Too many people lack the level of internet service that they need, especially on a commercial level. It’s often assumed that the services we’re using are adequate — until they fail. Those failures can lead to not only lost time but potentially lost business, resulting in serious problems for the long term. Even facilities like schools, which you would assume prioritize their internet access, may lack the connectivity they actually need. According to a 2018 State of the States Report, 2.3 million students that year lacked access to broadband services that met the commission’s connectivity goal of 100 Mbps per 1,000 students and staff. If schools can’t meet their connectivity goals, it’s easy to imagine that many mid-sized businesses aren’t either.

This is why many businesses are considering the transition to a fiber network. Fiber connectivity offers a number of benefits, as you’ll see below. But what keeps many business owners from making the transition is the fact that switching to a new service type is often intimidating, moving from the known to the unknown. Fortunately, fiber solutions make that transition not only smooth but ultimately a relief. Let’s explore the reasons why.

1. Reliability

Compared to the traditional copper internet connectivity, fiber connectivity is much more consistently reliable. The last thing you want as a business owner is an internet service that is prone to dropping. Your business could come to a complete stop if your network suddenly drops, costing you time and money. That’s why it’s important for you to prioritize fiber networks. They are not susceptible to inclement weather, which is particularly useful for Midwest fiber networks, and unless the fibers are physically cut they’re resistant to human or electrical interference.

2. Speed

Just as an inconsistent connection can cost your business time and money, so too can a slow connection. Fiber networks are many times faster than the highest-speed copper internet connections, and they’re even resistant to the overloading that can plague some networks during particularly busy times of day. Think about how much time your employees may spend simply waiting for a webpage to load due to a slow internet connection. It’s crucial that your web connection runs not only smoothly but quickly.

3. Bandwidth

Most businesses today have an increasingly large need for bandwidth. If your business has grown significantly over the years, you’ll likely need much more bandwidth than you initially did when you started out. It’s quite easy to hit your cable internet’s bandwidth \”cap\”, and if you want to avoid this you should switch to fiber solutions. Fiber networks offer significantly more bandwidth, and the speed will not decrease as the demands placed upon the network increase. Users can stream training videos, use video conferencing services, rely on cloud applications, and share files through a fiber network without hitting that bandwidth cap.

4. Security

Security is a real concern for business owners that operate largely online. It’s all too easy for hackers to access your secure information and potentially wreak havoc on your business. Unless, that is, you work with a fiber network. The only way to penetrate a fiber-optic internet connection is to literally cut the fibers. In comparison, traditional cable connections can be breached through cable-tapping. While you still need to use other security strategies, like employing an IT security service, fiber networks can certainly give your security a strong boost.

5. Cost Efficiency

Though you’re paying to upgrade to a fiber network, in the long term you’re ultimately saving money. The speed with which your employees will be able to accomplish their tasks will mean that they can get more done in a shorter period of time. For that matter, you won’t need to spend as much on the additional security needed for a cable network, and won’t need to worry as much about the money lost due to a dropped connection. You should consider the cost associated with upgrading a long term investment.

There are a lot of issues that come with running a business. But you shouldn’t have to worry about your internet connection. Explore the benefits of a fiber network further, and you’ll be sure to realize that it’s the only way to go for business purposes.