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A lot of homes, schools, businesses, and even governments use the Internet on a daily basis. This includes doing research, telecommuting, web conferencing, distance learning, data storage, marketing, communicating, and entertainment. With all these activities and with information being a valuable resource in this period, there is a great demand for high-speed Internet access.
An Internet provider is needed for you to get connected to the Internet. They make use of various communication technologies in order to provide you with high-speed Internet wherever you need it. These technologies are either wired or wireless. For wired technologies, these include copper wires, coaxial cable, and optical fiber. For wireless, these include antenna sites and satellites.
Copper wires
Digital subscriber line, also known as DSL, is one of the most common methods for accessing the internet, especially for home use. This makes use of copper wires, which are the same wires that are used in connecting telephones. They are inexpensive since there is already a copper telephone wire in place. To make sure that you don’t suffer signal loss, the length of the copper line has to be considered.
Coaxial cables
Coaxial cables are similar to those used by cable operators in delivering pictures and sound to your TV. They are much more efficient than copper wires because they are less prone to interference. They also offer higher speeds compared to copper wires. This is typically offered together with your cable subscription and allows you to watch cable TV and use the internet at the same time.
Optical fiber
Optical fiber relies on light to transmit data. This is definitely a faster mode of transmission compared to electricity and is the reason why this technology is able to deliver very fast Internet speed. This also makes them more expensive but more reliable. Even over long distances, fiber optic cables do not drop their signal. They also do not suffer from electromagnetic interference since they make use of light. And you can be sure that your upload and download speeds are fast. At present, optical fiber is the one to beat when it comes to high-speed Internet connection.
Antenna sites
Wireless technology has enabled users to connect to the Internet no matter where they are. Users became more mobile and are no longer limited to accessing the Internet from only one device or being connected to a wire. For you to be able to access high-speed Internet connection using antenna sites, you must have direct line of sight between the transmitter and the receiver. This is because having trees, large buildings or walls in between can affect the speed as well as the distance of your Internet access.
Satellites
This technology is ideal for remote places or areas that have a small but scattered population. The user is able to access the Internet via communication satellites that orbit the Earth. Just like antennas, a direct line of sight is needed as well as good weather in order to receive better signal quality.
These technologies have different capabilities but are all used in providing high-speed Internet connection. With new technologies currently underway, the demand for high speed and reliable Internet access will be even greater. Knowing these things now will help you in making informed decisions in your future upgrades.
