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Insight to Fibre Optic Broadbands


Internet speed is an important thing in present fully digitalized life. Many providers offers different package for internet connection. Fibre optic internet is faster and more stable than traditional ADSL broadband. Fibre optic broadband networks offer you super-fast internet speeds that are great for downloading movies, videos and songs, playing online games or allowing lots of people to use the same network at once. For switching to fibre optic broadband, there are some important things which you need to know when choosing a fibre internet deal.

What is fibre optic broadband?

Fibre optic internet runs via special glass cables under the ground which doesn't require the copper wires used in landline, like standard ADSL broadband, so it's faster and more stable. Currently, the 'up to' speeds for fibre optic broadband max out at around 100 Mbps, but Virgin Media have tapped into new faster connections in UK.

How fast is fibre optic broadband?

Fibre internet is considered 'superfast', because it gives better speeds than standard ADSL broadband.i.e. 300 Mbps
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Who provides fibre optic broadband in the UK?

In UK, the current main suppliers are Virgin Media and BT along with few other firms who provide the service based on their network infrastructure. However Virgin Media is the leader in this area and continues to expand its reach in the United Kingdom.

If there is a particular Fibre optic broadband provider you are keen on switching to, you can also use our provider check to see if their deals are available in your area.

Fibre Optic broadband - The technical stuff

Standard ADSL broadband is limited to only 24Mbps but fibre connections in the UK can provide users with super-fast speeds reaching 100Mbps, a figure which may be tripled by the end of 2013. Just as ADSL broadband internet was an enormous step forward compared to the original 56k dial-up connections, fibre optic broadband has been a massive leap in the evolution of how much internet speed we get so easily.

Faster speeds and faster downloads mean that we can consume and share more information online than ever before. Thanks to fibre optic broadband, the future of the internet is both bright and speedy. Very soon, fibre optic broadband will become most important and widely used technology in area of high-speed internet.

The anatomy of fibre optic cables
  1. Buffer: This is a plastic outer coating that gives some measure of physical protection.
  2. Cladding: This is made up of silica glass, which surrounds and reflects light back into the fibre core.
  3. Core: It is also made up of silica glass and is the central part of the fibre optic cable that carries the light signal.

How does it work?

Fibre optics have less interference, keep the signal strength over much greater distances and operate at a higher frequency range in comparison to ADSL which transmits down copper wires. Fibre optic broadband works by sending information as pulses of light through individual optical fibres. Higher frequency means greater bandwidth, and greater bandwidth means faster connection speeds.

Pros and cons of fibre

Pros:

  • Superfast downloads
  • Speedy uploads
  • Multiple users at a time

Cons:

  • High price due to new technology
  • Limited availability in areas

The Future of Fibre

Virgin Media has planned to boost its current FTTC which would make the firm the fastest broadband provider in the UK. In the future, fibre-like speeds could be delivered to rural areas, which will revolutionize the entire internet usage worldwide.