Consumers today face numerous choices when it comes to selecting high-speed internet for their home or business. Indeed, one glance at the pile of glossy advertisements for internet service in the mailbox or the slew of billboards blazing “unbeatable deals” on the road can overwhelm even the savviest of shoppers. And with the emergence of newer technologies like Starlink satellite internet, many rural and small-town communities are beginning to take a second look at their internet options.
While Starlink’s technology sounds impressive, a closer inspection reveals the vastly greater quality, reliability and speed of fiber internet over Starlink. Additionally, fiber internet, such as FPUAnet Communications’ advanced fiber network, also provides considerable benefits to our local communities that Starlink just can’t come close to matching. Below we highlight why local fiber internet is the superior choice to Starlink and how fiber directly benefits our community.
Looking to the Stars—a Brief Overview of Starlink
Starlink is a subsidiary company of aerospace giant SpaceX, a company most famous for its rockets and other spacecraft. Many would-be Starlink customers are intrigued by the company’s futuristic branding and seemingly sophisticated Low Earth Orbit technology.
Unlike older forms of internet like cable or DSL, Starlink transmits internet signals from its low orbiting satellites back to earth and to your home without relying on materials never intended for dispersing internet in the first place (i.e., coaxial copper cables and telephone wires). To be fair, in some ways, Starlink is a genuine improvement over those old school technologies.
Despite Starlink’s space-age lineage, however, there are several inherent flaws that make it a subpar substitute for fiber internet. Above all, like all satellite internet providers, Starlink’s quality and speed varies greatly depending on the weather. Interference from precipitation and other factors can slow down or even disrupt Starlink’s service just when you need it most.
Starlink is also expensive, pinching the pockets of its too-often frustrated customers. In addition to the pricey monthly service fee, customers can expect to pay more than $300 for the upfront equipment necessary to run Starlink. That equipment must be expertly aligned just right with Starlink’s orbiting satellites or the connection can fail—another problem that irks many initially starstruck consumers, especially considering that the equipment is intended to be installed by the customer without support from a trained technician.
Why Fiber’s Performance Beats Starlink’s Every Time
Having briefly looked at Starlink, we now turn to why fiber internet, like the service provided by FPUAnet Communications, is heads and shoulders above any brand of satellite internet.
Fiber’s Faster and More Reliable Speeds
Without question, the most significant advantage fiber internet offers over Starlink is fiber’s exceptional speeds. Fiber-optic connections deliver some of the fastest internet speeds available, with download speeds easily surpassing 1 gigabyte per second and even clocking in excess of 10GPS!
Just as crucially, fiber provides “symmetrical” upload and download speeds—that means even fiber’s uploading speeds are exceedingly high. Fiber’s symmetrical internet is essential for activities like video conferencing, gaming, streaming movies and TV, and remote work, all of which have become mainstream activities in today’s digital landscape.
On the other hand, Starlink’s satellite technology faces issues with inconsistent speeds that can really weigh down productivity. Starlink is highly dependent on the proper configuration and intercommunication of its constellation of satellites. When that configuration and communication hits a snag, consumers will notice fluctuating speeds, especially during peak usage hours.
Because fiber internet utilizesa direct physical connection to the internet via light signals along fiber-optic cable, complicated satellite configuration hundreds of miles into space is not an issue! That means fiber’s speeds are consistent throughout the day, and its connections much more stable than Starlink’s ever could be.
Lower Latency and Fewer Interruptions
After speed, most internet customers want low latency in their internet connection—even if they don’t know that techy-sounding term! Most basically, latency simply refers to the amount of delay in transmitting data between devices—meaning, for example, from your laptop, smart TV or smartphone and back to a server thousands of miles away (e.g., Netflix, TikTok, Facebook, or Zoom). Thus, low latency is a key factor in overall internet performance, especially for applications that require real-time interaction, such as video calling, online gaming, and TV streaming.
Like other satellite internet providers, Starlink struggles with higher latency due to the limitations of its technology. Because Starlink’s satellite signals travel to space and back, adding extra time to data transmission, the delays from its higher latency can affect the user experience for applications requiring instant feedback.
Fiber just doesn’t have this problem! FPUAnet Communications’ network has much lower latency due to the way light signals travel through the fiber-optic cables installed in the ground right here on planet earth. Thus, as fiber networks don’t require signals to travel to space and back, they provide faster communication between devices, ensuring a smoother experience for everything from online gaming to virtual business meetings.
Fiber Offers Connectivity Rooted in Our Community, Not the Cosmos
Now that we’ve examined how fiber surpasses Starlink in speed and reliability, let’s look at how local fiber networks benefit our shared communities, too.
Fiber’s Direct Investment in the Local Economy
Unlike Starlink, which is part of a massive corporate conglomerate hundreds or even thousands of miles away, on-the-ground local fiber networks are right in our neighborhoods and the surrounding area. Additionally, money spent on fiber internet installation and maintenance stays in our community, Fort Pierce.
Importantly, fiber networks are typically built by local providers or cooperatives often using local labor for much of the work. That results in an economic investment that lifts our whole economy. From the creation of local jobs to the development of regional infrastructure, fiber’s local touch makes a real difference.
Starlink doesn’t provide anywhere near the same local economic benefits as fiber. Almost every dollar of a customer’s monthly Starlink subscription fee flees our area for good, greatly reducing the direct economic impact on our local community. Those lost subscription fees are not reinvested in local businesses or infrastructure, which means the community misses out on a chance to support its own economy.
Through fiber internet, the community can create local jobs, support local technicians and engineers, and foster local innovation. And fiber even fosters regional collaboration, too. Municipalities often come together to invest in community-wide fiber infrastructure projects, helping ensure that internet access remains affordable and equitable for all of us.
Fiber’s Improved Local Support and Customer Service
When you choose a local fiber internet service like FPUAnet Communications, you’re working with a local provider that has a vested interest in maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. Because so many employees are your neighbors, local fiber providers are more likely to be responsive to issues, provide more personalized customer service in the community, and tailor their offerings to the needs of local customers.
Being a gargantuan global company, Starlink is much more likely to struggle to provide the same level of customer support as your local fiber provider. Quite simply, Starlink isn’t responsive to localized issues like FPUAnet Communications, because unlike us, Starlink just isn’t “here.”
Whether it’s fiber’s superior speeds and reliability, or the benefits to our local economy, fiber is simply leagues ahead of Starlink. And because you and your fellow community members can enjoy personalized support, quicker troubleshooting, and a sense of connection with your internet service provider, fiber internet like FPUAnet Communications’ is there for you while Starlink is quite literally out of reach.
Should you have any questions about how fiber internet can make a difference for your home or business, FPUAnet Communications’ friendly customer service professionals are available to help. And be sure to keep up with our social pages to learn more about FPUAnet Communications’ fiber network!