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What is fibre and why should I get it?

Faster internet connectivity also requires a whole new infrastructure. Which is where fibre broadband comes in. Any up grades to speed and reliability is all done remotely, meaning minimal interruption or disruption.

If you spend much of your time on the internet, downloading large quantities of data, streaming Netflix, playing online games and using multiple devices, a fibre connection could offer you the best solution in terms of speed and reliability.

If you’ve been on the hunt for the fastest internet connection possible, you’ll have likely heard of fibre (fibre optic broadband).

The latest advancement in broadband technology, fibre optic broadband promises super-fast speeds for all your daily internet needs.

But what is fibre optic internet?

Fibre optic broadband is the Internet accelerated, so you can do more and faster, whether you’re at home or at work.

Simply, fibre optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optic cable.

Fibre optic cables are tiny strands made of plastic or glass which are designed to carry virtual information faster than the standard copper wires used in broadband connections.

In fact, a fibre wire is thinner than a single human hair and has more bandwidth (carries more information) than traditional metal cables.

Although compared to the old dial-up, broadband felt fast.

That was before the explosion in web-connected devices such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and smart TVs, and before we spent hours uploading selfies, streaming videos and working in the cloud.

It all takes a toll on the average internet connection, especially if several devices are vying for bandwidth.

This is the reason ‘fair usage policies’ were introduced, to make sure we all have access to the internet.

The issue is caused by the fact that copper telephone wires loop out from central exchanges.

The further you live from the exchange, the greater the signal loss and the slower your ADSL connection becomes.

While broadband speeds tail off as copper wire connections get longer, it doesn’t matter how long a fibre optic cable is. There’s no signal interference and little or no performance hit to endure.

ZOL Zimbabwe currently leads the mainstream market for fibre optic broadband speeds, offering up to 100MB/s; kilometres ahead of the average broadband speeds here in the Zimbabwe.

ZOL also has the widest coverage of fibre in Zimbabwe, with more locations quickly being added to the ZOL Fibroniks family.

Faster internet connectivity also requires a whole new infrastructure. Which is where fibre broadband comes in. Any up grades to speed and reliability is all done remotely, meaning minimal interruption or disruption.

If you spend much of your time on the internet, downloading large quantities of data, streaming Netflix, playing online games and using multiple devices, a fibre connection could offer you the best solution in terms of speed and reliability.

Businesses that rely on the internet, would also benefit significantly from having a fibre optic broadband connection.

If you are a keen online gamer, your sister loves to stream her favourite South African and Zimbabwean soaps, while your brother is constantly downloading movies and music — a high-speed internet connection may be great for your household, and from as little as $39 per month, the costs aren’t as high as you’d think!

 If you are not sure if fibre is available in your area, simply visit the ZOL website on www.zol.co.zw or call the ZOL Sales team on 08677 111 111 to find out. You can also download the MyZOL App from the Google Play Store or iTunes (simply search for MyZOL), or access it at myzolapp.zol.co.zw