Fiber Optic Services in Arizona

Fiber Optics refers to the use of transparent, flexible silica-based wires to help transmit information over long distances while incurring minimal losses in data, ensuring higher success speeds and transfer with more bandwidth.

The principle of fiber optics has been there since the early 19th century. In the early 1840s, Daniel Colladon and Jacques Babinet showed that light can pass through small hairlike wires using the principle of reflection. The first revolutionizing discovery was made by Harold Hopkins and Narinder Singh Kapany at Imperial College, London, in 1953, where they were able to successfully transmit images over a spindle consisting of over 10,000 fibers over a distance of 75 cm. The first working model of transmission of data through fiber optical wires was made by German physicist Manfred Borner in 1965. Thus, Narinder Singh Kapany is rightly termed as the father of fiber optics.

Optical fibers consist of an interior material called core, which is surrounded by a material of a lighter refractive index called cladding. When the light strikes this core-cladding interface, due to the phenomenon of Total Internal Reflection, the light reflects and returns into the fiber. This process of transmission using fiber optics has some very big advantages. These are the reasons why optical fibers are widely preferred as modes to transfer data-

  • Using optical fibers instead of traditional copper wires provides more bandwidth to the data.
  • Fiber optics ensure that the data is transmitted at 31% higher speed than it does in a copper wire.
  • Longer distances and better reliability and the two other important benefits.
  • It is also important to note that using optical fibers means that a very minimum amount of data has been lost.
  • Most importantly, optical fibers are cheaper than the traditional wiring system.

Just like any object available in the universe, using Optical fiber as a mode of communication also has its own pitfalls. They are-

  • Optical fibers work on the principle of Total Internal Reflection and thus manufacturing of these fibers are tougher than traditional wires.
  • Installation of optical fibers needs to be done by experts and isn’t possible by any laymen.
  • Most importantly, these fibers cannot be curved. Bending of these fibers will cause higher losses in data and may even result in total data loss.

Even though optical fiber communication has certain defects, it is used widely in the Internet industry. Optical fibers are used to provide a wired internet connection to most of the cities in the U.S.

Fiber to the home or FTTH is a program where the American government is targeting at least 75% coverage of the entire country with fibers. Newer inventions in the field of fiber technology, which has resulted in introduction of the connection using Verizon FiOS and Google Fiber, have accelerated the spread of fiber optics throughout the U.S. In a recent survey done by “Broadband now”, it was estimated that nearly 25% of the total population of the United States used fiber optics to connect to the Internet. It was estimated that by December 2020, the figures would reach around 45%.

Arizona is one of the most populous states of the US. It also has a staggering 88% of the total population with wired internet service. It is important to note that although 88% of the population of Arizona use cables for the Internet, only 4.4% of the total population has access to Optical fiber service. CenturyLink, Cox and XInfinity are the largest providers of optical fiber communication in Arizona. These three internet giants provide speeds up to 50-60 Mbps using traditional DSL and cables, but they charge highly exaggerated rates for the installation of Optical fibers in the state of Arizona. It is also important to note that although these 3 giants cover about 27% of the total population using the internet, there are other companies that provide internet connections too. There are a total of 176 internet providers in the state of Arizona, while only three of them provide Fiber service.

Thus we can conclude that availing high-speed internet service isn’t a big issue in the state of Arizona, but Optical fibers are quite rare in the state. This can also be understood by the fact that there exist cities in Arizona with Broadband coverage as low as 0.8% to 0.0%. Out of the 176 network providers, more than three quarters provide a highly inferior quality of internet with broadband speeds maxing up to 1-2 Mbps.

Arizona is currently being deprived of the Optical Fiber service. To boost up the process of modernizing the current internet, people need to be aware of the availability of Optical Fiber Communication. Arizona State University in Tempe conducted a small survey which showed that over 25% of the Tempe population didn’t know of the availability of Fiber Optic communication in the state of Arizona. To help with these, more ways of communicating with people have to found out. It is also important to cut down on the exorbitant prices charged for Optical fiber communication. Only then can Arizona hope to attain the position of Internet supremacy.

Best Places In Arizona For Tech Jobs

Are you on the lookout for jobs in Arizona? If so, we’re happy to help! Being the 12th largest metropolitan area in the US, Arizona is known for its big city lifestyle. It is also known as being the tech industry due to Motorola’s home base, hiring thousands in the area.

Phoenix

If you’re up for the big city lifestyle, then Phoenix just might be the fit for you. It is a great site for startups, and a lot of events take place around the area. Considering that you are looking for jobs related to tech, then you would have nothing to worry about since Phoenix is the preferred site for the tech data centers. Co-working spaces such as The Department and CO+HOOTS offer great networking options as well as a home for your work. As noted by Terre Diris, co-working spaces are great for those that travel often. You can join accelerators as well as incubators like Seed Spot.

This location is known for being inexpensive, thus there is an increase in its technology brand.

Ignite Phoenix is one of the events being held in the city and they organize a handful of events each year. Another plus point of choosing Phoenix is that if you’re into hiking or golf there are a lot of great spots where you can hang out and enjoy!

Tucson

About more than a million people reside in the metropolitan city of Tucson. It is also recognized for having several campuses. Easily, Tuscon is said to be the top choice if one wishes to start a business within the state.

NGO Startup Tuscon is one of the major supports of the start-ups’ ecosystem of the city. Regular meetups, as well as large events, are organized through their help. The organization also handles the ‘Thryve Program’ which is regarded as a social incubator for start-ups.

In recent years, the city of Tuscon has shown a lot of potential for tech businesses and jobs closely related to tech. Tuscon is also one of the most promising cities to live in, also noting its cultural and art events, occasional folk festivals or book festivals being conducted on a yearly basis. You can find a lot of galleries and museums to visit in the city as well.

Gilbert  

Next on the list is the city of Gilbert. It is one of the cities that is still growing right now; however, it is still considered to be among the best in the state of Arizona. The city of Gilbert lies just beside the city of Chandler. Gilbert boasts the lowest unemployment rate seen at nearly about 4.2% and does fairly better than Phoenix. The growth rate of the jobs industry has been increasing through the years. Various employers like GoDaddy Software Inc., Banner Health, and Gilbert Public Schools are on the lookout for potential employees.

The targeted markets you’ll find at Gilbert include clean technology & renewable energy, health sciences, aerospace & defense, biotechnology and retail. As far as commuting to work is concerned, it takes somewhat longer to arrive at the destination, approximately 27 minutes as compared to the Phoenix suburbs.

Flagstaff

Compared to the other cities, Flagstaff is relatively smaller for accommodation opportunities. However, it is the most preferred city for people searching for a modest place to settle in. The start-up market of the city has seen a lot of great biotechnology companies among the likes of SenesTech, Aneuvas, and Protein Genomics.

If you are waiting for biotech start-ups then you can also connect with the NACET incubator. With their help and guidance, you will be able to flourish in business. Flagstaff offers generous amounts of outlets for dancing and food as well as drinks. It is in close vicinity to the Grand Canyon as well as the Coconino Forest.

Tempe

The city of Tempe is considered to be the top locale for start-ups trying to recruit newcomers. You can seek help about mentoring and opportunities in funding through start-ups such as Big Bounce or MAC 6 Conscious Workshop.

Central Phoenix is about half an hour away from Tempe. The city of Tempe is also home to a variety of entertainment options; therefore, you will have easy access to the capital of the state along with entertainment by your side.

Mesa

The eastern suburb of Phoenix is known as Mesa. Although it has a population weighing between the highest and lowest, its unemployment rate is fairly lesser amounting to 5.1%. Mesa holds third place on WalletHub’s List as the rate is below the national average. Large scale employers like the City of Mesa, Boeing Company and Mesa Public Schools and Banner Health are in the city of Mesa.

If you decide to choose Mesa for your business purposes, then it’ll take an average commute of 25 minutes for you to reach your office/work.

Most Popular Internet Service Providers In Arizona

The internet has played a major role in the evolution of technology since many years ago. One can acquire innumerable types of services with the help of the internet, from entertainment to self-care. Not only has the internet helped people in their everyday lives, it has also played a big role for students. One can learn anything from using the internet. You can find internet services almost all around the world. However, people are not just satisfied with that. They want the fastest internet available and with no limits whatsoever. It was a few years ago when the internet was expensive. Now, it has become such a basic necessity of people’s lives that they tend to overlook the charges for it. 

Today, the USA is the foundation for the worldwide internet. Moreover, it has the most number of internet service providers as compared to the rest of the world. Almost all the states have fast and easily accessible internet service. People from all age groups use it for themselves, making the country to be in the third position for the greatest number of internet users. One of the states with a fairly high number of internet users is Arizona. There are a number of good internet service providers in the state, which has led Arizona to be a well-connected state to the country. The internet medium in Arizona includes DSL, cable, fiber, mobile broadband and satellite.

Some of the most famous internet service providers in Arizona are as follows:

  • CenturyLink– They provide internet services via DSL as well as optical fiber and their average ratings from users are 3.5. The company guarantees the best speed for gaming and promises delivery speed up to 1000 Mbps. Fiber internet plans are their best because of the qualities and speed of the fiber. Their plans start at about $45 and their coverage area is 78.63%.
  • Cox- Their medium for internet services is cable and their average rating is 3. Their download speed is up to 300 Mbps and they offer plans with 220+ channels and On Demand. Their internet packages start at the rate of about $29.99 and they also provide television services to the city with a coverage area of about 63.65%.
  • HughesNet- They use the medium satellite and phone to provide internet services to the people of Arizona. They provide services to the entire state and their minimum cost for an internet package is $59.99. They guarantee their internet’s fastest speed to be about 25 Mbps. They are usually rated to be about 3.5 stars.
  • Xfinity– They provide internet services via cable and their download speed goes up to about 1000 Mbps. Their internet pack starts at about $29.99. They offer plans with 260+ digital channels and Xfinity On Demand. They have other services which allow programs to be recorded and watched at the leisure of the customer.
  • Viasat- Their medium for providing internet services is through satellite. Their download speed is up to 25 Mbps. The internet pack starts at about $49.99 and they have introduced new internet plans in some of the regions. They provide customer care services on the phone as well and their plans are very affordable for the public.
  • Phoenix Internet- They provide wireless internet to about 96% of the city of Phoenix. Their fastest speed is about 15 Mbps. Their internet plans range from about $50 to $70. They also provide cloud based IP voice services and colocation services for businesses.
  • Frontier- DSL and fiber are the medium used by them to provide internet services to the state. Their downloading speed reaches up to 115 Mbps and they are rated to have 2.5 stars. Their starting price for the internet packs is an affordable amount of $27.99. They provide premium technical services to their customers for the first year and they provide those services to almost all of Arizona.
  • Spectrum- They provide services through cable and they guarantee the fact that their download speed reaches up to 100 Mbps. The customers usually give them a rating of about 3 stars and their starting price for internet plans is $44.99 which is applicable for about 12 months. Some of their plans have free international calling for Canada, Mexico and US territories.
  • EarthLink- Their lowest internet plan is $9.95 and their maximum download speed is about 75 Mbps. They use the medium fiber and DSL for providing internet services to the people and the statistics say that they cover about 45% of the city of Phoenix itself. 

These are some of the best internet service providers in the state of Arizona. They are easily affordable and one can see that they reach almost all the parts of the state. Besides these, there are many other internet service providers in the state, all very affordable and easy to access.