Many of our clients at MegaNet have been moving over to fiber for their Internet access services, and the majority of requests from potential customers we’ve been getting lately have been for fiber-based Internet access as well.

There are a number of different ways fiber can be delivered to a company’s location, and there are also different timeframes and costs involved with each scenario.

To help businesses that are considering installing fiber-based Internet access, here are a few handy guidelines to keep in mind.

Metro Ethernet – Metro Ethernet is based around carrier grade fiber, which is extremely robust and reliable. Most of our customers are looking for anywhere from 10M through 50M bandwidth, but most installations can provide up to 1GB bandwidth if needed. Metro Ethernet can also be installed as a completely private point to point service as well, which works well for companies with multiple locations that may be spread out over different cities.

Metro Ethernet fiber facilities have become much more commonplace over the past few years, and it’s becoming far easier to install it for clients. However, installation timeframes can still normally range from 45-60 calendar days from start to finish. Many times this is due to fiber needing to be strung either from pole to pole outside of the business, or in some cases trenches need to be dug out in order to install it underground. These situations can lead to higher installation prices, which could range anywhere from $1000 through $50,000+ depending on location.

Because of the more lengthy installation timeframes needed for Metro Ethernet installations we normally recommend clients plan at least two months in advance, if not more. This allows us to work with the fiber vendor to coordinate the installation and ensure that enough lead time is built into the process.

Fiber Internet Service – MegaNet’s newer Fiber Internet Service, which is based off of the FiOS platform, has a much shorter installation timeframe. Normally Fiber Internet orders are installed within 1-2 weeks tops for the majority of clients.

The shorter timeframe is because the type of fiber needed for this service is often already installed in areas where FiOS is available. In most instances, a fiber technician simply needs to install the Fiber Internet Service from the pole outside of the customer’s business into their building, and install the required fiber jack. Most installations top out at around $150, and in some instances can be provided at no cost.

Of course, the biggest downside to Fiber Internet Service is that it’s availability is limited. Areas that do not already have the existing fiber network to offer the service do not have a very good chance of getting that fiber in the near future, unfortunately. Metro Ethernet, on the other hand, is available nearly anywhere. Higher installation fees and timeframes usually apply for Metro E, but being able to get the service is paramount for companies that need high amounts of mission-critical bandwidth.

Other Ethernet Services – Ethernet over Copper and Ethernet over Coax don’t use fiber facilities to install directly to the customer’s location, so these services don’t have the same install timeframes and costs that the services noted above carry. Ethernet over Copper normally averages a 2-3 week installation timeframe if the service is available. Likewise with Ethernet over Coax – if facilities are available to deliver it, timeframes also range around 2-3 weeks. Install costs for both of these services can range from $0-$500, again based on available wiring and facilities.

Lit Buildings – A lit building is one in which fiber is already installed into the building, and MegaNet has the ability to deliver our Internet access over it. Lit buildings are commonly found in more metro areas that are populated with larger multi-tenant buildings, such as Boston, Providence, and Hartford. Depending on the amount of fiber already in use, customers in a lit building may be able to gain access to the fiber in only a few weeks, and both install costs as well as monthly costs tend to be a bit lower since dedicated fiber facilities are already in place and in use.

We always recommend that businesses who are considering moving to fiber-based Internet access always plan well in advance, especially if the business is moving to a new location. In a few instances, we’ve had clients move to a new location that didn’t have any fiber available to them, and the installations were finally completed well after the business has moved in. The last thing we’d like to see is a company’s productivity impacted because they didn’t have the correct Internet access for their needs.

If your company is considering moving to fiber-based Internet access services, let us know! We’ll be happy to let you know how we can help your business become more productive and profitable with MegaNet’s Internet access services.

For more information about fiber-based services for bandwidth use, download our free eBook “Metro Ethernet: Scalable, Reliable, Affordable Fiber Solutions” to learn more about how Metro Ethernet Internet access can help your business. Reliable Internet access is critical when considering any business plan, and our case studies in the book will help show you how we can help in almost any situation. Download the free eBook from MegaNet today!

 

Image courtesy of Pixomar at FreeDigitalPhotos.net