What is Fibre Broadband?

Fibre broadband, or fibre-optic internet, is a type of broadband connection which offers low lag time and speeds of up to 940 Megabits per second.

It relies on fibre-optic cables which are able to send data at great speed; around 70% of the speed of light. Unlike other forms of cable, fibre-optic cables are more resilient to differing weather conditions meaning that users are less likely to suffer from electrical interference or outages.

Fibre broadband is routinely utilised for its speed and reliability, whether a business needs internet for VoIP or a home requires a strong and fast internet connection to allow for better upload and download times, this broadband solution is very powerful and effective.

Why is fibre broadband different from other types of broadband?

The key difference between fibre broadband and other types of broadband is the superior technology it offers - leading to higher speed and more reliable signal connection. Generally speaking, fibre broadband offers a much more robust service including greater bandwidth and faster speed for all internet outputs.

Unlike other types of internet connections, fibre broadband does not use electric current; instead, it uses light which is delivered through the fibreglass core.

When compared to dial-up internet, for example, the fibreglass core works far faster than the traditional copper lines utilised when broadband first became commonplace. Dial-up internet relied on existing telephone landlines, leading to a series of beep noises while connecting. This form of internet connection meant that users could not use the telephone and internet at the same time, due to the shared line.

Lauren Davies of bOnline explains: “Fibre broadband is becoming more important as the years go on. With the analogue phone switch off in the UK planned for 2025, having a strong internet connection will be more important than ever. Connectivity will be much more dependent on internet connectivity, which means that the better the internet you have, the better connected you are likely to be.”

DSL internet, though more modern than dial-up, still relied on telephone lines in order to transmit data. Although it uses inaudible, rather than audible frequencies, and doesn’t impact the use of the telephone, it still offers a far slower speed than fibre broadband.

What can fibre broadband be used for

Fibre connection is best for organisations or households who wish to connect several devices at once, without suffering lags or interruptions. With fibre service, multiple users are able to carry out multiple functions simultaneously including:

• Fast upload or download of files
• High-speed hard-drive backup to the cloud (even for larger files, photos and videos)
• Much faster downloading of HD movies
• Online gaming without interruptions
• And, video chatting without any lags or outages

What are the benefits of using fibre broadband?

Fibre broadband offers a great deal of benefits, especially in households with multiple internet users. So important is fibre broadband that the UK Government is investing millions of pounds into the digital transformation of the UK, encompassing fibre broadband amongst other areas.

Using this broadband offers a superior service of quality from faster streaming of videos, playing online games in real time, backing up data and sending or receiving bulky files.

Another factor is the versatility of fibre broadband. Fibre connection can deliver a superior service across all devices from internet to smart thermostats, home security systems and even home appliances such as refrigerators or ovens.

One of the main benefits of fibre broadband, and the key reason why people choose to opt for this type of broadband, is the uninterrupted service it offers. Rather than wasting loading or buffering time, fibre internet allows access to on-demand streaming with much faster turnaround times, even allowing for the download of full-length movies in a matter of seconds.

To compare to extreme examples, the average time it would take to download a large media file would be 11 days for dial-up internet, compared to about 1 minute for fibre broadband.