Fibre Optic Cabling

When it comes to business broadband, it can sometimes seem like there are a bewildering number of options to choose from. This can make choosing the right business broadband connection extremely confusing. The business broadband connection that best suits your needs – whether it be a leased line, EFM, standard business broadband or enhanced fibre broadband – will depend on a number of factors including your budget, your business location, your bandwidth requirements and the equipment you use. In this post, we focus on the benefits of fibre optic cabling to help you decide whether fibre broadband is right for your business.

What makes fibre optic cabling different?

As opposed to conventional copper cables that use electrical signals to transmit data, fibre optic cables transmit data using pulses of light and the technical term for this is total internal reflection. Fibre optic cables are made up of transparent thin glass or plastic fibres, which are surrounded by a glass sheath or cladding and a protective coating. These differences allow fibre optic cables to provide a superior network performance.

The benefits of fibre optic cabling

Greater bandwidth and speed

Fibre optic cabling allows you to transport more data over your network than copper alternatives do, because they carry significantly more bandwidth. With fibre optic broadband, you can benefit from significantly increased data capacity and speeds. This is because they use optical signals rather than electrical alternatives. In a fibre optic network, data is transmitted as light signals and at light speed. The super fast data transfer is extremely beneficial in a business environment because it helps to increase efficiency and reduce costs. The fact that fibre optic broadband provides much greater bandwidth and speeds is one of the main reasons why it is favoured by so many businesses.

Increased reliability

Fibre optic cabling offers increased reliability, compare to copper alternatives. This is because fibre optic cables are not affected by electromagnetic or radio frequency interference. As a result, the chances of signal degradation are significantly reduced and you enjoy a superior performance in comparison to copper cables. Low signal degradation with fibre optic cabling also means that data can travel much longer distances. Because fibre optic cables benefit from electrical resistance, they can be installed safely in close proximity to high-voltage cables and in areas with varying earth potentials. Since businesses depend on reliability in order to function, fibre optic broadband is an ideal option. With the benefit of a reliable network performance, your business can take advantage of the latest technologies. For example, if you are using IP telephony then you will benefit from robust connections and superb voice clarity with a fibre broadband connection.

Enhanced data security

With fibre broadband, your business can benefit from enhanced data security. This is because fibre optic cables are one of the most secure mediums for carrying data. Fibre optic cables don’t have radiated magnetic fields around them but, instead, the electromagnetic fields are contained within the fibres themselves. Consequently, the possibility of tapping signals transmitted though fibre is eliminated without the actual fibre being cut. Alternative cables carry the potential of information being leaked. Although the chances of this can be reduced with shielding, the problem cannot be eliminated entirely. Since fibre optic cables don’t radiate electromagnetic energy, the risk of emissions being intercepted is virtually eliminated. Businesses are naturally concerned about the security of sensitive data, so fibre broadband is an ideal option for greater peace of mind.

Although not all business can currently benefit from fibre broadband, coverage is increasing all of the time. With government investment, fibre broadband should be available in 95% of premises by the end of 2017. If you would like to find out more about the benefits of fibre optic cabling then contact Midland Networks on 0800 849 8585.