At this point, most people have heard about fiber optic internet. But unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans still aren’t taking advantage of it. According to the Federal Communications Commission, almost 75 percent of people aren’t using fiber optic internet at the moment.
That is expected to change in the coming years. As fiber optic internet becomes available in more areas, more Americans are likely going to start to sign up for it. And when they do, they’re undoubtedly going to have questions about how it works.
One of those questions is likely going to be: “Does fiber optic internet require a modem?” It’s one of the most common questions that people ask when signing up for fiber optic internet service for the first time. They aren’t sure whether or not they’re going to be able to continue to use the modem that they’ve been using for traditional cable or DSL internet service.
Issues With Older Modems
In a perfect world, it would be possible for people to keep on using their old modems. But when you sign up for fiber optic internet service, you’re going to need to get your hands on a new modem. That’s because old modems aren’t able to take the light signals sent through fiber optic cables and convert them into digital signals. They’re only able to take analog signals and turn them into digital ones. This will obviously present a huge problem if you try to use your old modem with fiber optic internet service. Instead, you’ll have to ask your fiber optic internet service provider for a new modem that you can use to stay connected to the internet.
Necessities for Fiber Optic Internet
You’ll need more than just a new modem to use fiber optic internet, too. You’ll also need to have fiber optic cables hooked up to your home. Most telecommunications companies are offering what’s called fiber to the home service these days. This service allows technicians to run fiber optic cables to your home so that you can experience all the benefits of fiber optic internet for yourself. You’ll be able to send and receive information through fiber optic cables quicker than you would be able to through your home’s old copper cables.
Fiber Optic Wireless Routers
In addition to investing in a new fiber optic internet modem and new fiber optic cables, you’re also going to need to purchase a fiber optic wireless router for your home when making the switch to fiber optic internet service. This will give you an opportunity to keep all your various laptops, smartphones, tablets, and other devices connected to your fiber optic internet service. You aren’t going to fully appreciate fiber optic internet and everything that comes along with it if you don’t have a router that is equipped to handle fiber optic cable connections.
If you’re going to be getting fiber optic internet in your home soon, it’s a good idea to talk with your telecommunications company about what equipment you’ll need to get things up and running. More often than not, they’ll set you up with the equipment that will be required to connect to fiber optic internet service. But you may need to make arrangements to obtain this equipment yourself, depending on which telecommunications company operates in your general area.
Whatever the case, finding a way to track down fiber optic equipment will be well worth the effort on your part. You’ll enjoy using the internet so much more than you already do once you’ve used it through fiber optic internet service. It’ll be faster, and it’ll also let you connect more devices to the internet at one time without experiencing any lag. You’ll wonder why you didn’t make the change much sooner once you begin using fiber optic internet service.
Are you interested in learning more about home fiber optic cable services and how they can benefit you? Connected Fiber specializes in providing fiber to the home service and can tell you more about how it works and why it’s such a great option for those looking for better internet service. Call us at 910-443-0532 for additional information.
