The showdown between copper and fiber optic cabling will not end anytime soon. Both types of cables have advantages and disadvantages, depending on your needs and location. While fiber optic is gaining a solid foothold in the world of network cabling, there are many times when your business should choose copper cabling instead. Trust the experts at Progressive Office Cabling to recommend the best type of network cable for your business. Our experienced professionals can provide a game plan for the most cost-efficient line to service your business’s needs.
What are copper cables?
Copper cabling is less expensive to run than fiber optic, but it sacrifices network speed. The most common types of copper cabling include shielded twisted pairs and coaxial cables. Shielded twisted pairs reduce crosstalk and interference by twisting multiple wires around one another.
Copper network cables are best known by their category names, such as Cat 5, Cat 6, Cat 7, etc. Each category of copper cabling could support faster speeds over a longer distance. Cat 7 is widely available on the market, with Cat 8 cabling slowly gaining traction.
What is fiber optic cabling?
Fiber optics is an entirely different beast than copper. Fiber optic uses glass strands to send a signal down the pipeline. Fiber optics will beat out copper cabling every time regarding speed, signal strength, and bandwidth. However, the major drawback of fiber cabling is the high installation cost. Fiber optics are excellent for running long distances, but this comes at a significant upfront cost.
If your business is the only one in the area to utilize fiber optic, you may be paying a lot to run it to your location. However, the initial cost may not be so high if fiber optic is readily available at your site. Fiber optics may be the best choice if you run a network-intensive business.
Trust Progressive Office Cabling for Professional Cabling Help
In today’s day and age, you have several options for network cables. The best option for you may not be the best option for a business. The experts at Progressive Office Cabling can assess your needs and project budget and recommend which network cable suits you. Please call our office at 800-614-4560 to speak with a professional regarding a cabling project.