Internet Service Providers: Untangling the World Wide Web of Confusion

When it comes to setting up internet for your home or business, it is important to consider what type of internet connection you need. The connection is how your internet provider gets an internet signal to your home. There are currently three different major types of internet connections.

1. Fiber Internet

Fiber internet, also called fiber-optic internet, allows one to access ultra-fast connection speeds. With fiber internet, one can enjoy upload and download speeds equal to one another. This is particularly useful if you are running a business or participating in activities that require you to upload large amounts of data. Most people download significantly more data than they upload.

Fiber internet can provide ultra-fast speeds because the signal is sent via light pulses through fiber-optic cables containing plastic or glass filaments. The only downside to fiber-optic internet, however, is that it is not widely available outside major metro areas or areas with new developments. To get fiber option internet, your internet provider needs to install fiber optic cables near your home.

2. Cable Internet

Cable internet is one of the most common options on the market. This is because the internet signal is sent through your cable TV connection, and cable TV wires are everywhere.

Cable tv internet can over really fast download speeds, which is what most people need. Upload speeds are a fraction of download speeds, but they are still fast enough for most home and business purposes. However, the downside to cable internet is that you are sharing your bandwidth with everyone who is connected to the same wire, which can mean at certain times of the day (such as traditional dinner time in the evenings), your connection may slow down.

You can get cable internet in most urban and suburban areas, with access more limited in rural areas.

3. DSL Internet

DSL internet is everywhere, as it is delivered through phone lines. It sends the signal through the copper wires of phone lines, allowing quick internet speeds using an older system. DSL internet cannot meet the top download speeds that cable internet can offer due to the infrastructure. However, DSL internet is fast enough for most home needs.

As telephone wires extend all the way out to rural regions in the United States, almost everyone can access DSL internet. Of the three options above, DSL internet tends to be the most affordable.

If you have access to fiber-optic internet, you will get to enjoy hyper-fast download and upload speeds. Cable internet provides easy access to fast internet if you already have a cable running to your home. DSL internet is not as fast, but fast enough for most needs, is delivered through telephone wires, and has the greatest reach of all three internet methods. Most internet providers will utilize one of the three methods above. Find out what options are in your area. Likewise, contact an internet access provider for more information.