The Future of Fiber: Predictions About the Fiber Industry and its Importance in 2022

It’s never easy to predict the future – especially when technology changes rapidly. However, the last few years have proved that we are more virtually connected and innovative than ever before. And there is no turning back. In fact, the onset of the pandemic resulted in significant technological advancements that we may not have otherwise seen.

For home providers, business owners, and individuals alike, these technological advancements will require an internet connection to support them. Fiber internet will play a major role in this, as it offers a faster, more secure, and more extensive communication system for network operations. While we may not know precisely what the future might hold in terms of fiber, below are some predictions of what we can expect to see in the coming years as fiber networks have yet to reach their full potential.

Fiber Predictions

Household Fiber Adoption Predicted to Increase

Fiber internet connection can be more than ten times faster than a standard DSL or cable connection; however, according to a study, only 30% of households have access to it.

It is predicted that fiber networks should reach 50% of homes by 2025, as fiber is the only option that will allow extensive, efficient upgrades to America’s networks – allowing for 4k video conferencing, resistance to electrical noise, ultra-fast file uploads, and more. This continues to be important for homeowners and renters alike as working from home continues. In fact, Upwork estimates that 22% of the workforce (36.2 million Americans) will still be working remotely by 2025.

Innovation and Expansion in Fiber

As time goes on, we’re planning to see innovations in fiber – both in terms of its availability and how it is used in homes and businesses to advance technology. The individuals and enterprises currently using fiber are ahead of the times; however, fiber will eventually be the standard practice for establishing an adequate internet connection.

According to Forbes, many cities worldwide are starting to consider using fiber-optic cables for their communication networks. As of 2021, the Fiber-Optic Internet Coverage in the U.S. was sitting around 43%, with larger cities like Atlanta, Denver, and Dallas having some of the highest fiber coverage. While fiber internet is preferred for both homes and businesses, there are road blocks many communities experience around the high cost of installation and availability of connecting to preexisting buildings. For this reason, some cities like Chicago, only have 21% fiber availability as of 2020.

In addition, the rollout and expansion of 5G wireless will require more communities to adopt fiber initiatives. The future addition of next-generation wireless networks could help usher in an age of self-driving cars, virtual reality headsets, and additional home internet alternatives.

Limitless Potential

One of the many benefits of fiber is that the line’s capacity does not limit the speed it offers. So, as technology advances and new devices make their way into the hands of consumers, fiber will have the capacity to ramp up and meet these new demands. Fiber-optic lines use pulses of light to transmit information. This process ensures that fiber will always be at the forefront of Internet technology, no matter how high future Internet speeds get. While it’s hard to predict when and how speeds will increase, we haven’t even come close to maxing out fiber’s potential. As such, the speed potential with fiber is seemingly limitless.

No Need to Upgrade

As more households and enterprises switch to fiber, they can also expect to do away with the upgrades typically associated with copper network connections. As speeds ramp up in the future, the current copper networks will need to be upgraded or outright replaced to support new technology. Due to their limited capacity, we’re already fast approaching the top end of their speeds. Fiber-optic lines, however, have yet to be overloaded with data and are likely able to handle the necessary speeds.

The predictions outlined above showcase the importance of fiber and how it will become even more widely used going forward. Bascom Communications is dedicated to meeting these predictions in the fiber industry by investing in the community through expanding our fiber route. Not only does this expansion provide additional resources and connectivity to the community, but it also keeps resources local to keep wealth and prosperity within Seneca County.

About Bascom Communications

Bascom Communications offers high-quality telephone service, Fiber TV, Accelerate high-speed Internet access, security and personal home safety, Ethernet transport, and wireless Internet with LTE—along with many other services—to make your communications experience enjoyable, easy, and affordable. We continue to broaden our profile and reach to offer the most to our customers now and into the future.