What Is Fiber Internet (and Why It’s Different from Cable)
If you have shopped for home Internet recently, you have probably seen the word “fiber” everywhere. Here is the simple version: fiber Internet is the most reliable Internet you can get to your home, and it works on a completely different technology than cable.
This guide explains what fiber Internet is, how it differs from cable and DSL, and what you can actually do with it at home.
Fiber Internet sends your data as pulses of light through a thin glass strand. The strand is about the width of a human hair, and the light moves through it at almost the speed of light.
Cable Internet, by comparison, sends data as electrical signals through copper coaxial cables, the same kind of cable that originally carried television. DSL uses regular phone lines.
Two things follow from that difference. Light travels faster than electricity through copper, with much less signal loss over distance, which is why fiber can reliably deliver gigabit speeds. And fiber connections are symmetrical, meaning you get the same upload speed as download speed. Cable upload speeds are typically 10 to 20 times slower than download.
The technical difference turns into a practical one at home.
For most homes, fiber removes the headaches you do not realize you have on slower plans:
Solarus has built fiber across central Wisconsin. The current footprint includes Wisconsin Rapids, Plover, Stevens Point, Port Edwards, Nekoosa, and Manawa, with continued expansion planned.
If you live in any of these towns, you can check availability for your specific address on the Solarus home Internet page and see which speeds are available where you live.