By far, one of the most significant shifts in the modern workplace has been the meteoric rise of remote work. Though it began as a perk for a fortunate few employees, remote work has now become a mainstream mode of working for millions worldwide. Indeed, the sheer numbers tell the story—according to a 2024 survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22.8% of all Americans work remotely, at least partly.
Though many workers have fully embraced the flexibility and autonomy that remote work offers, others struggle with the challenges posed by working away from an office. Before taking the plunge into the world of remote work, each person must ask themselves if it’s the right fit for them. FPUAnet Communications has prepared the following guide to help you weigh the pros and cons of remote work and consider how they align with your work style, personal preferences, and career goals.
The Advantages of Remote Work
We begin with the pros of remote work, which can seem like a dream for many professionals looking for fresh opportunities and the potential for a career change while also improving their lifestyle.
No More Commuting
Typically, the very first advantage most new remote workers experience is the sheer joy of leaving behind the grind of a daily commute. Time wasted driving simply vanishes, as do the stresses and dangers of traffic congestion.
Remote workers can put that precious time into being more productive on the job both earlier and later in the day—all without the negativity and stress that the daily slog to and from work can bring. For some remote workers, saying “sayonara” to the commute is reason enough to make the switch to working from home!
Greater Worktime Flexibility
Many remote employees can cater their workdays to suit their schedules far better than their office-based compatriots. Depending on their employer’s and supervisor’s needs, some remote workers are even granted the option to choose when they begin and end their work each day.
For those who are either night owls or early birds, this flexibility can ideally sync with when they are at their best to be the most productive and effective for their jobs. Some remote workers have expressed that the flexibility of working from the comforts of home doesn’t even feel like work!
Better Work-Life Balance
The increased sense of freedom provided by remote work opens the door to far greater work-life balance, especially for those with the responsibility of caring for young children. With the skyrocketing costs of childcare, remote work from home can be a game changer—or even an economic lifeline—to parents. The same is also true for breadwinners who care for older family members and senior citizens. Even pet parents benefit from remote work, as working from home means their furry companions don’t have to spend the bulk of the day alone.
Other remote workers delight in the change of scenery by working on a patio, at a coffee shop, or from the comforts of a favorite couch or recliner. Even running errands like grocery shopping or attending medical appointments is far easier for remote workers—all without sacrificing work quality or efficiency.
Saving Money
Beyond the conveniences and comforts of working from home, there are considerable economic benefits to remote work. Indeed, when all factors are considered, working from home can lead to significant financial savings throughout the year. With no need for commuting, employees save money on gas, public transportation, tolls, parking, pet care services, and eating out for lunch.
The monthly savings on gasoline alone can be substantial, especially for those with commutes that take more than 20 minutes. By reducing these expenses, remote work can make a noticeable difference to one’s overall financial situation.
The Cons of Remote Work
Like just about everything, however, there are some negative aspects of remote work that each person should consider and then balance against the net positives we’ve already highlighted. Now, we turn to remote work’s potential disadvantages and pitfalls.
No Enforced Routine and Office Structure
Temperament and work habits vary from person to person. Some people utterly thrive in a structured and well-peopled environment where they face the rigidity of oversight. Working remotely, however, requires a level of self-discipline that not everyone possesses.
The absence of a strict daily routine, such as set hours, meetings, or supervision, can leave remote workers feeling disorganized, unmotivated, and out of the loop. It’s all too easy to procrastinate or struggle with motivation when no one is physically present to hold workers accountable. For those who need external prompts or supervision to stay productive, remote work might be difficult.
The Need to Be a Consistent Self-Starter
Like the lack of structure and supervision we discussed above, another challenge of remote work—especially from the perspective of employers—is the reality that many employees are not consistent “self-starters.” Many would-be remote workers themselves quickly come to realize that the lack of oversight and ordinary stress of an office can lull them into a less-than-optimal work ethic.
Effective remote workers must be strongly motivated to start on tasks—and then stick to them—without the prodding of a boss looking over their shoulders throughout the workday. Be honest with yourself about your self-discipline before deciding to switch to remote work, and consider if you’re sufficiently motivated to work outside the regular pressures of the workplace.
Isolation and Loneliness
It’s quite likely that the biggest concerns remote workers will face are social ones: loneliness and separation from colleagues. Though remote work can offer convenience, comfort, and flexibility, it can also feel isolating. Even recent advances in video conference calling and other online communication platforms often prove to be no substitute for “being there.”
Many at-home workers come to miss the camaraderie of a traditional office setting, where casual conversations, teamwork, and in-person interactions create a sense of connection. For some, the lack of social engagement with colleagues can lead to feelings of loneliness, which may affect morale and mental health. Without regular face-to-face contact and communication, building meaningful relationships with coworkers can be a challenge.
Potentially Limited Career Advancement Opportunities
Finally, would-be remote workers should be cautioned that the reduction of real in-person discussion and engagement in intra-office culture can sometimes limit career growth. Promotions and raises are often tied to visibility, and remote employees may struggle to stay on the radar of key company decision-makers.
Being out of sight certainly provides freedom and flexibility—but it also means occasionally missing out on opportunities for networking, mentoring, or high-visibility projects that can lead to career advancement. In-office employees simply have more chances to demonstrate their leadership skills or receive recognition from their managers, which can be more challenging for remote workers to replicate.
Weighing the Pros and Cons of Remote Work
Having discussed the key factors of switching to remote work, it’s up to you to decide what’s best for your work life. To help you process, ask yourself these five questions, keeping in mind the analysis we provided above, and answer them honestly:
Are you a self-starter who is good at staying on task without regular supervision?
Do your children or the other obligations in your life require you to stay home more frequently during working hours?
Is worktime flexibility especially important to you?
How much supervision and structure do you need to be effective and productive?
Can you handle working alone most of the time, and will you miss the social atmosphere, company culture, and communication at the office, including “missing out” on potential opportunities to stand out and advance your career?
Use these questions and our overview above as you discern whether remote work is the best choice for you. And when you’re ready to make the switch to working from home, FPUAnet Communications’ high-speed fiber network will be there to keep you connected and productive throughout your remote work career!
If you’re a remote worker, having a reliable and fast internet connection is nonnegotiable for a productive home office. Video conferences, cloud-based applications, and high-bandwidth tasks like large file transfers are part of your everyday workload, so having a stable internet connection is essential.
Fiber optic internet, known for its outstanding speeds and solid reliability, is becoming the go-to solution for home office setups. But how do you set up a home office powered by fiber internet that meets your professional needs? Below is a step-by-step guide to help you get started using the fastest, most reliable internet on the market today, such as the internet provided by FPUAnet Communications’ advanced fiber network.
Step 1: Review the Benefits of Fiber Internet for Remote Workers
Before diving into the setup process, it’s crucial to grasp why fiber internet is simply the best choice for a home office. By seeing the benefits of fiber up front, you’ll better understand how to make the most of its power for your home workspace and the other steps we outline.
Speed: Fiber optic internet can provide download speeds from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps or more. These high speeds are essential for clear, distortion-free video conference calls, real-time collaboration, and quick file transfers—in short, everything remote workers need to stay competitive while working from home.
Generous Bandwidth and High Symmetrical Speeds: Fiber’s high-bandwidth capacity provides both high download and upload speeds. This “symmetrical internet” is indispensable when you need to upload large files or participate in high-quality video conferencing.
Reliability: Fiber’s material components are exceptionally strong and impressively flexible, making fiber much more durable than cable. And unlike cable or DSL internet, fiber is less prone to interference, congestion, and signal degradation, providing more consistent service.
Low Latency: Fiber offers minimal lag, which is critical for activities like video conference meetings or anything else requiring real-time, seamless online communication.
A remote worker’s road to better high-speed internet begins with selecting the right fiber internet plan based on your speed requirements. Most fiber providers offer different tiers and pricing plans based on speeds and user needs.
For most professional tasks like video conferencing, email, and light file sharing, speeds between 100-300 Mbps are typically sufficient. However, if your work involves large file uploads, high-definition video editing, or running servers, you may need a plan offering 500 Mbps or higher.
Additionally, if you’re planning on multitasking online—or if others in your household are also using the internet for activities like streaming TV while you work remotely—you’ll probably want one of the higher speed tiers. Higher speed plans will give your internet a significant boost and let you take full advantage of fiber’s spectacular performance.
Step 3: Select a Wi-Fi Router with the Latest Wi-Fi Technology
Once you’ve selected a fiber plan that meets your remote working needs, the next step is setting up your network equipment to optimize your home office. This crucial step begins by choosing a quality, up-to-date Wi-Fi router.
Let’s face it: it’s common for many households to continue using the same router they’ve had for…well, a while. But Wi-Fi technology has improved considerably over the past decade—enough to warrant an upgrade for those households with models more than even a few years old.
Savvy remote workers should choose a Wi-Fi router that supports the most recent Wi-Fi technology standards like Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) or Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) to ensure you get the fastest, most reliable wireless speeds. Routers with these more current technologies can better utilize fiber’s sophisticated network and boost signal strength to keep you more productive as you work remotely.
Step 4: Optimize Your Home Office Layout
Next, you’ll want to consider the layout of your home office and its proximity to the Wi-Fi router to maximize signal strength. An optimized office layout can make a significant difference in how well your fiber internet works for you.
After selecting an upgraded Wi-Fi router, place it centrally in the home and in close proximity to your home office—or even in your dedicated workplace. Placement of the router can be tricky, as it’s best to avoid placing it too near walls, dense built-in bookcases, or metal objects.
Additionally, glass is known to gobble up (and diminish) the Wi-Fi signal, so keep that in mind when placing a router too near a window or a glass door. Finally, try tokeep your router away from other electronic devices that could interfere with the Wi-Fi signal, such as microwaves or baby monitors.
Step 5: Maximize Your Wi-Fi Experience with a Mesh Network
In addition to a better—and strategically-placed—Wi-Fi router, you’ll want to consider supplementary equipment to increase the dispersal of internet signal in your home and workspace. Today, there is a variety of technologies available to greatly improve the quality of your internet, including mesh network systems.
A mesh network is a group of interconnected devices (often called “nodes”) scattered around your home that work collectively as a single network. Thus, with a mesh network, there are multiple sources of connectivity around your house instead of just a single router.
Mesh networks can help extend the range and maintain strong speeds throughout your home. Much more powerful than the simple range extenders of years past, mesh systems often prove a game changer for many internet users, especially for those who work from home.
Of course, some remote workers may want use to a “wired” connection instead of relying on their router and a mesh network. If your home office regularly requires high-performance tasks like video streaming or large file transfers, consider connecting your work devices directly to the router via ethernet cables.
Step 6: Run a Speed Test
Lastly, after completing the above steps, simply run a speed test! Running speed tests, especially after updating your home office’s internet, can help fine-tune your setup.
For example, if your internet seems more sluggish than you expected, you may want to relocate your router (using the advice and tips referenced above). Or you may need to add an additional mesh network node near a room with a weaker signal. Tinkering with your internet setup from time to time is a good practice—and one that also reminds you to update the software on all of your devices, including your routers, to keep up with the latest technology and security patches!
Setting up a home office powered by fiber internet can dramatically enhance your WFH experience, offering blazing speeds and rock-solid reliability. Whether you’re handling important video calls, sharing large files, or simply needing a stable connection for everyday remote work tasks, fiber internet will meet your needs with ease and efficiency.
And should you have any questions on how fiber can help make you more productive at home, the knowledgeable and friendly team at FPUAnet Communications are within easy reach!
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!
Over the past few years, one of the most significant innovations impacting healthcare in America is the massive expansion of online telehealth services. And given the numerous benefits and conveniences telehealth has to offer, that trend shows no signs of slowing down! From increasing access to specialists to reducing the spread of germs among vulnerable populations, the advantages of telehealth are considerable.
Below we highlight five well-regarded telehealth services, all of which are accessible with FPUAnet Communications’ high-speed fiber internet. We also touch on the telehealth industry’s tremendous growth over the past few years. Whether you’re looking for a faster prescription medication refill or just needing professional advice on whether to take your child or loved one to a clinic for more urgent care, you’ll likely find that telehealth really does make life both easier and more efficient for you and your family!
Telehealth’s Enormous Expansion
Given the benefits discussed above, it’s no wonder that more and more patients are enjoying telehealth platforms. In 2022, about 25% of all patients took advantage of telehealth services. Compared to pre-2020 figures (i.e., pre-Covid), that represents a fivefold increase from just 5% usage by patients! And the convenience and advantages keep attracting new patients to telehealth, both in America and around the world.
Indeed, according to one study, overall global telehealth revenue in 2023 was estimated at a whopping $120.4 billion. That same study anticipated total revenue will reach $285.7 billion by 2028, a staggering figure representing over 23% growth in just five years.
Five Recommended Telehealth Services
Having considered the value of telehealth services and seen how incredibly fast the industry is growing, we now turn to our list of five telehealth platforms we can recommend.
1. Teladoc
Our first recommended telehealth service is also among the most comprehensive on our list: Teladoc. One of the original pioneers of telehealth in the early 2000’s, Teladoc provides a variety of health and medical needs at all hours, so you can reach out to Teladoc when you need their expertise no matter the time of the day (or night). Teladoc has been particularly recognized for its mental health services, so patients considering online therapy may want to check out its offerings.
2. Amwell
Another thorough and nearly complete telehealth service to consider is Amwell. Best known for its collaboration with the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, Amwell is also well-regarded for its Second Opinion Service. For patients seeking another expert or diagnostician to provide an opinion or prognosis after a previous diagnosis, Amwell might be a good option. Keep in mind, however, that Amwell and its additional services are on the pricier side, though they work with many kinds of insurance, as well.
3. Doctor on Demand
Like Teladoc and Amwell, Doctor on Demand also offers access to physicians and medical professionals 24 hours a day seven days a week, making it easy to get appointments fairly fast. Doctor on Demand’s offerings tend to be somewhat more expensive than others, but its services are highly rated by users and are quite varied. Fun fact: One of the original founders of Doctor on Demand is the famous television personality Dr. Phil McGraw (“Dr. Phil”).
4. Sesame Care
The most budget-friendly option on our list is Sesame Care. With Sesame Care’s online visits costing as low as $29 each, patients looking for more affordable telehealth will want to check it out. Sesame Care recently partnered with Costco, whose members receive even better pricing. Unlike the other telehealth services we recommend, Sesame Care does not employ an app to conduct consultations. Simply navigate to its website in a browser and follow the steps to book an appointment.
5. K Health
Our last recommended telehealth service is K Health, which is particularly useful for assessing and understanding your own symptoms. Utilizing the massive quantities of diagnostic and statistical data from many millions of other patients, K Health helps similarly situated patients determine when they may need more intensive health care interventions. Like the other services above, it also provides telehealth through appointments on its app and website.
The five telehealth services highlighted above provide both convenience and peace-of-mind to patients. Of course, a connection to a reliable high-speed internet service, like FPUAnet Communications’ fiber network, is essential.
Indeed, it’s not uncommon for doctors to decline to make a diagnosis if the video connection just isn’t clear enough to assess the patient’s condition and symptoms with confidence. Only fiber internet has both the necessary speeds and generous bandwidth to convey the large amounts of data—video, voice, test results, medical charts, etc.—telehealth consultations require, and without interruptions that impede a proper medical assessment.
In this way, fiber ensures distortion-free video conferencing and clear communication between patient and healthcare professionals no matter which telehealth service you choose. For a fiber internet connection, you and your family can rely on, FPUAnet Communications.
When you’re in the midst of an intense match, every millisecond counts. But your lightning-fast reflexes don’t do much good if your internet connection can’t keep up! In today’s blog, we’re talking about the secret sauce for a flawless online gaming experience: low latency and ping.
(Spoiler alert: You’re about to discover why gamers in FPUAnet Communications prefer our fiber internet to power their fun!)
What Is Latency?
Let’s begin with some basic definitions, as both latency and ping are terms that are fairly technical. Latency and ping are often used interchangeably, but they’re actually separate (though related) concepts.
First, latency is the amount of time (measured in milliseconds, or “ms” for short) it takes for internet data and information (i.e., a “data packet”) to be sent back-and-forth from one designated point to another.
To put it in gaming terms, latency refers to the total time it takes anything a gamer “inputs” while playing a game on his or her device (and internet) to be received by the game’s server and returned back to the gamer’s device. In Fortnite, for example, that could be a “command” for a character to run in a particular direction or use a skill.
Those commands (or inputs) are sent from a player’s device and internet to Fortnite’s servers and then returned to the player’s home internet and device on the screen. What matters is just how fast that happens, and if there is any delay.
Low Latency (Good!) and High Latency (Bad!)
To reiterate, the measure of the time that round-trip of gaming data takes is called latency—and the shorter amount of time that trip takes, the better! Gamers need the response time of their own inputs and the game’s servers’ responses to those inputs in return to be as short as possible—even undetectable by the user.
This refers to “low latency,” which gamers (and other savvy internet users) value highly. The lower the latency, the faster the response time—and the better the experience for players. Typically, gamers will want latency to be 50ms or less. Ideally, however, 20ms or less is the sweet spot, with single digit latency being the “Holy Grail” for dedicated gamers.
On the other hand, “high latency,” which refers to longer, even delayed responses to a gamer’s inputs can be deeply frustrating and lead to dismal user experiences. Gamers will notice problems when latency exceeds 100ms (or to some particularly-discerning players, even when latency is higher than 50ms). Games will be practically unplayable when latency is higher than 200ms.
That’s why gamers must always consider an internet connection’s latency to optimize their play. And measuring that latency is where ping comes into play!
What Is Ping?
We now turn to ping, which can refer to two ideas in computing. But remember, it’s common to use the terms ping and latency interchangeably. So, first, in common parlance, ping can, like latency, refer to the delay of travel time of data being sent over an internet connection. (This is also sometimes called “lag.”)
Additionally, however, there is a second use of ping that is different but interrelated to latency. In that other context, ping also refers to a utility program on internet-connected devices that sends out a signal to measure the length of time it takes for a user’s device to hit (or “ping”) a server.
You’ve probably heard that you should “test your ping.” Well, testing ping involves using that built-in utility to measure the response time and even diagnose any network connectivity problems. To keep things simple, ping is usually tested as part of a speed test to help you predict your latency during game-time.
We know these terms can sound redundant or even confusing. What’s important to remember, however, is that gamers will want low latency, low ping, and minimal lag for a better experience no matter what terms are used!
Why Gamers Need Fiber
Having explained these terms, we next turn to why fiber is simply the best technology for gamers to drastically minimize latency and ping.
Compared to older forms of internet like copper-wired coaxial cable, fiber’s advanced materials can send data over an internet connection at nearly the speed of light. That means that fiber’s speeds routinely hit or exceed 1 gig per second! And in general, the higher the download speed, the lower the latency.
But fiber’s exceptional download speeds are just the beginning. Fiber’s generous bandwidth also plays a role in improving latency and ping, as the greater the bandwidth capacity, the more information can be transmitted back-and-forth over an internet connection at any one moment. That allows more data to seamlessly transfer in fewer milliseconds, dramatically lowering latency and improving the response times gamers experience.
So if you’re ready to rid yourself of high latency and the delayed response times due to slower, inferior internet reach out to FPUAnet Communications today. Our knowledgeable agents can answer any questions you may have about our advanced fiber network and plans. And for more tips to optimize your gaming experience, follow FPUAnet Communications’ social pages!
In today’s global economy, every minute and every dollar counts for small businesses. Whether you’re logging on for a videoconference with a prospect or running an e-commerce business, you’ll need fast, reliable internet to get the job done.
At FPUAnet Communications, we deliver the very best internet available to small and midsize businesses in our communities over our advanced fiber network. With speeds exceeding 1 gig, our fiber has all the power your business needs to keep up!
Read below for the top four reasons why FPUAnet Communications’ local businesses need fiber, and learn how we can help your business get ahead!
1. Keeping Consistent Contact with Customers
Customers today are accustomed to remaining in touch with their favorite brands at all hours of the day. Whether through appealing websites, well-crafted marketing emails, pithy social media and blog posts, or other forms of consumer outreach, the internet keeps the channels of communication open 24/7.
But a strong internet connection is essential. Everything from point-of-sale payments (POS transactions), to VoIP phone services, to digital marketing requires a reliable connection, and nothing is more reliable than fiber.
Utilizing glass strands that transmit data at nearly the speed of light, fiber keeps you connected to your customers better than any other form of internet. Fiber optic internet is both super strong and surprisingly flexible, so it’s less susceptible to interruptions due to bad weather.
And since every business we serve gets a dedicated line, you don’t have to worry about your connection slowing down during peak usage hours!
2. Video Conference Calling and Virtual Meetings Without Distortion or Interruption
One of the most truly special aspects of high-speed internet is its ability to let people converse face-to-face through video conferencing. Video meetings keep remote teams better connected while also making it easier to build stronger relationships with prospects and customers.
With fiber’s unmatched upload speeds, download speeds, and bandwidth capacity, you can rest assured that your video calls will be pristine and distortion-free—so you can stop worrying about your connection and start focusing on the job at hand!
3. Handling Multiple Applications and Users Simultaneously
Of course, many small businesses have staff that use a single common server to connect all their devices for all of their projects and output. Laptops, tablets, smart devices, and even cell phones have the advantage of making employees more productive—but they can also strain networks and slow down the internet for the whole business when it’s crunch time.
Fiber’s enormous bandwidth and 1 gig download speeds provide your business with the capabilities to meet the needs of multiple users and all their various tasks at one time. With our services, you can have one team member uploading large files, another on a Zoom call, and another live-streaming on social media without any slowdowns or delays!
4. Staying on Top of Market Trends and Other Critical Information
What happens around the country and the world can impact our local businesses and their bottom lines. From the constantly fluctuating price of oil and other commodities, to supply chain bottlenecks, to major industry and trade innovations, up-to-the-minute information is crucial to any business’s success.
Having reliable internet for your business means you don’t need to worry about missing out on the latest market trends and other invaluable data. Fiber’s exceptionally high speeds and voluminous bandwidth let you stay on task while monitoring key market information in real-time, keeping you competitive no matter where you operate your business.
[Insert a paragraph here with details about specific business-related internet plans and prices and any other product or service you wish to highlight to business customers.]
Our customer service representatives can answer any questions you may have about our fiber network and what it can do to make your business more productive, efficient, and profitable. And be sure to learn more about our advanced fiber network by following FPUAnet Communications’ social pages!
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!
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!
Not all internet options are created equal. All it takes is one missed virtual meeting or one lagging video game to realize that your current internet speeds may not be sufficient. If you aren’t happy with your current speeds, you may want to look into other options. But which service is best for you? Let’s explore the speed, reliability, and bandwidth of the three major service delivery options—landline telephone line (DSL), cable TV line (cable), and fiber-optic line (fiber)—to understand why fiber is the clear choice for today’s citizens of the internet.
Internet Speed
Fiber-optic broadband, which uses glass, offers faster internet speeds over greater distances than its copper-based competitors such as DSL and cable. “Fiber to the Home” (FTTH) internet service providers (ISP) boast gigabit-level speeds up into the 100–1,000 Mbps range—several times faster than the maximum offered by its counterparts. Comparatively, DSL speeds max out at about 45 Mbps, while cable hits top speed at 300 Mbps. While that may sound like more than you’ll ever need, the capacity and speed of cable and DSL fluctuate during times of demand, which can leave you lagging when you have a pressing deadline or virtual meeting to attend.
Internet Reliability
Simply put, if reliability is important to you, choose fiber. DSL and cable experience significant slowdowns during peak hours and during extreme weather conditions such as drastic temperature changes and flooding. Fiber alone withstands all of these conditions, including the heave usage of peak hours. Keep in mind that unplanned downtime adds a serious cost to both your productivity and bottom line.
Internet Usage
Don’t make the mistake of underestimating your internet usage. The reality of technology advancements is that most of us are now high-capacity users. How many desktops, laptops, tablets, phones, and gaming systems are competing for bandwidth in your home? Do you stream Netflix or Hulu or videos on YouTube? Do you play video games or games on your phone? Do you have a security system or a video doorbell monitor that requires internet connection to function? What about a home assistant device? Even smart appliances like washers, dryers, and refrigerators usually need an internet connection. As we get more connected, a lightning-fast internet connection becomes increasingly important.
The future of the internet is sharing―from capturing Instagram-worthy meals to enjoying video chats with friends―and FPUAnet’s unmatched upload speeds make that future a reality.
Here are a just few ways FPUAnet’s fast, reliable upload speeds make your life easier:
Video chat and live sharing
Skype, FaceTime, and other video messaging services all require robust upstream connections to ensure clear audiovisual quality and to prevent freezing and blackouts. Sharing big news on Facebook or Instagram Live also works better with greater upload speed.
Working or going to school from home
You need a robust upstream connection to interact with colleagues during video conferences, collaborate on team projects, and share important files. Online studies also can tax your upstream connection, especially if you join a virtual classroom or share large portfolios.
Keeping family, friends, and followers in the loop
Upload new videos to YouTube or share photographs with Flickr faster with a better upstream connection.
Faster data backups and online file synching
If you back up your data with a service like Backblaze or Carbonite, you need upload speed that meets basic requirements to ensure your data is protected quickly and without glitches. File and photo synching services like Dropbox, Google Photos, and Microsoft OneDrive all require a minimum of 5 Mbps upload speed to operate properly, and the more upload capacity available, the faster these services can sync and share files.
Online gaming, remote security and much more…
From online gaming to connected security systems that send real-time images through an internet connection, a fast upload connection is key to ensuring all your interactive online activities function well.
Testing the speed of your internet connection is easy, but it’s also easy to misunderstand the results. Your devices — TVs, routers, smartphones, laptops, desktops, etc. — have different capabilities, and you can get different results on each one, even while using the same internet connection.
This is particularly noticeable to users taking advantage of higher speed packages offered by FPUAnet.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when evaluating your speed test results:
HARD-WIRED VS. WIRELESS
That old-school cord-and-plug is simply more reliable than WiFi (wireless) connectivity. Even those super-fast 1 Gbps connections, now widely available across the country, won’t test out at higher than 500 to 700 Mbps when tested over WiFi. For the most accurate speed test result you must test with a hard-wired device.
Why? Because there are nearly endless variables that can negatively affect a WiFi signal, everything from nearby construction or the wireless printer in the home office to a baby monitor or microwave in use in the home.
Keep in mind that one limitation with a hard-wired connection is testing with a device that has a 100 Mbps NIC (Network Interface Card). This can cause you to consistently receive speed test results at 90-98 Mbps. FPUAnet recommends testing on a device that has a 1 Gbps NIC.
POSSIBLE PROBLEMS AFFECTING SPEED AND SPEED TESTS
Slow internet speeds are sometimes caused by malware such as adware and viruses. There are several free and inexpensive programs and apps to deal with that, and they’re important to use for many reasons.
This also sounds obvious, but it’s very easy to overlook any ongoing downloads or programs like video chat that may be turned on while you’re conducting a speed test on your device. Close these applications, reboot your device, and test again.
Even the browser you use — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft’s new Edge, etc. — can affect your test speed. Try different browsers to see if that’s the case on your system.
If you have a WiFi extender, make sure you turn it off before you run a speed test. Otherwise, your computer may test the wrong connection.
This brings us to a final point about equipment. Technology advances constantly, and many older routers and computers simply cannot take full advantage of the blazing speed and bandwidth of today’s fiber broadband connectivity.
When you’re ready to upgrade your technology, make sure your new equipment has the network cards and internal processing power that can leverage the speed of market-leading fiber broadband like that from FPUAnet.
