How Fiber Handles More Users and More Data at Higher Speeds

By Ciara McLaren

Updated on May 10, 2023

There are a lot of advantages to fiber internet. You’ve seen the claims. But for many, there’s only one big advantage: being more efficient when you’re living your online life. It’s particularly important now that we’ve got more people in our homes who are connecting/streaming/gaming/working/creating media all at the same time. Rationing internet time just isn’t the answer anymore.

You want better bandwidth. So how does fiber handle more users?

Here are some good reasons. And it all starts inside.

Fiber’s innovative construction

Fiber optic cables were developed to send data as beams of light (that’s right, lasers) through flexible glass or plastic. Since these cables are nonmetallic, they’re not vulnerable to electromagnetic interference or signal attenuation.

Better bandwidth

Fiber sends data at roughly 70% the speed of light. But how fast is that, really?

To answer that question, we have to find out the bandwidth: the maximum amount of data transmitted over an internet connection in a given amount of time.

In practice, many internet service providers (ISPs) are offering fiber internet that can reach speeds of 2 gigabits per second (or more!). To put that in perspective, it would take about two seconds to download an entire feature movie in HD with 2 gig fiber internet.

Symmetrical speeds

People still tend to download data more than they upload it. But upload speeds have never been more key to the way we live. No one wants to wait hours to attach a mega video file to a remote server or to miss an important move when gaming.

With fiber, there’s enough bandwidth for ISPs to provide the same speed for both uploads and downloads, and then some. A fiber internet connection might have a 1,000 Mbps download and upload speed.

No throttling

Have you ever gotten to the end of the month and noticed your internet seems weirdly slow? It could be throttling. Some ISPs put a cap on the amount of data you can use each month, then they throttle bandwidth when you’re reaching the limit of that data cap. It’s worth checking to see if you’re unknowingly in that situation.

Fiber internet removes the need for throttling. There’s enough bandwidth to go around.

Smooth streaming

From Netflix to remote meetings, multiplayer gaming and livestreaming content, many of our everyday internet actions fall under the category of streaming.

Streaming is essentially receiving and/or transmitting data in a continuous flow. And fiber can handle a lot of data. In practice, this means you’re a lot less likely to experience frustrating lag.

More room for more users

Picture a road. A one-lane street witction with high bandwidth is like a superhighway: There’s room for everyone.

Even the most streaming-addicted, social media–loving, gamer-filled households will appreciate the speeds and flow of a high-speed fiber connection. But if you feel you need more capability, kick up your speed to a gig or more, if it’s available.

Weather resistant

One advantage that you can’t miss out on: Fiber optic cables are weather resistant.

You might have lived through major weather disasters from blizzards to tornados to hurricanes that ravaged your internet connectivity. After Hurricane Sandy hit New York in 2012, for example, water made contact with copper cables, necessitating major repairs to bring back reliable internet.

Though fiber is not invincible, its flexible glass and strong cladding construction make fiber cables resistant to failure in a disaster.

Better bandwidth starts here

Think about who uses the internet and how they use it in your home. Do you work remotely, taking video calls from 9 am to noon? Do you have kids who play mega multiplayer video games? Do any of you create and upload lots of video? Do you have multiple smart home devices? Do you love to use virtual reality?

If the answer is yes, get your whole house on fiber. It will work for today, and prepare you for all the technology you want to connect with in the future.

Frontier Fiber is built for the way you live today—and tomorrow.

If you’re still on the lookout for the right ultra fast internet connection for streaming, gaming, working from home and running your smart home—all with enough bandwidth for everybody, find out about Frontier Fiber. Then check here to see when it’s available at your address.

Product features may have changed and are subject to change.