In today’s world, we’re constantly connected. If we aren’t able to find a Wi-Fi connection or send a text to a friend, our blood pressure starts to rise. Even a slow-loading web page can send us into a panic. But what you might not realize is that your choice of internet cable might be making it harder for you to work, play, and communicate online.
A lot of us use our cell phones to surf the web, but that doesn’t account for all internet traffic. While 39% of people used their smartphones to access the internet in 2017, around 59% used a residential broadband connection to do so. But that doesn’t mean connections are always reliably fast. In Q1 2017, the average internet connection speed for U.S. users was 18.75 Mbps. A year prior, there were 1,169 thousand fixed wireless connections throughout the United States with over 200 kbps in at least one direction. Still, according to a recent survey, only four in every 10 users said they were satisfied with their average Wi-Fi speed.
It’s possible that this dissatisfaction could be the result of inconsistent internet speeds. Wi-Fi may be popular, but it’s simply not as reliable as Ethernet. In fact, many consumers believe that they’re guaranteed faster Wi-Fi speeds than they are. When the average user pays for a specific Wi-Fi speed, their actual usage speeds will be only 30% to 60% of what’s advertised — which is perhaps why customers don’t feel contented with the speeds they’re getting.
Fortunately, wireless internet isn’t your only option. Copper cabling came into favor around the time the telephone was invented, but fiber optics have emerged as a more popular and more dependable alternative since then. In fact, one source estimates that fiber optic cables lose only 3% signal strength over a 350-foot distance, while copper wiring loses around 94% of its signal strength over that same distance.
Generally speaking, wired internet provides a more consistent connection that isn’t dependant upon router proximity or the number of devices connected to a given network. If you’re tired of feeling frustrated with your unreliable Wi-Fi connection, it might be time to consider an alternative you can count on.
