually these connections were just too slow and lost too much data to keep up with demand, and so in the 90s and 2000s most Americans switched to internet services their local cable TV offered. The unique coaxial cable design could carry a lot more information a lot more securely, and it let multiple people in the same household use the internet at the same time.
Cable internet speeds have improved by leaps and bounds, but now there’s a new kind of cable that’s delivering even more speed to a growing number of cities throughout America. Fiber-optic cables use light instead of electricity to transmit information, and since light is the fastest thing in the universe it can send far more information than the standard electrical signals of phone and coaxial cable lines. On top of that, there’s no chance of interference from any other electrical equipment.
One big reason why cities like San Antonio, Texas are encouraging and subsidizing fiber internet installations is because fast internet speeds bring in new businesses. So why are businesses looking for places with fiber internet connections to move to or add locations?
- Local cafés, coffee shops, and other businesses that offer free Wi-Fi can offer plenty of bandwidth to spare even when their shops are packed full of customers.
- Clinics and hospitals can make their patients feel more welcome by offering free Wi-Fi, plus a strong internet connection lets them access remote medical information and test results as soon as possible.
- Information technology companies require the fastest internet speeds possible, and while cable and DSL connections go up to gigabit speeds in some places, they don’t have the secure connection and dedicated line of fiber internet.
- A growing number of businesses are keeping their critical information secure on remote and encrypted cloud servers, and the best way to access that information as fast as local storage is to get a powerful fiber internet connection.
Every single day the internet grows in size, complexity, utility, and connectivity. Every day companies find new ways to make use of an online presence, but these new uses come with new bandwidth demands. If you want to build your company with the future in mind, a strong fiber internet connection needs to be a part of your vision.