Demystifying Speeds: Don't Get Fooled by "High-speed" Broadband

There's a lot of grayness in the market right now around broadband. From fixed, fiber-fed wireless to cable TV and telco companies extending their DSL loops: Every provider talks about high-speed broadband, but only fiber delivers the symmetrical speeds of true gigabit connectivity. As the states gear up to spend their share of $65 billion in infrastructure funding on building out broadband, everyone should know the "what's what" about speeds, what they are getting and when they are getting fooled.

True high-speed broadband is about more than video games and Netflix streaming: your speed affects your access to and competitiveness in education, work, health and future opportunities. The current FCC is such a strong proponent of fiber, not because it is the fastest (which it is), but because it will help future-proof the networks built and ensure a high return on this historic government investment.

The Problem With Some of Today's Alternatives

Dial-up fueled the first big internet boom — connecting homes through their existing copper phone lines. Using this connection was more cost-effective then, but researchers quickly recognized the need for improvement. They saw rapid growth in device connectivity and predicted more powerful machine use. Copper permitted noise interference with high-speed data transmissions, and service quality degraded over longer distances, meaning weaker and slower connections the further from the provider's base.

Unlike dial-up, DSL (or digital subscriber line) uses phone lines and a modem, allowing it to transmit phone and internet signals over different frequencies. Speeds were an improvement over dial-up, and users could be on the phone and internet simultaneously. DSL internet has become the most affordable internet option, but few DSL providers reach the newest broadband standards. Connecting to homes through coaxial cable wires can bring speeds up to 500/50, but like telephone lines, copper networks were never designed to transmit data.

Don't Be Fooled by "Fiber-washing"

Fiber has existed as the backbone to support global communication since the birth of the internet, but getting it to the home is still relatively new. Fiber is glass, and it moves data through it as light. It has already reached symmetrical gigabit service to the home, but scientists are still testing the capacity of its limits. In 2021, Japan set the world record internet speed of 319 terabytes (a million gigabits) per second with fiber. Google is experimenting with subsea fiber-optics extending to other countries and reaching 340 Tbps of capacity. As we need to push more data through our networks, fiber is the only mechanism that can accommodate continual speed increases.

A number of companies are putting "gigabit" in their names or changing their packages to give a perception of higher speeds. Let me provide just one example: WOW! is seeking to expand its fiber offerings in several locations, yet its current "gigabit" plans come with 50 Mbps upload speeds and data caps. Their Astound provider in Chicago offers "Supersonic 1.2 Gig internet" and boasts a "fiber-rich network." However, it takes a savvy consumer to know that this means part of their service still runs on coaxial cable.

The Digital Future Requires Symmetrical Speeds

The pandemic made it abundantly clear that the FCC's regulatory standard of 25 Megabits per second (Mbps) down and 3 Mbps up for "high-speed broadband" was out of touch with today's reality. Home streaming, gaming, remote work and distance learning put more strain on people's home internet, and those with slower speeds suffered. As FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel put it, "The 25/3 metric [is] a harmful one because it masks the extent to which low-income neighborhoods and rural communities are being left behind and left offline."

And while Rosenworcel's recent move to raise that standard to 100/20 might be a good model for today's demand, your speed requirements will likely change with your electronics. Most of your communication today is focused on receiving information — you download a movie, a podcast or an app — which is why download speeds have traditionally been higher. But already, the industry has seen an increased demand for upload speeds for video conferencing, cloud use and the immersive experiences of AR and VR. Where the world is headed, it will need symmetrical down/up speeds.

True symmetrical speeds will allow you to receive and send the same size information back and forth to someone else at the same speed. It opens the door to telemedicine around the country: A home-bound patient can send their doctor back a heart rhythm in real-time, or specialized doctors can work simultaneously alongside doctors at small, rural hospitals. When you hear talk about automating manufacturing and supply chains, Industry 4.0 and Smart Cities, as well as the new technology born from these societal advances, only fiber has the potential to withstand such demands.

Not Everyone Has Access to the Fastest Option

I may be one of the biggest proponents of fiber, but where I live, the community doesn't have gigabit performance to the home. The town is a handful of people on big lots, not the high-density population that attracts companies looking to invest in fiber build-outs. The community was at the mercy of whoever would come to my house, and the best the provider could offer was 100 megabits. With eight routers and some tricks to boost my home broadband performance, my network is still pretty fast. But not everyone will have the tech know-how to solve that problem independently.

For places that don't yet have fiber, you can educate yourself — know what you have and what you could have. You may have to make do with the best option available, but you can continue to advocate for a dedicated fiber line for yourself and your communities. All of the communication capabilities they'll be able to put in place tomorrow will be because of the networks built today, so you should make decisions with that end game in mind. I know fiber is out there, the opportunities it brings and those it will continue to bring into the future. You and I shouldn't be satisfied with anything less.