Consumers today face an abundance of choices for high-speed internet. And since you're already paying for a data plan with your cell phone service provider, you may also wonder if you should use that company for your internet service.
In this article, we explain what cellular internet is and why fiber is far and away the better choice for most consumers.
Your neighbors at FPUAnet Communications are proud to have the fastest and most reliable internet you can get. And we're especially thrilled that our internet speeds can keep up with major metropolitan areas around the country, helping our communities compete in the global economy.
With all the high-speed internet options available today, it's not surprising that customers need clarification when choosing an internet provider.
And it's not only the technology that's complicated—even the names of different internet-related products and services can be so similar and complicate things further!
So what is cellular or wireless/5G internet? Let's start with what cellular or wireless internet is not. First, wireless internet is not the same thing as Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi disperses internet signal throughout a home or office so that all your devices—smart TVs, laptops, tablets, cell phones, smart speakers, etc.—can be connected to the internet without a wired connection.
Thus, just like other kinds of internet (cable, satellite, or fiber), cellular or wireless internet enters the home or business and is distributed by Wi-Fi through the Wi-Fi router or related technology. Most customers will still use Wi-Fi and a router unless they plan to hardwire every connection to every device, which is highly uncommon.
Cellular or wireless internet, also known as 4G or 5G internet, is delivered by cell phone towers. Instead of being delivered by a hardwired connection like coaxial cable or fiber, cellular or wireless internet is transmitted “through the air.”
While it can often deliver decent speeds, wireless or 5G internet is notorious for service interruptions due to obstructions from other structures. And because cellular/wireless or 5G internet is totally dependent on the number of cell phone towers dispersing signal—and even more crucially, the distance a customer is from a cell phone tower—their speeds and quality of the connection can greatly vary.
What is Fiber Internet?
Fiber internet's advanced materials and technology make it the fastest and most reliable form of internet on the market today. Short for “fiber optic” internet, fiber utilizes fiber optic cable, which consists of hundreds of densely packed strands of glass inside the cord.
The fiber optic cable connects directly to your home or business before being dispersed to your devices. Pulses of light transmit internet data along these glass hairs at near light speed!
Due to fiber's impressive components and infrastructure, it has a vastly greater capacity to handle and transmit all the online data that you use daily—from social media, documents, and emails to music, gaming, and television.
Fiber also has higher upload speeds, which is used when your device sends information back to the server (or other internet users). Higher upload speeds are essential for stable and clear video calls and conferences.
Only fiber can power a household full of devices at once without causing slowdowns on any of them—making it the #1 choice for modern households.
So, What's the Difference Between Fiber Internet and Cellular/Wireless (5G) Internet?
The connection-type is the first key distinction between fiber and cellular/wireless internet.
Importantly, fiber is “hardwired.” Its internet signal enters your premises through physical wiring, not cellular or wireless 5G signal sent through the air.
This distinction means that obstructions like trees and other buildings can't stop fiber's excellent speeds from delivering internet to your home or business. Fiber internet also has far greater bandwidth capacity than cellular/wireless internet because its materials can carry much more information than wireless signal can.
There are other significant disadvantages to cellular/wireless/5G internet service.
Remember that cellular service prioritizes its originally intended purpose—providing mobile phone service. That one function takes up most of cellular's capacity to transmit data. Thus, cellular internet services lack the power to consistently provide the data you need to enjoy the online activities you love, like streaming movies and TV, video calling and conferences, online gaming and so much more.
But it gets even worse. To deal with the ever-growing demand for data, cellular companies reduce the speed and quality of their internet service to prevent internet users from gobbling up too much of their data capacity.
That's why cellular companies enforce data caps on their internet services, which significantly limit or even outright prevent you from doing the online activities you've come to enjoy.
They also employ “throttling,” another annoying practice that slows down bandwidth—and your entire internet performance.
While some companies only do this after you've reached a certain pre-determined amount of data usage each month, others throttle your broadband anytime and for any reason. For countless customers, these restrictions are extremely frustrating.
On the other hand, fiber internet never has data caps or bandwidth throttling because its superior technology doesn't get overwhelmed like cellular/wireless internet. Fiber's high bandwidth capacity and fast upload (as well as download) speeds can handle just about everything online without data caps, throttling, or other intentional slowdowns.
Fiber's Superior Security
But fiber's advantages over cellular/wireless internet extend well beyond fiber's superior speed and reliability (as essential as they are). Better data security is another reason to choose fiber.
Because cellular/wireless internet requires a signal to transmit “over the air,” it is susceptible to being intercepted.
Wireless internet is especially prone to a particular cybercrime known as a DDoS Attack—short for “Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attack.” DDoS attacks overwhelm servers and slow down traffic, even jeopardizing sensitive data. And DDoS attacks are unfortunately on the rise.
Fiber, on the other hand, is hardwired straight to your walls—its internet flies through fiber optic cable without needing to disperse signal through the air. Thus, fiber's advanced technology provides a layer of protection and security from hackers, scammers, and other criminals that cellular or wireless internet simply cannot.
From faster speeds to more reliable signals, a more secure connection, and greater capacity to carry out more online activities from multiple devices simultaneously, fiber internet stands ahead of cellular/wireless 5G internet.
For more information on fiber internet and why it's your best choice for high-speed internet, feel free to reach out to the knowledgeable support team at FPUAnet Communications. We’re local and here to serve you!
Thanks to its exceptional speed, reliability, and capacity to handle applications with high data demands, fiber internet has become increasingly popular in America. It powers our work and our play, elevating our video conferencing, streaming, and gaming experiences. Indeed, as of late 2023, fiber internet has simply exploded, with more than 50% of all U.S. households now connected to fiber! And demand for this essential technology is only growing across the country.
To highlight the need for more communities to experience the many benefits of fiber internet technology, FPUAnet Communications is proud to observe the annual celebration of “Gimme Fiber Internet Day” on November 4. Below, we discuss in greater depth this unofficial but globally recognized holiday, which highlights the transformative impact that fiber-optic technology has on our digital lives, while raising awareness of the need to connect more isolated and underrepresented communities to this amazing technology.
Gimme Fiber Day Highlights Scientific Achievement
Since its inception in 2013, Gimme Fiber Day has been celebrated on November 4 for a fundamental reason: it’s the birthdate of one of the twentieth century’s most consequential and prominent physicists, Sir Charles Kuen Kao. Though he’s not exactly a household name, Dr. Kao helped change the course of internet history with his groundbreaking research into fiber optic applications—enough so to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 “for services to fiber optic communications.”
A native of Shanghai, China, but a holder of U.S. and British citizenship, Dr. Kao was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009 “for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication.” To put it in simpler terms, Dr. Kao was rightly honored for helping the scientific community understand and develop how fiber can deliver the fastest and most reliable internet straight to your home. Thus, November 4 is an especially fitting day to give a shoutout to fiber internet technology!
Fiber Internet’s Many Benefits
Beyond just recognizing scientific achievements, Gimme Fiber Day also offers an annual opportunity to recognize the substantial benefits of fiber-optic internet to our daily lives. Below are just four of the many reasons why fiber-optic internet is a game changer:
Lightning-Fast Internet Speeds: Fiber-optic connections offer significantly faster speeds compared to traditional copper cables used in DSL or cable internet. With download and upload speeds that can reach gigabit levels, fiber internet supports high-definition video streaming, online gaming, and large file transfers with ease.
Greater Bandwidth: Fiber networks can handle much larger amounts of data at any given moment compared to old-school internet systems like cable. This high bandwidth capability ensures that multiple users can stream TV and movies, conduct video conference calling, upload and download videos, and browse the web simultaneously without significant slowdowns.
High Reliability: Fiber internet is less susceptible to interference and signal degradation compared to other types of broadband, like cable or DSL. Fiber’s tiny, glass-like “hairs” are more flexible and much harder to break or shred than copper-based components. This means more consistent and reliable service, even during peak usage times or adverse weather conditions.
Future-Proof Technology: Fiber technology is considered “future-proof” because it has the potential to support even higher speeds as technology advances. This scalability makes fiber a long-term investment in maintaining cutting-edge internet performance.
Promoting Fiber’s Expansion
Additionally, Gimme Fiber Day is an excellent time to celebrate the advancements in fiber internet technology and recognize its significance to our economy and way of life. But even more significantly, Gimme Fiber Day is a particularly keen time to advocate for the expansion of fiber-optic networks across America. Here are three specific ways to make your voice heard this Gimme Fiber Day:
Spread the Word Among Your Peers: Use your social media accounts to share information about the benefits of fiber internet, both to individual users and the community as a whole. You might post about how it has improved your online experiences or provide tips for those interested in upgrading their internet service.
Support Local Initiatives: Many communities are working to expand access to fiber internet. Support local government initiatives or advocacy groups working to bring fiber broadband to underserved or more isolated areas. This could involve attending meetings, participating in community campaigns, or contacting local officials.
Contact Members of Congress: Just about every year, there are new proposals to expand broadband access across America, as well as to help provide financial support for more financially strapped families to help pay for their internet, including at the federal level. Take the time to learn about these proposals and reach out to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators to tell them to support efforts to expand critical fiber internet access far and wide.
Gimme Fiber Day is a superb occasion to embrace and celebrate the advancements that are shaping the future of digital connectivity. By highlighting the benefits of fiber internet, from its blazing-fast speeds to its reliability and future-proof scalability, this day encourages us to appreciate and advocate for better internet connectivity for everyone.
To learn more about fiber internet in our area, check out FPUAnet Communications’ website and social pages. Our friendly and knowledgeable team members are here to answer your questions about the fiber difference.
By now you’ve probably heard the long-awaited news: FPUAnet Communications is bringing fiber to Fort Pierce! And we’re just as excited to share the benefits of our advanced fiber network with our community as you are to have all the fast download and upload speeds, generous bandwidth, and reliability of fiber direct to your home.
Over the coming months, you’ll likely see our trucks and teams of dedicated technicians and installers throughout our service area. There’s much work to get done, as delivering the fastest, most reliable internet you can get takes some time and a good amount of effort. Below we briefly explain the main three phases and seven core stages that comprise the process of bringing fiber to our area, including the approximate time frames you can expect each phase to take.
Phase A: Planning and Preparation (approximately 18 weeks)
The first phase of building out fiber begins with our extensive planning and preparation efforts. You may occasionally see surveyors and engineers out in the field carefully studying the installation sites, but much of this work is conducted behind the scenes and out of sight of most customers.
Stage 1: Make ready engineering: During this stage of planning, engineers will design and develop plans and specifications for review and approval for the fiber optic network.
Stage 2: Make ready construction: At this stage in the planning process, the primary focus is on acquiring access to all necessary routes and rights-of-way and finalizing all relevant government permits to ensure the project is cleared to proceed.
Phase B: Construction (approximately 14 weeks)
Next, we move on to the actual construction of the fiber infrastructure. During this intensive phase, you may see us digging holes and installing the equipment and fiber lines. When we're done, we will return all sidewalks and greenspaces to the way we found them.
Stage 3: Construction: The construction stage is focused on building the network by either burying fiber optic cable in the ground or hanging aerial lines (depending on the design of the network).
Stage 4: Splicing: Splicing is focused on connecting—that is, closing the loops—on the various pieces of fiber used to build the network as a whole. These connections are important to ensure data and information flows at the speed of light.
Phase C: Service Delivery (timing may vary)
After months of planning and constructing the fiber infrastructure, our fiber is just about ready to be delivered to your home! The timing of the following final three steps can vary, so please keep that in mind as you await your personal installation.
Stage 5: Service Drops: During this stage, our teams will place boxes in your neighborhood so that they can place the fiber line that will eventually connect the network to your home (again, depending on the design, it could be buried or aerial lines).
Stage 6: Drops Splice: Once the service drop is complete, the splicing team will ensure there is connectivity between the network and an optical network terminal, which will be placed on the side (typically) of your home.
Stage 7: Installation: After the previous six stages are complete, we will light up the network and our installation team will connect your home to receive service.
Remember that, despite the wait and occasional inconveniences over the coming months, once we’ve completed our work, you’ll have access to the fastest, most reliable internet available today. With FPUAnet Communications’ fiber, your family can be more productive, enjoy pristine streaming picture quality for TV and movies, distortion-free video calling, riveting online gaming, and all the other online activities that have become a part of your life.
Should you have any questions about our efforts or would like more information about our internet plans and other services, FPUAnet Communications’ representatives are happy to take your call. And to keep updated on the progress of our fiber infrastructure build-out, follow FPUAnet Communications’ social pages!
It's an aggravating experience far too often felt by far too many cable, DSL, or satellite internet users across America—the moment you finally get some time to unwind and enjoy your home internet, it's painfully slow and sluggish, sometimes to the point of being all-but inoperable. So why does this happen to so many internet users, and almost always around the same time of the evening? And what, if anything, can be done about it?
Well, thanks to advances in internet technology, the good news is that you don't have to suffer the peak hour slowdowns plaguing so many residential internet customers. Below we explain ins-and-outs of peak hour slowdowns—and how switching to FPUAnet Communications’ fiber is the simple solution you've been hoping for!
Peak Hour Slowdowns—What They Are and Why They Happen
Let's begin by briefly discussing what a peak hour slowdown is. As the name suggests, it is simply the period of time when internet usage in a given area (such as your neighborhood) experiences its highest internet traffic from simultaneous, multiple users.
Though it can vary somewhat, peak hours of residential internet traffic are typically between 6:00 PM and 11:00 PM. In other words, peak hours are the times most Americans are home from work looking to binge their favorite TV series, catch up on social media, game with their friends, or watch and post videos. And just like you and your household, your neighbors down the street or across town are also streaming away at the same time!
With older but still common forms of internet like cable, DSL, or satellite, peak hour usage can overwhelm an internet network. This leads to buffering, slowdowns, or connection problems—and mass frustration, just when most families are looking to decompress.
Why Cable Just Can’t Handle Peak Hour Internet Traffic
While cable internet served its purpose in improving home internet speeds and service when it was launched and became widely available in the mid-to-late 1990’s, it continues to rely on old technology to provide internet—copper or coaxial cable. Those cables were originally developed to transmit television signals, not internet data.
Today’s families stream far more data at once than they did in the 1990s, and cable struggles to keep up when nearly every home on the street is trying to stream, game, and more all at the same time. With cable, multiple households typically have a shared connection to the network, which means the more your neighbors use the internet, the less bandwidth is left over for you.
Switching to High-Speed Fiber Internet Is the Solution to Slowdowns!
Unlike cable and other older forms of internet, fiber’s underlying technology and sophisticated components can handle substantially more internet at any given time. Fiber doesn’t suffer from inadequate bandwidth like cable does, because it can transfer huge swaths of data to your home’s connection in mere milliseconds along its glass-like strands of fiber optic materials.
Even more importantly, our fiber delivers a direct, private line to your home. That direct connection ensures that all of your home’s available bandwidth is actually yours and not shared with anyone else—including your neighbors! That direct line to your door from our fiber network puts an end to peak-hour slowdowns altogether.
Plus, with speeds of up to 1 gig per second, fiber can provide everyone in your home with more than enough bandwidth to binge TV and movies, enjoy online gaming, video call with loved ones, and stream videos—even all at the same time!
When you’re ready to end peak hour slowdowns and upgrade to fiber, contact the friendly customer service representatives at FPUAnet Communications. Our knowledgeable agents and technical experts are here to explain in more detail how our fiber network can make all the difference in your internet service and answer any questions you may have about our plans.
And follow FPUAnet Communications’ social pages to learn more about our advanced fiber network!
Move over kitchens and bathrooms–fiber has moved up on the must-have list for homebuyers. Now more than ever before, people want to work, learn, and access telehealth applications from home. Modern lifestyles require modern internet powered by a fiber network.
In fact, a 2023 study showed that fiber-delivered internet access could increase a home’s value by almost 5%. On average, U.S. consumers would require a 4.9% decrease in price for a non-fiber home, a 3.2% decrease for a non-fiber condo, and a 12.8% decrease for a non-fiber apartment.
What’s the Data Saying?
The Fiber Broadband Association’s (FBA) 2023 consumer research study highlights that fiber is no longer just a bonus–it’s a necessity. U.S. consumers rated high-quality broadband as the second most important amenity in a home, just after a laundry room.
Nearly two-thirds of all consumers consider fiber to be the best internet service delivery method in terms of speed and reliability.
Beyond that, there is an increasing body of research linking investment in broadband networks with accelerated economic performance. Communities with fast and reliable fiber networks often exhibit higher rates of per capita GDP.
Fast and Reliable Internet for Remote Workers
Not only is the Internet a prime source of communication and entertainment, but it’s also essential for the American white-collar workforce. With over 40% of Americans working remotely full-time or part-time as of June 2023, fast, secure, and reliable internet has become an invaluable asset.
Remote workers favor fiber internet because cable internet can be significantly slower and far less reliable than fiber.
Cable internet speeds typically range from 10-250 Mbps for downloads and 5-50 Mbps for uploads. Fiber internet, however, can provide 250-1,000 Mbps for both downloads and uploads—a critical benefit for those looking to use video conferencing tools at home.
The Future of Fiber
Even those who don’t work from home are more likely to want high-speed internet for telehealth applications than they were a few years ago. Five times more patients utilize telehealth services now than before the COVID-19 pandemic, and that number is expected to increase.
Thankfully, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is working to catch up to consumers’ needs. According to the FBA, the amount of fiber deployed over the next five years will nearly match the total amount of fiber that has been deployed throughout history.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, better broadband equals increased property values, more opportunities for remote work, and enhanced access to digital services like telehealth and streaming. And, of course, better opportunities yield innovation.
Increased access to fiber promotes job creation, upward mobility, entrepreneurship, expanding local businesses, and attracting new ones.
Fiber brings massive benefits to communities, so it’s no wonder fiber increases individual home values too! To learn more about fiber availability at your home, contact FPUAnet Communications today. We’d love to get you connected.
Sluggish speeds, data caps, hidden fees, and poor customer service? It’s not you, it’s them.
Today, we’re highlighting five signs you should break up with your current internet provider—and hook up with FPUAnet Communications’ high-speed fiber internet service instead!
Reason #1 Your Internet Just Doesn’t Have the Speed to Keep Up with You
If you’re like most people, you just can’t wait to binge your favorite series or keep up with live sports or current events. But if you’ve noticed your internet is just too sluggish to keep up with the content you love, then it’s time to show your current internet provider the door!
Older forms of internet like DSL and coaxial cable just don’t have the download speeds that fiber does because they’re literally using materials built for other uses. Cable was made to transmit television signals, while DSL was designed for voice service. Fiber optic cable, on the other hand, can transmit internet signal at nearly the speed of light!
Thus, fiber internet, like the kind delivered by FPUAnet Communications, is capable of extreme download speeds of greater than 1 gigabyte per second. Our internet can keep up with you and stream all the movies, TV shows, and live entertainment you could possibly want.
Reason #2 Your Internet’s Bandwidth Isn’t Giving You the Space You Need to Thrive
You might also find that your current internet provider isn’t giving you the “space” you need to live your best life—and in this case, we’re talking about bandwidth. Bandwidth refers to the quantity of data an internet connection can send to your devices per second.
While internet speed is fairly self-explanatory and easy to understand, greater bandwidth is just as essential to a home’s internet service as speed. High bandwidth capacity is particularly vital in households with people who stream simultaneously on multiple smart TV’s, enjoy online gaming, or download (or upload) online videos.
Fiber’s cutting-edge materials and state-of-the-art networking make its bandwidth capacity considerably greater than cable and other forms of internet. Fiber’s generous bandwidth means that everyone in your household will have the space they need to do just about anything they want online without fighting over who’s using the internet at a given time.
Reason #3 You’re Done with Monthly Data Caps
If you’re tired of your internet company slowing down your internet with data caps each month, it’s time to dump them and switch to fiber.
You might be asking why your internet company caps your data in the first place. Well, they do so to keep from overloading their systems, which lack sufficient bandwidth to serve all their customers properly (because their technology just can’t cover it the way fiber can). Thus, these inferior internet technologies require providers to “cap” the amount of data each household uses each month.
Those data caps trigger dreaded slowdowns in internet quality, which can really annoy you when you’re trying to binge a series or watch a live sports event. And some companies will even charge extra fees for exceeding your data cap.
Because of fiber’s bandwidth capabilities, you’ll never need to worry about data caps! FPUAnet Communications’ advanced fiber network gives you and your family enough room to spread your wings online without the limitations of data caps or slowdowns cable and other older internet technologies usually require.
Reason #4 Trust Issues—Like Hiding Fees and Costs on Your Bill
Another reason to break up with your current internet provider relates to a crucial element of any relationship: trust and candor. Way too many big internet companies seem to slide hidden fees and costs into their bills to unsuspecting customers.
Initially, these may be surreptitious additions to your bill, often in small amounts. But those do mount up over time, taking a larger chunk out of your annual budget than you originally bargained for.
At FPUAnet Communications, we value being upfront and straightforward with you about our billing and services. We lay out all the costs and fees of our high-speed fiber internet, including any applicable taxes. Keeping trust and open lines of communication with you are top priorities for us, which we will keep throughout our relationship with you.
Reason #5 Communications Problems—or You Just Can’t Ever Get Through to Them!
Our last reason to split with your current ISP concerns how hard it can be to get through to them! Calling technical assistance or account support to larger internet companies can try the patience of even the best of us. Indeed, with some ISPs, it can take dozens of minutes—or sometimes even hours—to connect to a real human being to help you address your problem.
One of the best ways to “test” your relationship with your current ISP is to call them and start a stopwatch (or use a stopwatch app on your smartphone) and time how long it takes to get in touch with a customer service representative. FPUAnet Communications prides itself on its efficient response time and the resourcefulness of our friendly, local staff. You can feel confident that you will reach us when you need us.
These are just five of the best reasons to cut ties with your current internet company and make the switch to fiber with FPUAnet Communications. To learn more about our fiber network and why it’s simply the best internet you can get, follow our social pages!
Virtual interviewing is becoming more and more common in today’s job market. While remote interviewing may be more convenient, the distance and technical difficulties can be awkward, or even jarring, to would-be applicants.
Fortunately, there are tips from interviewing experts that prospective job seekers can use to get through—and even nail—a virtual job interview. We share some of their key insights and recommendations below.
The Interview Environment: Organize and Professionalize Your Space
You already know you should “dress for success” and make sure that you look your polished best for an interview. But when you’re interviewing from your home, the interview space and background could be distracting, even off-putting, to potential employers. Take the time to make your space look its best, too.
Clean and Declutter: This seems obvious, but make sure you take the time to de-clutter your surroundings, whether it is your bedroom or home office desk. Show your would-be bosses that you quite literally have it together at home, which will make a better impression of being grounded and composed.
Lighting: Proper lighting is a detail too often overlooked. Be sure to “light yourself” from the front, and not from the back! The latter can create a rather eerie, even sinister visage. Where possible, aim for “cool light,” which is whiter in color, rather than “warm light,” which is yellower. These seemingly small details help put your best foot forward.
Interviewing Skills and Tips
There are countless tips on interviewing available online, but we share a few below that are particularly relevant to remote interviewing.
Keep Any Notes Short and (Mostly) Out of the Way
Like in any interview, try to not over-rely on notes. It is easy to get flustered and lose your place in notes, so keep them sparse and well-organized. Index cards placed outside the viewing area may be especially helpful, with key information and points printed largely and visible to you, but out of sight from the interviewers.
Keep Eye Contact—And Look Into the Camera, Not at Your “Mirrored Image”
Another common mistake is the awkward “stare” that people make when they forget to look into the camera, and instead watch their own reflected image while using the app. You will look less engaged, and even odd, at least compared to applicants that remembered to look “correctly” at the camera.
Watch Your Speaking Pace
Avoid speaking too quickly, a common giveaway of nervousness. Practice and rehearse answers to likely questions, and time how quickly you are speaking.
An Interview is a Conversation
Ultimately, an interview is just another conversation. A back-and-forth discussion makes for a much better interview, so be sure to have researched the job thoroughly and come prepared with questions. Look engaged when the interviewer is speaking by maintaining eye contact (see above about looking into the webcam!) and nodding your head occasionally. Don’t miss an opportunity to add something of value to what the interviewer says.
Get Internet You Can Rely On
One last tip: Make sure you have high-speed internet with fast download and upload speeds that you can rely on for a steady connection throughout your interview. (Adequate upload speeds ensure your video is clear for the interviewer on the other side of the virtual table.)
With the internet from FPUAnet Communications, you can video call without fear of a dropped connection or glitchy experience, so you can tackle your interview with confidence.
If you’re like most parents, you may feel frustrated when something as innocent and simple as turning on your smart TV can display gory images from ads for horror movies or suggestions for suggestive—or even outright raunchy—content on the home screen before you even navigate to your preferred apps and platforms.
While parental controls within streaming platforms don’t kick in until you open their apps, there is good news: Many smart TVs have parental control options and settings built right into their operating systems.
Below we discuss some of the settings parents can make on many of the most popular brands of smart TVs. Combining these parental controls on smart TVs with in-app settings enhances protection—and gives peace of mind to parents as they and their families enjoy FPUAnet Communications’ high-speed fiber internet and pristine streaming quality!
Smart TVs With Parental Control Settings
We begin with popular smart TVs that have parental control settings: LG and Samsung, as well as Google TV, which is preinstalled on many well-known smart TV brands such as Sony. Many other brands, including Fire TV, offer similar parental controls (and similar ways of establishing them), so we present these brands as models for exploring your options.
In general, you can search for safety, security and parental controls in the Settings Menu of any of the models below. Some brands include more features than others, so check each of them out carefully before buying a new model.
LG Smart TV’s
Most LG smart TVs made over the last several years have a few key features to help parents feel more comfortable about letting their children use their television. Specifically, parents can lock channels out entirely, block visual and sound content of certain channels, block programming with certain TV content ratings, and even block access to particular apps. LG also lets parents block inputs to other devices as well, giving an extra layer of protection against “workarounds” a clever child may attempt.
LG uses the most common way smart TVs enable parental controls: the establishment of a PIN and passwords. Parents simply need to set up a PIN to create and manage the protections—and make sure they don’t share that PIN or password with their child! Though it’s probably obvious, be sure to choose a PIN or password that your child isn’t already aware of or cannot easily guess.
Set up is easy: simply navigate to the Settings symbol on the Menu, then click on System Settings, then to Safety Settings, and establish the password or PIN. From there, you can block channels or apps or block out content based on content ratings.
Google TV (Preinstalled on many Sony, TCL, and Hisense Smart TV models)
Next on our list is the increasingly popular Google TV, an operating system that is preferred by many customers for its easy integration within the Google ecosystem of apps and smart home devices, like Google Nest. You can find Google TV on many brands of popular smart TVs, including Hisense, Sony, and TCL, and on some Chromecast models.
Google TV has an option many parents will immediately appreciate: the ability to establish Restricted Profiles. Through Google TV’s Restricted Profiles, you can set content restrictions and limit what younger members of your family can watch when on their profile.
The only “downside” to Google TV’s approach is that parents (or any older viewer) need to remember to set the TV back to “Restricted Profiles” whenever the parent’s “unrestricted” use is complete. That way, when your children turn on the TV, they will immediately be in the Restricted Profile, with all the protections and limitations you previously established for their profile.
Samsung TV
Lastly, we consider Samsung, another popular smart TV. Like the LG smart TV discussed above, Samsung also lets parents set up a PIN or password to block channels or limit content to particular ratings.
Just follow these simple steps: First, head to your Menu and go to Settings. From there select Broadcasting, and then choose Program Rating Lock Settings. Next, create your PIN. Finally, choose your settings and limitations.
Other Parental Protections to Consider
Beyond setting up parental controls, PINs, restricted profiles, and other limitations and protections within a smart TV, parents should also remember that there are other steps they can take as well. Most apps, like Netflix, have built-in parental settings, including user profiles. These profiles can be set to filter content that is less than kid-appropriate, while still allowing other users to stream what they want in their own PIN-protected profile.
Additionally, streaming sticks and boxes also have parental control settings and options, beyond just the individual apps. Recall that streaming sticks and boxes can turn any TV with an HDMI connection into a smart TV. Roku and Apple TV are two ever-popular streaming devices, and both have settings and restrictions parents can implement.
By employing these recommendations, parents can breathe a bit more easily as they stream on FPUAnet Communications’ advanced fiber network. For more tips on staying safe online, follow FPUAnet Communications’ social pages!
Though many parents may be skeptical about their teen’s passion for video gaming (and the seemingly extensive number of hours they play them), they might be surprised—and even impressed—by the economic opportunities brought about by gaming, especially in competitive esports. Perhaps the most eye-popping impressive statistic parents and their college-bound kids should be aware of is the tremendous amount of esports scholarships available for college: $16 million according to the most recent data!
Below, we provide several tips for gamers who want to take their hobby to the next level and help them pay for their college education through esports.
When combined with their skills and many hours of playing on FPUAnet Communications’ advanced fiber network—the fastest, most reliable internet a gamer can utilize—these tips may help students outperform the competition and get a well-merited scholarship for their future.
Tip 1: Join a Gaming Club and/or Compete for a Spot on a High School Esports Team
If possible, join a gaming club and/or compete for a spot on a high school esports team. Joining a gaming club or playing on a high school esports team puts you in direct contact with players you’re not used to playing against, which are probably your friends and other family members. Those players already know your abilities and weaknesses—and you know theirs.
Thus, to truly get ahead, you need to start playing against different people, and in a more competitive arena. Joining a gaming club can start you on the road to more competitive play, improved tactics and skills, and college-level esports.
Similarly, high school gaming teams provide an environment comparable to competitive esports at the collegiate and professional levels. They also teach additional gaming skills and techniques you might not be well versed in, introduce you to other games you haven’t yet mastered, and give you actual tournament experience—all the factors, in short, that collegiate teams are looking for and that improve your chances of achieving an esports scholarship.
Tip 2: Record Your Gaming Sessions
As you continue to hone your gaming skills and gain more experience playing competitively, we recommend you record your gameplay. It’s simple to do and there are many apps available to create recordings of your games, so check out their features and make a few practice recordings.
Recording your gaming sessions lets you see your progress—and learn from your own mistakes. It also allows you to “show off” your skills and achievements to others and gain feedback from them, too. Even more importantly, esports recruiters, especially coaches, will want to see examples of your esports play (see Tips 3 and 4, below).
Tip 3: Create an Esports “Highlight Reel”
Having tested your mettle in a gaming club or on a team, and recorded and reviewed your sessions to improve your gameplay, consider creating a highlight reel of your best gaming experiences. This is similar to what other high school athletes in other sports like football and basketball do. It takes some time to learn to edit and splice a highlight reel, but it’s a useful skill for self-marketing—and for other areas of life, too.
But don’t just think of a highlight reel as a braggadocious ego trip. An esports highlight reel can be used to pique the attention of esports recruiters and coaches, who are always scoping out rising talent and who need a quick pitch that stands out from the rest of the pack.
Tip 4: Reach Out to College Esports Coaches
Dedicated esports players should attempt to contact esports coaches as early as they can during their college search and application process—preferably even before the application and scholarship process begins, if possible. While esports coaches and recruiters follow Twitch and similar esports platforms to find and assess players, would-be esports scholarship winners should take the initiative and reach out directly to coaches.
Putting yourself on an esports coach’s radar early—and continuing to share progress, achievements and wins with them through your highlight reels—can have an enormous impact on scholarship success. Be confident and assertive in your communications with coaches, but don’t overdo it, either. Striking the right balance between self-confidence and humility is also key, so be mindful of your approach.
Tip 5: Think Beyond the Game
Finally, remember that most colleges aren't just looking to train professional gamers. Indeed, many colleges award esports scholarships to gamers with tangential interests like video production, coding and programming, graphics design, and marketing.
Resourceful applicants should highlight these gaming-related interests and any experience they may have in them in their college and scholarship applications and essays. These additional interests and experiences help candidates stand out—and may just be the decisive factor.
By joining up with other gamers you don’t usually play against, competing on high school teams, improving your gameplay, and showing off your talents online and to coaches, you’re well on your way to winning an esports scholarship. Above all, stay positive, keep challenging yourself, and keep playing!
With FPUAnet Communications’ fast fiber network, you’ve got the speeds and the bandwidth to handle just about any game. And with any luck—and some hard work—all that distortion-free gameplay may pay off in the form of a generous esports scholarship, too!
Follow FPUAnet Communications’ social pages to keep up with esports and to learn more about online gaming. Feel free to reach out to our friendly experts if you’re interested in an upgrade to make your gaming experience even better!
Every once in a while, we at FPUAnet Communications get a complaint about call disruption—a formal term for a frustrating concept usually referred to as a “dropped call.” And we share in your frustration.
There can be a few reasons why a call may terminate unexpectedly, from standard technical or weather-related hiccups to more complex matters related to different calling networks. Of course, we cannot control or explain the weather!
But, we can help explain how different calling networks can sometimes create issues for customers, which we’ll do in this article. We’ll also suggest when you should take the time to reach out to customer service for assistance.
Understanding Voice Over Internet Protocol and Call Termination
To understand why some calls, get suddenly dropped or why some calls “don’t go through” in the first place, we need to explain how FPUAnet Communications’ Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls work.
Firstly, VoIP transmits its signal—your voice and the voice of the other caller—through the internet. After moving at ridiculously fast speeds, the signal (and your voice) then connects to its end point—i.e., a cellular phone—through a process known as “call termination.”
Call termination is the crucial step that lets FPUAnet Communications keep you connected to family and friends over the phone as well as through email and social media. At its most basic, call termination simply refers to the process of routing calls from one phone company to another.
Dropped Calls Due to Call Termination Issues
Now, as the old saying goes, “It takes two to tango.” With call termination, there are almost always at least two parties (meaning, two companies) involved. And just as with tango dancing, sometimes things can get a bit tangled up—and in this case, that can lead to the dreaded dropped call.
Remember that with VoIP, lots of data is transformed instantaneously and then rapidly moved over the internet before hitting your phone in the form of your voice and the other caller’s voice. It’s a technological wonder, but one that sometimes hits snags over the networks. Hence, occasionally, customers will experience dropped calls due to call termination errors.
When to Call Customer Service
It’s tempting to call FPUAnet Communications’ customer service when you’ve experienced a dropped call seemingly out of the blue—especially when the weather seemed perfect on both ends of the call! But keep in mind that because there are often two calling networks involved in the call, FPUAnet Communications’ customer service can only assist or investigate when you are the initiating caller—or when both callers are FPUAnet Communications customers. That’s because any technical problem due to call termination errors is nearly always an issue with the calling network of the person who initiated the call in the first place.
When deciding whether to call FPUAnet Communications’ customer service number, follow this rule of thumb: if you originated the call and the call was dropped, feel free to reach out to us at any time; however, if you received the call from another person—and that person is not also a FPUAnet Communications customer—there is, unfortunately, nothing we can do to assist with that call.
Please know that we are not trying to discourage you from reaching out to us! But we don’t want to waste your valuable time if the dropped call was initiated on another company’s network.
Just remember: we can investigate and assist with outbound call termination issues—the calls made by youon our network—just not inbound calls made to you by other callers from other companies’ networks.
As always, please be sure you’re following FPUAnet Communications’ social pages to learn more about how our high-speed fiber internet can help keep you in touch with your loved ones!
Beginning in April 2024, you’ll probably start to see a new and rather official-looking label on some marketing materials, advertising, and websites for broadband internet services.
Given the importance—and even necessity—of high-speed broadband internet to our economy and everyday lives, the government is now requiring a new consumer-friendly broadband service facts and information label to appear on certain internet service marketing materials.
Keep reading for answers to common questions and more information about these “broadband facts nutrition labels” that you will soon begin to see, including on FPUAnet Communications’ website, social media, and other materials that highlight our high-speed fiber internet services!
What exactly is the new broadband facts “nutrition” label?
Quite simply, the new broadband facts nutrition label is an easy-to-read statement of basic information about available internet service that’s been recently mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) when broadband (high-speed) internet service providers advertise the sale of their services.
What is the purpose of the broadband facts labels?
Like other labels, the government requires for many kinds of goods and services (including food ingredients, nutritional facts, and over-the-counter medication), the new broadband facts label provides essential information that consumers want to know before choosing a company to provide internet service.
Most importantly, the labels are designed to make it easier for you to compare competing internet service offerings—just like consumers do when choosing what type of breakfast cereal to purchase at the grocery store!
What information will be displayed on the new labels?
The labels contain the most pertinent information about internet service that customers need to make informed choices about their broadband options. Just by glancing at the new labels, you’ll more easily see distinctions between various services and plans, such as the price of monthly services, fees, and internet speeds offered by companies.
Specifically, the Broadband Facts label includes the following detailed information:
The company name of the broadband internet service provider;
Price per month;
Whether the price is an introductory rate, and if so, the duration of that rate and what the new rate will be when the introductory rate expires;
Whether the monthly price requires a contract, and if any, what the terms and duration of the contract are;
Additional monthly fees and costs, and if any, an itemized list of each cost (e.g., required equipment rentals);
Any one-time fees at the initiation of service, if any (e.g., installation fees, administrative fees, etc);
Any early cancellation fees, if any;
Taxes, if any (which will depend on local and state laws);
Any discounts, including bundled service discounts (i.e., whether combining contracts for other company services like landline telephone service lowers the monthly costs of broadband service);
Whether the company participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program, a government program that helps reduce internet service costs to qualified consumers;
Typical download and upload speeds, and latency;
Data information, including whether there’s any data cap and what price for any additional data exceeding that cap may be (if any); and
Links to network management (e.g., content blocking) and company privacy policies, and customer support contact information.
What broadband-specific terms on the labels do I need to understand?
Most of the terms on the label can be easily understood, but some of the more techy-sounding terms might need a bit of an explanation. These include:
Typical Download Speed: represents the generally-expected speed that internet data and information are downloaded from the internet into your home or office’s internet connection (the speeds for browsing the internet, streaming music/movies, etc.);
Typical Upload Speed: represents the generally-expected speed that internet data and information are uploaded from your home or office’s internet connection and sent back through the internet to others (the speeds for conducting a live stream, uploading photos/videos, etc.); and
Typical Latency: represents the generally expected amount of time it takes for internet data and information to transfer from one designated point to another (especially important for online gaming).
How will the information be presented—and why does that matter to me?
The information must be set forth in a standardized, uniform manner. That means that just about all labels will be structured nearly identically to make it easier for consumers to directly compare and contrast services and pricing from different companies.
The labels are particularly valuable to customers who have recently moved into a new area (and with internet service providers they may never have heard of before). And for consumers considering an upgrade to better internet, the labels help make the benefits of improved, faster broadband—like fiber internet—even more obvious.
At FPUAnet Communications we’re proud to offer the fastest, most reliable internet consumers can get—and at a fair and reasonable price. We’re confident that the forthcoming “broadband facts nutrition labels” will help make that even clearer to customers.
As always, should you have any questions about the labels, our products, and services, or wish to upgrade your internet, feel free to reach out to the friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives at FPUAnet Communications. And keep up with our social pages for more updates on our advanced fiber network!
Fiber internet is the fastest and most reliable internet technology available
Fort Pierce, Florida – November 16, 2023 – FPUAnet Communications, a division of the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA), is pleased to announce the launch of fiber internet service in the Lincoln Park area of Fort Pierce.
Fiber internet is the fastest and most reliable internet technology available, and it will provide Lincoln Park residents and businesses with the speeds and bandwidth they need to thrive in the digital age.
“We are excited to bring fiber internet to Lincoln Park,” said Jason Mittler, FPUAnet manager.
“Fiber internet will provide Lincoln Park residents and businesses with the speeds and bandwidth they need to work, learn, and engage online. It will also help to attract new businesses and residents to the area, and support economic development.”
FPUAnet is offering a variety of fiber internet plans to Lincoln Park residents, with speeds up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps).
Fiber internet is symmetrical, which means that upload and download speeds are the same, making it ideal for activities such as video conferencing, streaming high-definition video, and school work.
FPUAnet would like to thank the following partners for their support in making this launch possible:
Allegany Franciscan Ministries
The City of Fort Pierce
St. Lucie County
“We are grateful for the support of our partners on helping to bridge the digital divide; bringing fiber internet to Lincoln Park,” said Mittler.
“This launch is a testament to our commitment to providing the Lincoln Park community with the best possible internet service.”
The service will be available to Lincoln Park residential customers for as low as $1 per month if they also qualify for the federally funded Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
This rate is made possible through a combination of discounts provided by the ACP, Alleghany Franciscan Ministries, St. Lucie County, and the City of Fort Pierce.
“We want to make fiber internet accessible to everyone in Lincoln Park,” said Mittler. “Our partnerships along with the ACP offer is a great way for residents to experience the benefits of fiber internet at an affordable price.”
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About FPUAnet Communications: FPUAnet Communications is a division of the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) that provides high-speed fiber optic internet service to residents, businesses and institutions in Fort Pierce and surrounding areas. FPUAnet is committed to providing its customers with the fastest, most reliable, and most affordable internet service possible. Additional information is available at https://fpuanet.com/.
About FPUA: Fort Pierce Utilities Authority is a municipal, not-for-profit utility provider. FPUA’s mission is to provide our customers with economical, reliable, and friendly service in a continuous effort to enhance the quality of life in our community. Fort Pierce is one of more than 2,000 communities in the United States served by a community-owned electric utility, and one of very few who also provide water, wastewater, natural gas, and Internet services. Public utility systems are owned by the people they serve. All benefits from our locally controlled utility remain right here in the community. Additional information is available at www.fpua.com.
If you have a gamer in your life, whether it’s your own kid or a family friend’s child, you likely know how much video gaming is integrated into their lives. But even beyond the meteoric success and outright appeal of video gaming to young people (and even many not-so-young people), gaming now provides tangible benefits to serious players: competitive esports and esports college scholarships.
Parents of college-bound gamers might want to pay attention below, as we discuss college-level esports and the burgeoning ecosystem of esports scholarships. And don’t forget that the high-speed fiber internet delivered to smart TVs and gaming devices by FPUAnet Communications may just give the budding esports scholar in your life the edge he or she needs to own the competition!
Varsity Esports Are Exploding Across Colleges and Universities
Following the 2010s and the exponential growth of video gaming and esports, it’s obvious now that collegiate esports are truly taking off as a legitimate competitive endeavor. This explosive growth is mostly due to advancing internet technology like FPUAnet Communications’ fiber network and apps that make gaming more social and more competitive, as well as increased talent among players. Indeed today, there are approximately 500 American colleges and universities offering esports scholarships.
Every year, more and more colleges and universities across the United States add varsity esports programs to their rosters. And yes, we did say “varsity”—as in intercollegiate competition, not just a club or diversionary dorm room duel. Robert Morris University was the very first college to create a varsity esports team back in 2014—and the trend has only ballooned since then.
At the varsity and college level, schools typically create individual teams of players around particular games. This gives gamers the opportunity to advance and even excel at strategies and tactics suited to the complexities and skill needs of that title, enhancing the competitiveness of each game and of esports more generally.
Beyond enormously popular and well-known titles like Fortnite (played by untold millions of people around the world both casually and competitively), several other titles are most commonly played at varsity level esports in colleges and universities in North America. In particular, Call of Duty, League of Legends, Rocket League, Smash Bros, and Valorant are among the most frequently duked-out games in collegiate esports.
Other games are also increasingly popular, however. Overwatch is noted for its hero customization and intense fighting, requiring stout players and almost preternatural reaction skills to succeed. Additionally, Rainbow Six: Siege and its almost alchemical blend of gaming genres like strategy and tactical shooting has attracted legions of players to the game based around Tom Clancy’s novels. Both games are fielding more varsity teams and are increasingly seen at college-level esports tournaments.
Collegiate Esports Give Rise to Generous Scholarship Opportunities
Because there are actual competitions and bragging rights to be bandied about, colleges are also competing for the best talent in esports. Thus, more schools are also providing scholarships for their best esports players. That means real dollars are increasingly available that the top gamers can put toward the costs of their higher education. Indeed, in 2017, Harrisburg University became the first college to offer full-rides to its leading esports competitors, including room and board!
Already, an estimated $16 million in college scholarships exist just for esports players—not a small sum for a sport that barely existed only a decade ago. And as collegiate esports continue to rise, we can expect more schools to establish varsity programs, as well as expand their existing esports teams, too.
All this burgeoning esports growth at the college level means that more scholarships—and even larger dollar amounts—are likely to be dedicated to esports gamers. Hence, for the truly talented and committed gamer, esports should be taken seriously, and gamers should consider taking steps to make themselves more competitive for esports scholarship opportunities.
The Esports Gender Divide
Despite the stunning growth in collegiate varsity esports, we hasten to note an important issue inside the gaming and esports community—the gender divide. Though females make up almost 50% of all video gamers (49% to be precise, according to one 2023 analysis), statistics show that men receive 90% of esports scholarships.
With patently lopsided statistics like that, the divide has not gone unnoticed. Arguments abound for this staggering disparity, but at least one likely reason for the imbalance is that most of the games more typically played by female gamers are less likely to be the games that comprise competitive varsity esports in colleges.
With that in mind, however, savvy female gamers with a keen interest in esports games that are played at the varsity collegiate level may want to be particularly on the lookout for scholarship opportunities that have too frequently landed in the hands of their male counterparts. Their unique backgrounds and talents may help give young women an edge over their compatriots in the coming years—and also help broaden and improve the sport as well.
To stay on top of the ever-changing and always-exciting esports scene, follow FPUAnet Communications’ social pages. We’re confident that our high-speed fiber internet can improve any gamer’s experience and perhaps even help prepare them for competitive esports and the worlds of opportunity they open!
With the heat of summer waning and autumn’s crisper air approaching, it’s time for another much-awaited season of the year: football season! And with significant changes and moves among college football team conferences, and major newly-signed players joining the ranks of the NFL, the 2023 football season looks to be one of the most impressive in recent memory.
But in addition to the moving and shaking occurring in the sport itself, many football fans are perplexed—or even frustrated—by some other changes in the way they enjoy their game: the recent shake-ups in broadcasting of live football games. Indeed, many fans are worried that they won’t be able to follow their favorite teams or catch the best games of the week.
Fortunately, with the advanced fiber network of FPUAnet Communications, you can find and stream college and NFL football games live—and with a sharp and pristine picture, too! Below we discuss where you can stream both college and NFL football this season. We’ll walk you through all you need to know so you can keep up with your favorite teams and enjoy all the action!
Streaming College Football
College football fans face no shortage of outstanding face-offs this season. While the traditional networks—ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC—air many marquee matchups, you’re going to need additional providers to get the most out of this year’s college football gameplay. At first glance, finding channels for college football can seem downright byzantine!
Some networks have special deals with individual conferences and schools for many of the year’s prime showdowns, including Fox (Big Ten), CBS (SEC), and NBC (perennial broadcasting home to Notre Dame football). However, it’s ESPN and its affiliated channels that provide the most coverage of college football.
That means it’s critical to have access to ESPN2 and ESPNU as well as to ESPN (and the networks). For even more college games, you’ll also want to check out CBS Sports Network and FOX Sports 1 (FS1), as well. Beyond these options, don’t forget about channels devoted to specific college football conferences, including the Big Ten and SEC, which also have their own networks, as do the ACC and PAC-12.
But you don’t need a cable cord to enjoy it all, thanks to high-speed fiber internet from FPUAnet Communications! For cord-cutters and streamers wishing to capture as many of these channels as possible, selecting a live-streaming TV app is your best first step.
For starters, Hulu + Live TV is an outstanding option for a few reasons, including its deal with Disney and ESPN. You'll get streaming access to all the college football games available on ESPN's channels plus most live network channels too.
Many fans also rave about fuboTV, a streaming service originally tailor-made for sports that brings you a ton of college football every week. And Sling TV's Orange + Blue package includes a suite of channels for many games, as well. You'll want to make sure that the teams and conferences you care most about are covered by the streaming apps and channels in any of these three options, but for most fans, any of them will suit.
NFL Football Streaming Options
For pro football fans, there are also a wide range of ways to watch your preferred team—while also keeping an eye on rivals, too! Like with college football, networks like CBS and Fox cover AFC and NFC games on Sundays. However, viewers are subject to local market games (and potential blackouts, as well), severely curtailing their options.
Fortunately, streaming technology and high-speed internet like FPUAnet Communications’ fiber network have opened a whole new way to follow the entire season without the drag of cable subscriptions! Indeed, NFL fans have several options (and price points) that may suit their professional football preferences perfectly.
Let’s begin with the big kahuna in live football streaming today: NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. Though expensive, NFL diehards will find it indispensable, as you can watch just about any NFL game you want. And yes—that means you can follow your favorite team (and its arch-nemesis to boot) whether you are in that team’s broadcasting market or not! Or if your team is just not cutting it on any given Sunday, you can use NFL Sunday Ticket to easily flip to another game in progress. It’s a phenomenal way to keep track of the NFL this year.
Of course, not everyone needs the breadth of NFL football coverage that YouTube TV’s NFL Sunday Ticket provides. Even with Sunday Ticket, to enjoy every NFL game this year, you’ll still need access to other streaming football apps and channels, including Prime Video’s streaming-exclusive Thursday Night Football. And don’t forget that the NFL action on Sunday doesn’t end with the afternoon games. You can catch Sunday Night Football on NBC’s streaming app, Peacock, too, making your day of rest (and football!) complete.
Like with college football, you’ll want to have a live-streaming TV app for even basic viewing. The previously lauded YouTube TV is one option, as are Fubo and Sling TV's Orange + Blue package. And again, Hulu + Live TV and its ESPN connections are another superior choice, particularly with its easy access to Monday Night Football.
We hope our guide to streaming college and professional football will help you better navigate the sometimes-tangled web of options available today. For more tips on making the most of FPUAnet Communications’ high-speed fiber network, follow our social pages!
In early September 2023, millions of Spectrum customers turned on their TVs and discovered that some channels, including ABC and ESPN, were suddenly missing from their television lineup.
The reason for the blackout? A contract dispute between two giants in the entertainment and communications industries: Disney and Spectrum.
Though the quarreling has abated, and the blackout is now over, millions of viewers remain uneasy about the dispute and its impact on their lives—especially football fans, some of whom lost ESPN access right in the middle of watching a game! And many are wondering what, if anything, they can do to give themselves more agency to prevent such a dispute from disrupting their lives.
Below we briefly explain the dispute between Disney and Spectrum. We also discuss how switching to streaming television by utilizing FPUAnet Communications’ high-speed fiber network can help viewers avoid losing their favorite shows in the next corporate clash.
The Combatants: Spectrum vs. Disney
Let’s begin with the players in the dispute. Spectrum, owned by Charter Communications, is one of the biggest cable television providers in America.
Disney, which controls far more than just Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, and a host of other beloved Disney characters, is a media powerhouse. The brand owns ABC and ESPN, as well as FX and many other television channels. That means Disney is ultimately responsible for some of the biggest, most profitable brands and titles in all of entertainment and sports, including Monday Night Football.
And when the two couldn’t come to an agreement on their contract, it looked like no one would win—especially television viewers.
What Caused the Disney-Spectrum Dispute?
Contract negotiations are usually dull affairs, even when the stakes are high. But the Disney-Spectrum dispute was different, and not just because millions of people lost their content. At the heart of the dispute is what every cable provider must pay annually to provide their customers with channels: carriage fees.
Carriage fees are paid by cable companies to the content producers—in this case, Disney, and its ABC, ESPN, FX, National Geographic and other affiliates. Disney was demanding a higher carriage fee than Spectrum was willing to pay.
When neither company was willing to bend, Spectrum lost the ability to bring those channels to its customers, leading to a blackout for customers across 41 states.
The outrage was immediate, as viewers and fans realized they were blocked out of content they’d been waiting for all year, especially major sports events and tournaments. “College football season is just starting—where are the games?” “What happened to the U.S. Open?” “What about Monday Night Football?”
And the anger wasn’t just limited to living rooms at home. Sports bars and other restaurants contended with furious customers, who had planned to watch marquee matchups live and amongst a lively crowd, just as they always had, before realizing they couldn’t, thanks to the corporate squabbling.
In the end, after more than 10 days, the two sides had a “meeting of the minds,” and settled their dispute. ABC, ESPN, FX, National Geographic, and the other Disney-owned channels returned to Spectrum cable channel lineups. But cable viewers have not forgotten. And cable may not be quite the same again.
The Rise of Streaming
The ten-day blackout may be over, but the core issue extends beyond just these two companies and their dispute. With the rise of streaming TV platforms and services, which give more power to consumers to choose the kinds of content they actually want to pay for and view, cable companies and their longstanding tradition of “channel bundling” are facing a reckoning.
Cable’s channel bundling and its inherent inefficiencies are symptomatic of a broader problem in the cable television industry. These days, cable packages are just too bloated—and too expensive—for most customers. And those customers now have the option to stream TV, which gives them much more control over their content choices and their home entertainment budget at the same time.
One popular misunderstanding is that cutting the cord means you’ll only have access to on-demand content (like Netflix). But streaming actually allows you to subscribe to services that give you just about any television content you want—including live TV.
That means you can enjoy live sports action, breaking news and analysis, network comedies, prestige dramas, documentaries, lifestyle-themed shows, and almost everything else you liked with cable. And you’re far less dependent on the whims and market maneuverings of a massive company and its team of legal eagles to make decisions that cut you off from your favorite programming.
If nothing else, the Disney-Spectrum debacle should remind consumers of two radically different but interconnected realities: their utter powerlessness in carriage fee disputes as a cable customer, and their power to bypass those shenanigans through the freedom of streaming TV.
And with the reliability and pristine picture quality fiber internet from FPUAnet Communications delivers, consumers can feel in control of their home entertainment once they cut the cable cord and switch to streaming.
Keep following FPUAnet Communications’ social pages to stay on top of more streaming entertainment news!
Small businesses and their leaders have way too much going on to spend time tracking down invoices or waiting for the bank to process payments. Fortunately, advanced internet-based payment systems have substantially cut down paperwork processing, as well as the time it takes to receive funds.
Below we highlight six of the best online e-commerce and in-person payment options available for small businesses today. When connected to FPUAnet Communications’ fiber network, your small business can use the technology it needs to grow and thrive—and you can get back to doing the actual work of your business instead of worrying about receiving payment for your efforts!
1. Square
We start our list with Square, an overwhelmingly popular payment service that continues to attract new vendors and customers alike.
Square is an excellent fit for businesses that are mobile or whose clients often pay on-the-go rather than in a brick-and-mortar business establishment. At the same time, Square’s in-person point-of-sale options are still well-respected and its software and app are noted for their ease of use.
2. Stripe
Stripe is a sophisticated online payment processing app with versatile features many savvy small business owners love. Highly customizable with numerous options to aid in bookkeeping, databasing, and generating revenue reports, Stripe excels well beyond basic payment processing.
Its software fully integrates payments and invoicing as well as other essential business needs, including tracking accounts receivable and processing refunds. Given these extra features, however, there is a steeper learning curve for Stripe than with other simpler payment processing options on our list.
3. PayPal
Perhaps the most well-known payment service on our list, PayPal has been a part of e-commerce culture since 1998 and is particularly useful for vendors that prefer sending and receiving online invoices.
Its near-universal name recognition also means customers know and trust it. However, compared to other options on our list, PayPal is relatively sparse in terms of features and versatility and does not offer businesses as much in the way of in-person transactions as other services.
4. Shopify
Like PayPal, Shopify is another familiar name in online shopping. Shopify’s ecommerce ecosystem encompasses vendors both large and small, offering a significant advantage to many online retailers.
That advantage comes with a cost, however, as Shopify charges a monthly fee in addition to per-transaction fees, which can be a drawback to many small businesses. Still, its seamless and simple interface and many features have drawn many happy small businesses to Shopify.
5. Clover
Next up is Clover, an exceptional in-person payment processing program with many online features as well. Industry experts are impressed by Clover’s vast library of fully integrated third-party apps that do much more than just accept payments.
With Clover, small businesses can get accounting, tax, databasing, marketing, and other critical business features all in one place, making it a solid value. Clover’s pricing is notable for its flat rates, but be sure to check out the differences between plans, which can vary based on sales volume and other factors.
6. Lightspeed
Our last recommended option is Lightspeed, one of the leading cloud-based in-person and retail-oriented point-of-sale payment services in the industry. Popular both for its simplicity and competitive pricing, it also offers a range of features from simple retail purchasing to online shopping and e-commerce.
For businesses with an extensive inventory to track, Lightspeed’s acclaimed inventory management systems are a huge timesaver, even helping you reorder when stock gets low.
Fiber’s Speed and Power allow you to Process Payments and Run Your Business Simultaneously!
Now that you’ve checked out the above six payment options, small businesses should remember that to be truly productive and efficient, they also need the fastest, most reliable internet they can get. After all, the systems above, along with all their many benefits, are only as effective as the quality and speed of the internet that delivers them. Fiber internet is quite simply the best internet a small business can get today.
Contact FPUAnet Communications today to get the speed you need to power your business. And for more helpful hints to keep your small business productive and efficient, follow our social pages!
At FPUAnet Communications, we’re proud to be known around FPUAnet Communications as the best internet provider for residents and businesses. But did you know that we also support a third group with our high-speed fiber internet network? Today, we’re taking a moment to celebrate local community anchor institutions.
Read on to learn more about this important group—and how, as a local company ourselves, FPUAnet Communications is committed to keeping them connected.
What Are Community Anchor Institutions?
Anchor institutions are mission-based, publicly-oriented organizations that provide services essential to our area’s economy, health, safety, culture, and general well-being.
Anchor institutions include hospitals and other medical facilities, emergency services like fire and police, universities and other institutions of higher education, and public services like libraries.
These institutions all play a critical role in our society, and they all depend on reliable access to the internet to function effectively in the 21st century economy.
Hospitals and Medical Clinics
Universally appreciated by everyone fortunate enough to have one close by, a hospital is an anchor institution that many of us depend on in the starkest moments of our lives. Whether they’re treating chronic illnesses or responding to life-threatening injuries, hospitals and other medical clinics provide critical services every day.
And in a true health emergency, every second counts. Rapid access to medical records, keen and swift analysis of radiological and similar medical imagery, and urgent consultations among experts—these are often matters of life and death. Thus, perhaps more than anywhere else, having internet as reliable and fast as fiber in our community hospitals and health clinics is most critical.
Beyond the immediate health needs of patients and the broader community, hospitals and medical clinics regularly communicate with both patients and other health professionals. Maintaining a solid internet connection to transmit medical files and even hold telehealth follow-up visits is crucial to the missions of hospitals and medical centers.
Fiber’s bandwidth capacity is substantially larger than other types of internet and can make indispensable communication and data transfers quick and seamless, helping health providers fulfill their calling—and keep our communities healthier and safer at the same time.
Fire, Police, and Other Emergency Services
Local first responders–the good people of our fire stations, paramedics, and police departments–are our community’s heroes, often putting their own lives at risk to help others. And they are regularly on call at every minute of every hour of the day.
Without the brave and resourceful men and women in fire, police and other emergency services, our community would be far less safe. Thus, it goes without saying that our first responders are anchor institutions in our area, and everyone is grateful for their service.
Reliable communications and connectivity is an absolute necessity for these essential services. Fiber internet keeps emergency service providers informed about hazards, real-time traffic information, hazardous weather and natural disasters, and other problems our community faces. And fiber keeps fire, police, and paramedics connected to everyone in our community–including to hospitals and emergency rooms–providing an instant connection when and where help is needed most.
Universities and Community Colleges
The quintessential anchor institution in the United States is the college or university. Centers of learning that attract talent and skills in many fields, a college’s mission—regardless of whether it’s a large university or a smaller, regionally-focused community college—is to educate young adults (and others) and provide them with skills and knowledge for success.
But colleges and universities do far more than just teach students. They also serve as learning, cultural, artistic, and athletic centers for our entire community, greatly enriching our lives with special events, art exhibits, dramatic performances, musical concerts, and sports.
And given the beehive of online activity generated at colleges—especially online research, lectures, conferences, emailing, video editing and production among many other examples—a steady and fast internet connection is a veritable requirement for 21st century higher education.
The broader community, which often has access to a university’s prominent speakers, exhibitions, and even certain library materials also benefits from fiber’s high speeds and greater bandwidth, multiplying the benefits to our region even more.
Libraries and Museums
Often overlooked, but nonetheless invaluable, public libraries and museums of all kinds provide educational, artistic, and cultural opportunities offered almost nowhere else. They bring together resourceful, knowledgeable experts and support staff that create experiences that both inform and inspire.
Groups as diverse as toddlers, school children, book clubs, tourists, and seniors are enriched by the facilities and programs libraries and museums provide. Without fiber internet, however, neither of these anchor institutions can fulfill their unique niche in our community, including facilitating beloved programs like story hour, reading clinics, film nights, visiting exhibitions, club meetings, and guest experts.
And the community can often access many of these features—including e-books and other electronic materials—from home through remote and online access. Thus, fiber keeps each of us better connected to our area’s libraries, museums, and related curated institutions and their bevy of information and collections that set them apart.
Fiber Internet Keeps Our Anchor Institutions Well-Connected to Our Community—and to You
As much as our community depends on anchor institutions to improve our daily lives and make our region a better place to live, anchor institutions in turn rely on dependable and fast internet to get their jobs done. And they also look to the local team of experts and technicians that keep FPUAnet Communications’ fiber network running strong and efficiently—and with the local knowledge and care to respond fast and effectively to any technical issue that may arise.
Indeed, the team at FPUAnet Communications are more than just internet service professionals. We’re also your neighbors. Like you, we live and work in our community, which means we rely on and appreciate the work of our community’s anchor institutions.
As a local company ourselves, we’re highly committed to responding swiftly to emergencies like outages, which in turn lets the good people at our local anchor institutions do their jobs serving our community and keeping it healthy as well.
When you choose FPUAnet Communications for your residential or business internet, you support our business—enabling us to turn around and support our community. Thank you for shopping locally for your internet. We’re proud to keep FPUAnet Communications connected!
More Americans are working remotely from home than ever before. From the convenience of the at-home office to the lack of a commute (and mind-numbing traffic), to the savings on gasoline, to the ability to more easily look after children (and pets), the benefits of remote work keep adding up!
Vastly improved and faster internet technology—especially fiber internet, like FPUAnet Communications’ advanced fiber network—have made working from home more reliable and efficient. Fiber’s high upload speeds and generous bandwidth make video conference calling far clearer than other forms of internet.
But many people may not know where to start looking for remote jobs they can perform from home with a fast, reliable internet connection. And some may be asking where a would-be remote worker can even start to look for such jobs.
In this post, we walk you through several of our top recommended websites to help you find a remote job. Many of these sites also include tips on freshening up your resume, interviewing, and even making the most out of remote work. So follow along below as we list our favorite websites for finding remote work!
1. We Work Remotely
Billing itself as the “largest remote work community in the world,” We Work Remotely is a leading website for finding remote jobs. With 4.5 million monthly visits, it’s often the first stop many would-be remote workers take on their job hunt. We also like We Work Remotely for its solid job categorizations and many useful resources and tools.
2. Upwork
Focused on the “gig economy”—short-term work and freelancing jobs—Upwork can be a useful site for finding temporary work quickly without the larger hassles associated with interviewing. Keep in mind, though, that Upwork will take a percentage of any earnings from a gig contracted on its site.
3. Remote OK
One of the best-organized job boards on this list, Remote OK categorizes all manner of remote work jobs. From tech-savvy careers to writing gigs and just about everything in between, Remote OK’s numerous “tags” help you easily sort through the extensive and ever-increasing job postings in many different sectors.
4. Jobspresso
Another solid website for finding remote work opportunities is Jobspresso, particularly because its team researches job listings for legitimacy and accuracy. Jobspresso also lets you post your resume to the site, letting potential employers notice you, even as you can browse its many job listings.
5. Working Nomads
While somewhat more focused on a particular type of remote worker (digital nomads who travel around the world), Working Nomads is worth a look. Those with international experience or interests might find opportunities that don’t appear on similar remote job boards and newsletters with job postings, broadening out the search beyond our own borders.
6. FlexJobs
Our last recommended website, FlexJobs, is one of the biggest names in the jobs posting scene. But please keep in mind that, unlike the other five options recommended above, not every job listed on FlexJobs is remote! Additionally, Flexjobs is not free—it offers monthly and annual fees to use its resources. As you’d likely expect from a jobs website you need to pay to use, they include features that give would-be employees confidence, such as pre-screened listings, regular alerts for jobs that meet your criteria, and detailed search tools for finding the right fit for you.
The six sites above are outstanding places to start your search for the perfect remote work job—or even a remote career! You can also check out other more traditional job posting sites like Indeed and ZipRecruiter. But be sure to checkmark any settings options for Remote Work as you conduct your search on those traditional sites.
Check out FPUAnet Communications’ social pages for more tips on remote work and how our high-speed fiber network can make you more productive from home!
Perhaps the most common question we hear from customers at FPUAnet Communications is: “What internet speed do I really need?”
It’s actually an excellent question, and the answer can depend on a number of factors—from the number of people in the home and the number of devices regularly used at once to the types of online activities that matter most to you. (For example, gaming and videoconferencing will require more bandwidth than checking emails!)
While FPUAnet Communications’ advanced fiber network is the most reliable internet you can get—and that reliability is consistent no matter what speed tier you choose—we offer different plans and tiers based on the speeds your household needs. Some homes or businesses may need or want greater speeds than others, while others prefer to try to save a little money on a slower maximum speed given their actual usage.
Below, we describe each of our speed tiers, as well as some of the key factors and considerations any customer should take when choosing an internet speed tier. And we help explain the reason why some speeds will work well for certain households or businesses, while others may simply need more. Still, have questions? Call us or stop by! We’re local and happy to help.
[NOTE: YOU MAY WISH TO EDIT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION BELOW
100 MBPS
100 MBPS is generally considered the “entry-level” or most basic speed for high-speed internet service. While it is certainly a lower speed and does not take full advantage of fiber’s capabilities, for some households, 100 MBPS may be sufficient for most needs.
For example, 100 MBPS should enable customers to use three or four devices simultaneously for basic email, web browsing, and social media use—the kinds of everyday internet usage you’ve been accustomed to for years.
And 100 MBPS also lets you stream TV and movies and other videos and music on one or maybe two devices at a given time. But as streaming and other more data-intensive online activities like gaming do require much more information to be transmitted, 50 MBPS is likely to feel more sluggish, or even rather limiting, compared to faster speeds.
However, for a smaller home or business, or even for a household with just one or two users, residents may be able to get by with a 100 MBPS tier for most internet uses. Just keep
in mind that multiple users streaming at the same time will likely notice the need for a speed tier upgrade.
200 MBPS
200 Mbps internet speed is good for multiple people using multiple devices at once. It can stream TV and movies on three or four devices at the same time, and it allows for 4K streaming. This speed is a good option for most households.
Multiple people using multiple devices at once: With 200 Mbps internet speed, you can have multiple people using multiple devices at the same time without experiencing any lag or buffering. This is ideal for households with multiple children or for families who like to stream TV and movies together.
Streaming TV and movies on three or four devices at the same time: 200 Mbps internet speed is fast enough to stream TV and movies on three or four devices at the same time without sacrificing quality. This means you can all watch your favorite shows or movies together without having to worry about buffering or lag.
Allows for 4K streaming: 200 Mbps internet speed is also fast enough to stream 4K content. This means you can watch your favorite movies and TV shows in stunning high definition.
A good option for most households: 200 Mbps internet speed is a good option for most households. This is because it is fast enough to handle most of the things that people do online, such as streaming TV and movies, browsing the web, and playing games.
If you are looking for an internet speed that is fast enough to handle multiple users and devices, 200 Mbps is a good option to consider. It is fast enough to stream TV and movies, play games, and download large files without any lag or buffering.
500 MBPS
500 Mbps internet speed is excellent for multiple people using multiple devices at once. It can stream TV and movies on multiple devices at the same time, and it is ideal for gaming and other data-intensive activities. This speed is a good option for large households or businesses.
Multiple people using multiple devices at once: With 500 Mbps internet speed, you can have multiple people using multiple devices at the same time without experiencing any lag or buffering. This is ideal for households with multiple children or for businesses with a lot of employees working from home.
Streaming TV and movies on multiple devices at the same time: 500 Mbps internet speed is fast enough to stream TV and movies on multiple devices at the same time without sacrificing quality. This means you can all watch your favorite shows or movies together without having to worry about buffering or lag.
Ideal for gaming and other data-intensive activities: 500 Mbps internet speed is also ideal for gaming and other data-intensive activities. This means you can play online games without lag or interruption, and you can download large files quickly.
A good option for large households or businesses: 500 Mbps internet speed is a good option for large households or businesses. This is because it can handle the increased traffic that comes with having a lot of people or devices using the internet at the same time.
If you are looking for an internet speed that can handle multiple users and devices, 500 Mbps is a good option to consider. It is fast enough to stream TV and movies, play games, and download large files without any lag or buffering.
1 GIG (or 1000 MBPS)
The best possible internet speed.
Allows for simultaneous use of multiple devices and data-intensive activities.
Ideal for households with many users or businesses with high bandwidth needs.
For users looking for the best internet and streaming experience available—and to take full advantage of fiber’s advanced technology—the 1 GIG or 1,000 MBPS speed tier is the clearest choice. At this speed, fiber internet simply pours data into your home, powering your devices with the internet they need to perform at their best. With 1 GIG fiber internet, you and your family can easily use ten or even more devices at the same time to surf the web, check email, and play on social media.
Streaming TV, movies, and other video on multiple devices simultaneously is a cinch with 1 GIG, so you’ll never need to ration out streaming times in your home again. And the streaming quality of 1 GIG fiber internet is just exemplary, with 4K’s brilliant resolution making colors and textures pop on all of your screens. At this tier, you can also power a fully connected smart home (think Alexa, security cameras, and more) without noticing a slowdown on your device.
Online gaming, which can keep players engaged for hours (and build skills regularly used in “real life,” too!), is incomparably better with the 1 GIG speed tier for any gamer. 1 GIG’s greater bandwidth capacity allows more data to flow up and down seamlessly, preventing lag and other delays and choppiness that stymie gamers on slower speeds.
We hope this guide helps you assess your internet speed needs for your household or business. It may even help “diagnose” why you may notice some less-than-stellar internet performance—i.e., when too many people are using too many devices for intensive online activities simultaneously!
The friendly and knowledgeable support team specialists at FPUAnet Communications are available to answer any question you may have about which speed is best for you or any other question you may have about our fiber network. So feel free to reach out at your convenience!
And to learn more about FPUAnet Communications and why its fiber internet cannot be beat, be sure to check out our social pages!
FPUAnet Communications is now offering business-level fiber optic cable service, part of a nationwide rollout that’s bringing the fastest internet service with the broadest bandwidth ever before widely available.
But just what is fiber optic cable, and how is it made? And what makes it so much better than copper cable?
Also commonly called fiber cable, fiber optic cable is a cable line filled with very thin filaments made from silica glass or plastic. The data is then transmitted using light pulses rather than the electrical signals used to move information on copper lines.
Fiber cable moves data much faster than copper lines—easily 20 times faster or more—and can accommodate far more data at once, which means more devices can use bandwidth-hogging applications at once without throttling, buffering, or other slowdowns that could occur during high-traffic times, like your business hours.
A quick history of fiber optic telecommunications Alexander Graham Bell gets the credit for being one of the earliest experimenters with fiber optic technology, something he explored as he created the telephone in the 1880s. But it was almost a century later before commercial production began.
Credit for the big breakthrough goes to Corning engineers who found a way to make strands of glass that could move data contained within pulses of light that computers could then convert to usable forms for the human beings at each end. And critically, it could do all that without the light pulses leaking from the cable.
That was in the 1970s, at the dawn of the computer age. In fact, fiber optics grew up along with computers and the internet as telecommunications technology advanced at the revolutionary pace that we’re still seeing today.
The 3 Cs of fiber cable
Fiber optic cable is manufactured with three major components. From the inside out, that’s the core, the cladding, and the coating.
The core is the key to fiber optic’s ability to transmit data at very high speeds and very long distances without the loss of signal strength that can plague copper wire. It’s the center of the cable that contains the super-clear glass or plastic fiber comprising strands roughly the thickness of a human hair.
Then there’s the cladding. That’s another layer of glass that functions as a reflector to keep the light pulses inside the core as they hurtle to their destination at a pace that can approach the speed of light.
Finally, there’s the coating, a thin rubber layer that shields the fiber from scratches and other damage. (One thing the shield doesn’t have to do is contain electromagnetic signals. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) can be a major problem with copper cable, a problem that doesn’t exist when simply moving light.)
Creating the fiber itself
Optic fiber glass strands are created in a highly controlled environment and a multistep process that begins with a ceramic rod that attracts the silicon dioxide that then forms into a thick cylinder. Any moisture is removed in a high-temperature furnace and the resulting blanks are then placed vertically in an even hotter furnace for the process called the draw.
The draw is when the melting glass forms into strands used for both the core and cladding. After they cool, the strands are wrapped on spools and then later unspooled—either on-site or in a specialized finishing facility elsewhere—for the application of the rubber coating. They later can be joined together into multiple-strand cabling that can then be run through metal or rubber conduits and, when needed, separated back into individual strands at their final destination.
By building our network with this top-of-the-line tech, we can provide high-speed, high-capacity telecommunications that can easily handle your most demanding applications, including multiple VoIP phone lines, teleconferencing, large video uploads and downloads, and cloud-based, business-critical software—with speed, capacity, reliability, and security that copper lines simply can’t match.
To learn more about our fiber internet for your business, contact us at (772) 468-1697 or sales@fpuanet.com. We’re proud to keep Fort Pierce’s homes and businesses connected!
No matter the type of game you play, be it an epic role-playing title, a city builder, a tactical battle simulator, or a global strategy game, a faster, more reliable internet connection can make all the difference. When you don't have to worry about your connection dropping, you can focus on coming out on top against your competition. And the advantages of faster internet for gaming extend well beyond the technical aspects.
Better internet means connecting and communicating with fellow players (whether you're playing on a team or against them). And if you're a streamer, you can be confident you'll stay connected on platforms like Discord, Twitch, or YouTube.
Using the high-speed fiber internet delivered to you by FPUAnet Communications, gamers can be confident their internet will keep up with their game—and create a fantastic experience!
But how exactly does fiber internet improve gaming? And why does fiber's technological power give gamers the edge they need to best their opponents and fellow players? Can fiber actually make a difference in the results and maybe even “up your game?”
We'll answer these questions and explain why fiber surpasses other kinds of internet to make for a superior gaming experience.
What Fiber Internet Is—and Why It’s So Much Faster Than Cable
First, let’s briefly discuss fiber internet and compare it to traditional “cable internet.”
Fiber internet is delivered by fiber-optic cables consisting of skinny strings of glass that use light to transmit internet data. Indeed, fiber’s speed comes close to the speed of light, easily surpassing cable internet speeds.
Cable internet, a once-great technology (roughly two decades ago now), uses standard coaxial cables composed of copper wiring. Unfortunately, copper wires cannot handle the same amount of data or transmit it as quickly as fiber's cutting-edge materials.
Simply put, cable can't keep pace with fiber's data transmission through light or fiber's consistently higher speeds.
Faster Download and Upload Speeds
The most basic and arguably essential part of any internet technology is its download and upload speed capabilities.
Download speeds clock the time it takes to transmit data, files, and other information from an online server to your device. Conversely, upload speeds refer to how long your device takes to share data, files, and additional information to an online server. These speeds are simply fundamental to any use of the internet, and they're especially vital to gamers, whose every reaction and decision is made in just milliseconds—and often determine whether you win or lose!
Higher download and upload speeds make for a far smoother, less jittery, more stable, and more responsive gaming experience—in other words, the kind of internet quality that may give you an edge against fellow competitors. As a result, the faster your download and upload speeds are, the better you can game.
Faster speeds get you into games much quicker, especially after an update is released. With faster download speeds, you can be among the first into the updated game—and, if your play is savvy enough, among the first victors to achieve awards and recognition—and all the bragging rights you’ve justly earned!
Higher Bandwidth
While faster downloading and uploading speeds are important, they are almost useless if not combined with greater bandwidth capacity. In simplest terms, bandwidth is the maximum capacity any particular internet connection can have.
Copper-based wires in basic coaxial cords used for cable internet are limited. Cable’s older technology cannot handle too much internet data at any moment; thus, its bandwidth is lower than fiber’s. This leads to more frequent freezes and delays—often in the middle of a gaming session—and the crashes and drop-offs dreaded by gamers everywhere.
Fiber internet bandwidth is substantially higher than traditional cable. Even in larger households with several simultaneous internet users, fiber's bandwidth shines.
So, the higher the bandwidth, the more data can be sent to and from your device for superior gaming performance—with enough bandwidth remaining to stream your games with friends.
Low Packet Loss
One of the most frustrating technical snafus gamers experience relates to packet loss. A “packet” is a tiny collection of data transmitted over a network between an online server and your device. Packets are critical to any internet activity, from something as simple as sending an email to posting and viewing videos and gaming. But with some forms of internet, these small data units don't arrive at their destination, causing maddening slow-downs, freeze-ups, and even crashes.
Packet loss can also impact other aspects of gaming, including hearing your friends’ voices—or even your own—sound like a robot while you’re playing on Discord! Packet loss (and low bandwidth) weakens Discord’s connection causing this distracting and embarrassing (if sometimes hilarious) side effect. Because fiber transmits data at nearly the speed of light, it can handle large swaths of packets (and data) much more efficiently. As a result, packet loss is reduced and keeps you on your game while maintaining voice quality.
Low Jitter
Just as crucial as receiving all of your data and files through packets is ensuring that the data hits your devices in the correct order. Too often, with older forms of internet technology like cable, the data that your devices need to operate—and you need to game—arrives jumbled, a problem known in the industry as “jitter.”
Fiber's superior capacity to transmit data at a near-light speed reduces jitter, especially compared to cable. Low jitter means that your data arrives correctly and in the proper order, creating a clearer, cleaner, smoother, and more reliable internet connection—and a much better gaming experience that won’t hold you back.
Low Latency
Finally—and to many gamers, the most crucial distinction—fiber internet ensures low latency. Latency is the time between a “request” sent from your gaming device to the game’s online server and then returned from that server to your device. Usually measured by the millisecond, the lower the lag, the shorter—and the better—the response time. So, latency is your internet connection's response time for processing requests and delivering data back and forth.
Low latency means that your device and the game's server better capture your agility, quick decision-making, and choices that can make all the difference to gaming outcomes. In addition, fiber's inherently low latency means you can enjoy gaming online without nearly as much lag and stutter that too often plague online games.
Fiber’s advanced technology can significantly improve your gaming experience—and maybe even give you the competitive edge you’ve been looking for against your friends! It’s just one of the many ways that FPUAnet Communications keeps you connected and helps you stay ahead of the game.
And to learn more about how FPUAnet Communications’ high-speed fiber internet can make your online experience even better, follow our social pages!
