Earlier this month, as travelers rushed around Sacramento International Airport to get to their flights, the airport experienced unexpected delays. The source of these delays may surprise you.

As reported by The Sacramento Bee, the airport suddenly lost Internet access – a necessity in such a fast-paced environment – due to someone cutting fiber-optic cables. Over 60 flights were delayed for up to two hours.

This delay is a glaring example of how essential fiber-optic technology has become in our 21^st-century world. Even though around 45 percent of American households do not have access to fiber Internet – a gap that is closing quickly in 2024 – businesses across the world that consumers rely on each day are running on fiber-optic backbones.

For example, consider the rapid AI adoption in several crucial industries like healthcare, cloud computing and manufacturing. AI may become a necessary technology in the coming months, years and decades, but how does our current infrastructure support such a rapid boom in adoption? After all, AI needs low latency and high speeds to operate efficiently. Fiber optics, more than any other Internet option, can meet and exceed these needs with current infrastructure. Options like copper cabling, however, may struggle to keep up.

Future-Proof Infrastructure

In addition to delivering blazing-fast speeds, fiber-optic cables typically have longer lifespans than copper cables. Because fiber is built to last, when cities, businesses and homes invest in fiber technology, they set themselves up for years of connectivity.

Fiber also provides longevity because its technology is future-forward and can manage projected data and speed needs already. As technology advances, fiber will require fewer substantial updates than other options like cable that are already struggling to keep up with modern speed needs.

Rural Expansion

Internet accessibility has been an important discussion in recent years, especially as remote work, education and healthcare options have increased exponentially. 20 years ago, expanding broadband access to remote areas in the US was often challenging due to fewer infrastructure options. Even when broadband access expands, the options for rural community members are often less than favorable, sometimes with speeds lower than 20 Mbps, which is not enough for current technology requirements.

With fiber, however, expanding the rural communities is easier than ever. As fiber providers increase their backbones across the country, they’re able to construct fiber networks in rural communities along the way. This is why, according to Broadband Now, by November 2023, 55.6 percent of US households had access to fiber Internet.

Eco Benefits

We already know that data needs are increasing, but how will that affect the environment? Traditional broadband options like cable use electricity for data transmission; the more data transferred and the faster, the more energy is used. On the other hand, fiber optics do not use electricity to transmit data. Instead, they use light pulses, which are much more sustainable and use less energy overall. In other words, as data needs rise, fiber infrastructure will keep up without significant environmental concerns.

Get Future-Oriented Home Internet

If you want to future-proof your home Internet to stay ahead in the changing digital landscape, check to see if your address is eligible for Pavlov Media’s fiber. You can also sign up for our interested list to be the first to know when fiber is available in your area.