You’ve probably heard about fiber home Internet. Without getting too complicated about the technology itself – to put it simply, it brings faster, more reliable Internet to your home. Let’s answer one fundamental question many people have: Do I really need it?
Believe it or not, the answer is yes. From streaming to WFH to home security, faster Internet is now increasingly necessary for even the average home.
You’re Always Online – Even When You Don’t Know It
Even when you’re not actively using the internet, many of the devices in your home are still connected. From smart home devices like Alexa to security cameras, these devices constantly transmit data – back and forth from the Internet. According to data by Deloitte, U.S. households now have an average of 22 connected devices in their home.
That’s a heck of a lot of data being sent back and forth.
With fiber internet, you can support all your connected devices, allowing them to work like they’re supposed to. How frustrating is it to answer your electronic doorbell, only to find that whoever rang it has left because it took too long to connect? Or if a home alarm goes off, you want it to have the bandwidth to reach you instantly.
More People Are Online at the Same Time
It’s not only more devices but also the number of people using data-intensive applications at one time.
Consider remote work. According to Pew Research Center data from March 2023, 35% of workers with jobs that can be done remotely are working from home full-time. Sure, that number had fallen from its peak of 55% in October 2020, but only 7% of workers worked at home full-time before the pandemic.
Remote office workers now expect the ability to access large files without delay and to conduct high-quality video conferences without garbled video. Work performance could suffer without sufficient bandwidth.
Now imagine that two parents are working at home using data-intensive applications. In the living room, the kids are connected to a video game console and expect lag-free performance. Yep, that’s even more data being used at one time.
Now imagine the same scenario in the other households on your street.
Copper wires were never designed to have the bandwidth needed for this kind of data throughput. But fiber internet gives you the bandwidth you, your family, and the rest of the neighborhood need.
You Use More Data Than You Think
We’re not just using more devices, we’re using more data than ever before – a trend that shows no sign of slowing down. From video streaming to cloud-based applications, we rely on the internet for more and more of our daily lives.
According to information from the 2023 OpenVault Broadband Insights Report:
- The average of American household consumed 586.7 GB of broadband data per month in the last quarter of 2022, up 9.4% from the previous year
- In 2010, that figure was just 9 GB
- Average upstream usage has nearly tripled in the same period
With fiber Internet, you’ll have the speed and capacity you need to handle all your data-intensive tasks without worrying about hitting data caps or experiencing slow speeds.
Cyber-Security Is a Growing Concern
According to research from Deloitte, consumers are increasingly concerned about security. More than half of those surveyed are worried about the security vulnerability of their smartphones – as well as their home devices.
While no transmission is 100% safe, fiber optic cables are exceedingly challenging to hack – that is if a hacker can find them in the first place.
Unlike traditional phone and cable systems, many fiber systems are buried underground. The thin, delicate glass strands that carry the data are also difficult to tap without corrupting the data they’re seeking.
The Bottom Line:
As the way we access the internet continues to evolve, the higher-capacity data transmission abilities of fiber optic cables will become the standard for American homes.
Do you have all the bandwidth you need? Talk to us and find out – our experts are standing by and ready to help.
