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Not in space, but your internet can move at light speed. Literally. Enter fiber internet, your new best friend for gaming, video calls, and streaming without slowdowns.
You don’t need a starship to go faster. Just the right connection.
Fiber-optic internet uses thin strands of glass or plastic called optical fibers. These fibers transmit data as pulses of light. Bundled together into cables, they’re designed to move large amounts of information quickly and efficiently over long distances.
Each optical fiber carries data using a process called total internal reflection. Light signals travel down the core of the fiber by bouncing off the internal walls. A layer of cladding surrounds the core and reflects the light back in, keeping the signal strong and contained throughout its journey.
Because fiber uses light instead of electricity, it can:
Fiber-optic networks are typically deployed in two main ways: fiber to the home and fiber to the node.
We use fiber to the home, that means when you get service from us, you’re getting a true fiber connection straight to your door.
Cable internet still relies on coaxial copper cables originally installed for television service. These systems follow a shared bandwidth model, meaning many homes in your neighborhood are using the same connection. When usage is high speeds can drop and latency increases.
Most cable setups work like this:
That last stretch is often the weakest link. It's where slowdowns tend to happen.
Fiber to the home works differently. It gives you a dedicated fiber line, with no shared last-mile infrastructure. That means more consistent speeds, better reliability even when the network is busy.
Check out a comparison of common connection types and how long it would take to download a 20 GB 4K movie:
Fiber-optic networks can handle very high data transfer rates, typically offering speeds of at least 1,000 megabits per second. Unlike cable and DSL connections, fiber also supports symmetrical speeds, which means upload and download rates are equal.
Symmetrical bandwidth is important for tasks that require outbound data, such as:
Fiber-optic cables are made from glass or plastic materials that are not susceptible to corrosion. They are immune to electrical interference and are less affected by temperature shifts and moisture than copper cabling.
This makes fiber more stable over time, with fewer external variables that can degrade signal quality. It also results in lower maintenance requirements and fewer service interruptions caused by environmental conditions.
Fiber networks are designed to support current and future internet needs without significant upgrades to the physical infrastructure. While the electronics on either end of a fiber connection may evolve to support higher speeds, the fiber itself is capable of handling much higher bandwidth than most current networks utilize.
Once installed, a fiber-optic line can typically support speed increases for decades with only minor equipment changes. This makes fiber an effective long-term solution for residential broadband, as growing data usage and new technology standards continue to raise baseline demands on home networks.