Fiber vs. Cable Internet: What's the Difference?

For many years, copper cables were what home Internet service was built upon. They were also often the same lines to which households connected their landlines. Today, however, optical Fiber has become a much more prevalent way to provide high-speed connectivity for residences, businesses, and public infrastructure. When comparing the several different types of high-speed Internet connections, Fiber has consistently proven to be the fastest and most reliable.

Installing Fiber infrastructure in any community can take a while, but its benefits are worth the wait for users who make the switch. No matter how you compare Fiber and copper cable, Fiber has a distinct advantage over cable. Here are some reasons why Fiber is superior to coax cable Internet:

• Fiber Is Faster Than Cable

• Signals Over Fiber Degrade Less Over a Long Distance

• Copper Cabling Is Expensive

• Copper Cable Is Susceptible to Interference

• Fiber Is More Durable Than Cable

Let's talk about why Fiber is superior to other types of Internet service, including satellite Internet, DSL Internet, and cable Internet connections.

Fiber Is Faster Than Cable

The most obvious benefit a Fiber connection brings its users is its speed. Fiber consistently delivers faster upload and download speeds compared to cable. One reason for this is because Fiber-optic cables use light pulses to transmit data almost as fast as the speed of light. We've only just scratched the surface when it comes to Fiber's speed.

Researchers have reported a theoretical transmission rate of 319 Tbps over a fiber-optic connection. That's 319,000 times faster than the groundbreaking gigabit speeds that residences now have access to! But fast Internet is not the only reason why Fiber is better than cable.

Signals Over Cable Degrade Over Long Distances

Signals over a copper cable network degrade faster as they travel long distances. Internet users on cable networks are much more susceptible to latency than those using Fiber with a dedicated line. For this reason, many copper cable connections depend on repeaters to pick up signals and boost them over portions of their network.

Copper Cabling Is Expensive

Even though it's more advanced, Fiber is surprisingly more affordable than copper cabling. Because copper is a very versatile, useful material, installing and replacing it is going to be more expensive. This is especially true as copper cable has to be replaced more often than Fiber does.

Copper Cable Is Susceptible to Interference

Fiber is resistant to interference. Copper cabling isn't, however, and the information it carries can be disrupted by any nearby electronic systems. This is because copper cabling transmits data with electrical signals.

The cable lines themselves can cause electromagnetic interference and can prevent other nearby networks from working properly. There is a way to shield cables from this kind of interference, but it comes at an additional cost.

Fiber Is More Durable Than Cable

Copper is known to be a malleable material, making it easy to warp or damage during installation or construction. Optical Fiber, on the other hand, is more durable, having been reported to withstand up to 800 pounds of pulling tension.

Fiber also has a longer lifespan due to its resistance to the corrosion and deterioration that copper cabling is susceptible to. For this reason, Fiber can stay in the ground for decades, while cable needs to be replaced roughly every five years. If you see Fiber being installed in your neighborhood, it will stay in the ground and serve your community for a long time.

Sooner or later, copper cable networks will be a thing of the past. Coaxial cable networks are struggling to keep up with how we currently use the Internet. As our needs evolve, the only technology we should use is one that meets not just current demands but future ones as well.

Are you ready to use the Internet service of the future? Tachus offers blazing-fast Internet and Wi-Fi that will change how you view Internet service. Stop buffering every time you stream with your TV service of choice, stop lagging while video-calling, and work from home with no interruptions.

Find out if our Fiber Internet plans are available in your area. If we're not in your community yet, learn more about how you can bring our blazing-fast fiber-optic Internet into your neighborhood.

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