Fiber internet’s numerous benefits to consumers and our local communities are well known. From exceptionally fast download speeds to generous bandwidth to resilient materials that keep your connection reliable, fiber has become the “gold standard” delivery of broadband. But the benefits of fiber transcend even these immense qualities that customers have come to expect.
Indeed, in many ways, fiber internet is also beneficial to the environment, and it is much more so than older forms of internet, like cable or DSL. Your neighbors at FPUAnet Communications are proud to deliver fiber’s sustainable technology to our communities. Below, we explore in more detail all the ways fiber is green and healthier for the special places we live in, as well as our whole planet home.
The Basics of Fiber Optic Technology
Understanding why fiber internet is more sustainable and environmentally friendly than other forms of internet starts with learning more about its components and methods of signal transmission. Unlike older technologies like cable or DSL, which rely on copper-based wires to transmit their internet signal, fiber uses sophisticated glass or plastic strands that are thinner than human hair.
These fiber strands can carry massive amounts of data over long distances with minimal signal loss, making fiber much more efficient. The other crucial difference between fiber and cable or DSL is that fiber uses light to transmit a data signal. Light is not only phenomenally faster at delivering internet signal—it also has environmental benefits for our world, too.
Now that we’ve covered the basics of fiber internet’s components, let’s take a closer look at more reasons why fiber is the green choice for high-speed internet.
Fiber’s Improved Energy Efficiency
We start with what is perhaps the most significant green advantage of fiber internet—its vastly improved energy efficiency. As discussed above, by utilizing light to transfer its internet signal, fiber requires significantly less energy consumption during operations. On the other hand, copper-based wires for cable and DSL utilize electrical signals, taking up far more energy than fiber ever could. The distinction is particularly noticeable for long-distance data transmission.
Additionally, fiber networks are much more efficient at transmitting data at any given moment. Through its massive bandwidth capacity, fiber cables are capable of carrying far more information than traditional copper systems, meaning that fewer infrastructure resources (e.g., routers, switches, and datacenters, etc.) are needed to handle the same amount of data volume and traffic. This again reduces the overall energy usage throughout the dizzying number of communication networks.
Fiber can handle far longer transmission distances with great efficiency, as well. Older forms of internet, like cable, often require frequent power boosters or signal repeaters to carry information to your home. And copper cables degrade quickly over long distances, requiring more power to boost the signal as well as more maintenance (which we discuss in more detail below).
With fiber, the need for signal amplification is significantly reduced because it is an inherently stronger and more robust technology. This also contributes to fiber’s energy and resource savings.
More Sustainable Manufacturing of Fiber Components
Next, we turn to another reason fiber is more environmentally friendly than cable or DSL—its manufacturing methods and impacts. The process of manufacturing fiber-optic cables has a considerably smaller environmental footprint than traditional copper cables, thanks to the materials used to make them.
Fiber-optic cables are primarily made of silica glass or plastic. These two materials are abundant throughout our world and recyclable, as well. Cable and DSL, on the other hand, require copper to transfer its internet. That means copper resources must be mined from the earth and then intensely prepared before they can be used in coaxial cables.
Thus, cable and DSL’s copper dependency is much more resource-intensive, and sadly, it contributes to environmental degradation. Rigorous copper mining practices disturb ecosystems and frequently lead to the pollution of rivers, streams, and other waters. That, in turn, degrades habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife, including endangered species. And, it also impacts fishing and other activities that our families use to enjoy our great outdoors.
Fiber’s Reduced Electronic Waste
Broadband internet service requires a complex and vast network of infrastructure to bring you the high-speed and generous bandwidth you’ve come to expect. As with any major infrastructure system, however, broadband networks create waste at different points of its “life,” from the manufacture of the material components to their installation and long-term maintenance.
And, don’t forget about the multitude of devices necessary to make your home’s internet even more robust, like modems, routers, range extenders, mesh systems, and other devices. It all adds up to a substantial quantity of electronic waste, or e-waste for short. Thus, any reduction of e-waste can have major benefits to the environment— that’s where fiber stands heads-and-shoulders above older forms of internet.
Cable and DSL internet systems are simply nowhere near as durable as fiber. These more traditional broadband technologies are well-known for degrading over time. Indeed, the copper used for cable and DSL can corrode, weakening the internet signal and eventually shutting it down completely. Copper-filed coaxial cables are also far more susceptible to crimping, bending, and shredding, as well, leading to more slowdowns and outages. That’s why more copper-based wires need to be manufactured and old ones need to be tossed in the rubbish bin, creating more and more e-waste.
Thanks to fiber’s incredibly strong and durable component materials, their cords last far longer than cable or DSL’s. They’re far more flexible, too, and are not nearly as likely to crimp, bend, or break as cable. This means that fiber-based networks require much less frequent maintenance and replacement, drastically cutting down on e-waste and contributing to great efficiency and sustainability.
As we all strive to build a greener, more environmentally conscious future for our world, FPUAnet Communications is proud to bring our sustainable, advanced fiber internet to our community. Whether it’s fiber’s greatly reduced e-waste or its superior, long-lasting materials and energy efficiency, we’re thrilled that our technology not only provides the fastest, most reliable internet available, but does it with the smallest environmental footprint possible.