Fiber internet connection is one of the most desirable connections in the industry and many providers are racing to bring the connection to the masses. However, if you trying to find a 100% fiber internet provider, there are some cities that shouldn't be on your radar.
Fiber internet
Fiber optic internet or fiber is the most popular connection type. The reliability of the connection provides a speed up to 1,000 Mbps and without network congestion or weather interference that creates a problem for other connection types. To generate a light signal that is used to transmit data, fiber networks are made up of glass cables or plastic fiber cables. These networks can also be more costly than other forms of link for providers to set up.
Trends to watch in U.S. Cities
Atlanta, GA, was at the top of the priority list of any fiber provider when it came to network expansion. The southern hotspot, however, nevertheless found a way into the list of our worst-cities-for-fiber. We're guessing that the less than favorable score of the city has something to do with the increasing population and the low percentage of fiber internet service currently available.
There are currently nearly 500,000 people living in metro Atlanta and around 14 fiber internet providers, so the fiber internet user-to-provider ratio of Atlanta does not look so impressive when compared to a smaller town on the outskirts of the area, such as Norcross (a top fiber city). Norcross, on the other hand, has over 16,000 inhabitants in the city and four suppliers of fiber.
Fiber vs Gig speeds
Since most fiber internet plans reach speeds of up to one gig or 1,000 Mbps, fiber internet is also connected to gig speeds and vice versa. However, to reach these sought-after speeds, you don't need a fiber provider and a 100 percent fiber link.
Using a hybrid cable link that takes up most of the length from the provider to the neighborhood of the subscriber, several major providers offer gigabit speeds. The remainder, or the distance from the beginning of the neighborhood to the home of the subscriber, utilizes a fiber connection. For the operator, this approach is cheaper than the investment in a 100% fiber network, but also offers top-tier speeds.
Many, if not all of the places on our list actually have one or more cable providers using this form of hybrid connection (Spectrum, Xfinity, CenturyLink), so it is highly likely that Internet users don't want high speeds in these regions.
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