October 29, 2018 The next generation of wireless technology is coming. It’s coming fast. But, essential to the success of 5G is an expansive fiber optic infrastructure. Here’s what businesses need to know.
What is the Role of Fiber Optic Infrastructure in 5G?
From real-time speeds and lower latency to connection density and ultra-high reliability, a rich fiber optic infrastructure will be needed to support future 5G networks and deliver its promised performance characteristics.
According to Cabling Magazine, fiber is the preferred medium to connect the dense mesh of 5G small cells. “Increased speeds with lower attenuation, immunity to electromagnetic interference, small size, and virtually unlimited bandwidth potential are among the many reasons why fiber is the right choice.”
Functioning as the nervous system for the evolving mobile network, a fiber optic infrastructure is necessary to support widespread 5G. Compared to wired cables, fiber offers higher bandwidth and is able to transmit data over much greater distances.
Read more: Ready For 5G? Engineering Design Element Considerations
Why Do Businesses Need To Know About Fiber Optic Infrastructure?
As a business, internet connection reliability and speed can have a big impact on employee productivity, customer satisfaction and even your bottom line. Unfortunately, many business owners don’t have the extra time to invest in researching all their options to help them grow and support 5G.
Here are just a few benefits of a fiber optic infrastructure:
Availability
As the push toward 5G continues to build momentum, the availability of fiber optic infrastructure is getting more attention. As the supporting infrastructure for 5G networks, significant fiber-optic backhaul will be necessary to stream bandwidth-intensive applications and minimize the time-to-market of deploying small cells.
According to a report by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), 5G operators consider fiber critical for 5G backhaul, with 83 percent of respondents saying fiber is “very important.”
Reliability
A fiber optic infrastructure is very reliable. Since fiber is considered a passive system, it is less likely to be affected during a power outage. It is also less susceptible to electromagnetic interference, making it the perfect long distance telecommunication option for high-performance data networking.
Speed
Fiber optic infrastructure is incredibly fast, blowing all other high-speed options out of the water. Allowing users to send data over much larger distances, while still maintaining performance, fiber optic speeds are unmatched.
Cost-Effective
It seems every day, businesses are experiencing increased demands placed on information infrastructures combined with even more financial pressures. Therefore, long-term cost-effective solutions, with higher scalability, such as fiber optic infrastructure, become critical for businesses.
Read more: Stay Protected While Staying Connected
Get Ready For the Future of 5G with a Reliable Fiber Optic Infrastructure
With 5G so close on the horizon, it’s an exciting time for business growth. Are you ready for the future speeds and capabilities 5G will bring? No matter how complex or extensive your project is, the team of telecommunications engineers at KMB will work to develop a cost-effective fiber optic infrastructure that can help you meet your deployment goals in anticipation of a 5G future.