As the demand for high speed internet increases, there’s one type of internet that beats them all. Fiber optic. Fiber optic internet is the future of internet connections. It delivers internet at lightning fast speeds and can handle all modern day activities. From online gaming, to streaming and smart home devices; fiber internet can handle it all. It surpasses DSL, satellite and cable internet connections in speeds, bandwidth, data caps and reliability.
What Is Fiber Internet?
Fiber internet is the latest and best internet type you can get today. It uses fiber optic glass stands instead of copper or telephone wires. You’ll experience faster speeds and are capable of handling much more bandwidth. Unfortunately, fiber internet is only available in urban and suburban areas due to the cost associated with fiber infrastructure and the labor to install it.
3 Types Of Fiber Internet
Not all fiber internet connections are the same. There’s three types; fiber to the neighborhood, fiber to the curb and fiber to the home. The difference between these three types are how far the fiber connection goes and therefore affecting how fast your internet will be.
Fiber To The Home (FTTH)
Fiber to the home is the best type of fiber internet you can get. With this type of fiber connection, fiber optic glass strands go straight into your home or business which provides you with high-speed internet. You’ll receive the fastest internet your internet provider can deliver and significantly higher bandwidth than other types of fiber connections. Installation is a bit more involved if you’ve never had fiber internet before. Your provider will likely need to enter your home or business to bring the fiber lines inside.
Fiber To The Curb (FTTC)
Fiber to the curb is the second best type of fiber internet you can get. It is part fiber and part copper. With this type of fiber connection, the fiber stops at your neighborhood’s nearest utility pole or box. From there your connection continues on through coaxial cables to your home. The last mile of copper wires does down your fiber connection comparative to the fiber to the home type.
Fiber To The Neighborhood (FTTN)
Fiber to the neighborhood is the worst type of fiber internet you can get. This connection is made up of part fiber and part telephone or copper lines. With fiber to the neighborhood, you get fiber to a node that serves an approximate 100 mile radius. This is where your speeds can dramatically be different; the farther you are from the node, the slower your internet connection will be. But, the connection may vary depending on your internet service provider.
Fiber Internet Providers
| Fiber Internet Provider | Monthly Price | Download Speeds | Upload Speeds |
| Altafiber | $39.99/month to $69.99/month | 250 Mbps up to 1 Gbps | 125 Mbps to 250 Mbps |
| AT&T Fiber | $55/month to $180/month | 300 Mbps up to 5 Gbps | 300 Mbps to 5 Gbps |
| CenturyLink | $70/month | Up to 940 Mbps | Up to 940 Mbps |
| Frontier Fiber | $49.99/month to $149.99/month | 500 Mbps up to 2 Gbps | 500 Mbps to 2 Gbps |
| Google Fiber | $70/month to $100/month | 1 Gbps up to 2 Gbps | 1 Gbps |
| Greenlight Networks | $50/month to $200/month | 500 Mbps up to 2 Gbps | 500 Mbps to 2 Gbps |
| MetroNet | $49.95/month to $119.95/month | 100 Mbps up to 1 Gbps | 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps |
| Optimum | $40/month to $60/month | 300 Mbps up to 1 Gbps | 300 Mbps to 1 Gbps |
| Verizon Fios | $24.99/month to $64.99/month | 300 Mbps up to 940 Mbps | 300 Mbps to 880 Mbps |
| Ziply Fiber | $20/month to $120/month | 50 Mbps up to 5 Gbps | 50 Mbps to 5 Gbps |
