These days, the world rarely slows down, and speed is everyone’s top priority. The internet is rapidly evolving, and faster internet is everyone’s desire. Business practices and systems are impelled to keep pace with this internet evolution. This has led to the gigabit network craze, and the options are numerous. While gigabit internet has already been around for a couple of years, it is still being rolled out. Nevertheless, there is no denying that gigabit internet is the future of internet connectivity.
Providers around the world have been proactively investing in local fibre networks, and this has provided a ready-to-use infrastructure for any service provider who is keen on offering an ultra-high-speed network like gigabit. Gigabit internet has become increasingly necessary as more internet uses are discovered by the day. Depending on what you need the internet for, this might be the perfect time for you to consider upgrading your internet connectivity to gigabit.
Before making the switch, however, you might need to determine whether your local service provider offers gigabit internet. Keep in mind that you don’t have to stick to the established companies in the industry. Many upcoming internet service providers are leveraging the shift to gigabit in order to compete with established global brands. At WirelessWizard.ca, we recommend that you make the switch to gigabit internet, and this page will help guide you through the process. Click through to read more about gigabit.
What Is Gigabit Speed Internet?
Gigabit speed internet, also referred to as ultra-high-speed internet, is among the fastest internet speeds available. It has up to a 1 gigabit per second (gpbs) download speed, which is much better and cheaper than the traditional cable internet. The gigabit broadband has outstanding qualities. For instance, there can be up to 100 people connected to the internet at any one given time, all of whom may be performing internet-related tasks. Imagine a situation in which it would be possible to download a high-definition video conference or an hour-long webinar in just a few seconds. That is gigabit speed for you!
What Can I Do With Gigabit Speeds?
With a million bits per second, you are spoiled of choice on what to do with gigabit speeds. Apart from doing everything you are already doing online, you could do a lot more, but faster. All your browsing and streaming activities on the web will be supported at a higher speed, leading to less congestion on your home network. The benefits of gigabit internet include the following:
1. Streaming
With the gigabit bandwidth, you will definitely enjoy a lag-free Netflix experience, even when watching multiple shows on different devices at the same time. The real deal is that the 4K streaming experience made possible with gigabit, even though consuming four to five times as much data as a 1080p stream, will be very fast. As a result, it won’t subject you to the disappointments of having to wait for your show to buffer as you would normally have to do on a standard broadband connection.
2. Gaming
With high-speed gigabit internet, you’ll never lose an online game due to slow or interrupted connections. Gaming has various speed recommendations depending on the console and the game. On average, you need at least 4 to 8 Mbps if you are the only one using the internet. Therefore, to fully enjoy your gaming experience, the quality of your internet really matters. Seasoned gamers always bargain for the fastest speeds and low-latency connectivity, like gigabit internet.
3. Working From Home
If you want to successfully work from your home setup, you need the right internet speeds. In recent times, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many companies to embrace the home office. In order to work most efficiently, you will need high-speed internet at gigabit speeds. This is especially important when your work requires activities like video conferencing, regularly checking mails, and transferring large files. To ensure that your connectivity is not interrupted, the sages at WirelessWizard.ca strongly recommend that you invest in the gigabit speed internet service.
How Fast Is Gigabit Internet?
In comparison with the standard cable-based broadband packages that offer internet speeds ranging between 20 and 100 Mbps, 1 gigabit internet offers speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps, which is 1 million bits per second. This means that a 500 MB video conference, for instance, will take you just about four seconds to download, which translates to 125 MB/s.
It is also important to note that gigabit internet download speeds are matched by similar upload speeds. This is different from the traditional broadband packages, which offer a relatively smaller pipe for uploads. This explains why uploads for large files like a five-minute video can take up to an hour with traditional broadband packages. With gigabit internet, uploading a ten-minute video will be ten times faster.
When Is Gigabit Internet Not Worth It?
This will depend on a number of factors. Overall, subscribing to gigabit internet is not a matter of life and death. In fact, most of the online applications that you need could require less than 1000 Mbps speeds to work efficiently. Such online applications will not exhaust the gigabit bandwidth when available. Nevertheless, in a typical situation where you are not the lone user of the internet service, you might need gigabit internet. Even when you live alone, you will probably use more than one device at the same time. All these variables are likely to make gigabit internet extremely necessary. Even so, other considerations might suffice in the determination of whether gigabit internet is worth it. According to WirelessWizard, the variables to consider include the following:
1. If You Have A Slow Home Network
Gigabit internet is not worth the trouble if your home network is much slower than a gigabit. This is because you will have to upgrade your Local Area Network (LAN) to gigabit for you to enjoy the benefits of gigabit internet. To do this, you would need to purchase a gigabit-enabled router if your service does not offer one. Also, you might need a switch should you have fewer ports than your devices require. You may even need a new modem unless one is provided by your internet service provider.
Furthermore, you will also have to install gigabit network cards in devices that do not have them. As if that were not enough, in the absence of CAT5e wiring in your house, you would have to run CAT5e or CAT6 cables to your desktop computers in order to fully take advantage of the gigabit internet. As expected, this can be a very expensive and time-consuming affair. Unless you really need such fast speeds, you may want to think twice before undertaking the gigabit installation project.
2. If You Have Old Technology
Even if switching to gigabit internet seems like a great idea, you must consider whether the technology you have is capable of ultra-fast internet. Some computers don’t have the capability to deliver gigabit speeds. If your devices are not gigabit-capable, you might need to upgrade the hardware and operating systems to enable them. This is a cost that you might not want to indulge in, as it may lead to losses in terms of time, money, and service disruption.
3. If You Don’t Have A Wired Connection
One of the downsides of gigabit broadband is that if you don’t have a wired connection, you may be forced to regress to one. This is because wired connections are best suited for gigabit speeds, as they are reliable and resistant to interference. Once again, this may involve a lot of planning and spending in terms of time and money.
How Much Does Gigabit Internet Cost?
The cost of gigabit internet depends on the services available to you. In Canada, the ultra-high-speed internet is still being rolled out and is only available in major cities. As a result, people residing in these cities can gain access to gigabit internet on a neighbour-by-neighbour basis. All major internet service providers have some form of gigabit available, and the cost varies from one service provider to another. By entering your postal code, the sages at WirelessWizard.ca can provide you with online quotes for affordable gigabit internet service providers in the marketplace.
According to existing market estimates, gigabit internet is relatively affordable. In Canada, some companies like TELUS offer it for as little as $99 a month for unlimited home internet data on a subsidized two-year term plan for existing customers. The regular cost, however, is $160 per month. Considering the benefits of high-speed internet service, the cost is commensurate with the service offered. Investing in gigabit speed internet service will help you avoid nauseating buffering delays, slow uploads, and interrupted internet connections.
The Takeaway
As illustrated, the gigabit speed internet service is a turning point for internet delivery speeds. Its numerous advantages include the following:
- If gigabit is accessible to you, then your network will perform better. This will include improved traffic flow, which will help you overcome standard broadband bottlenecks.
- Gigabit will offer you faster file transfer rates and program load times, hence a better experience with the internet. With up to ten times the speed of the cabled broadband packages, communication between your smart devices will be enhanced, and you’ll spend less time on periodic backups.
- If you have modern technology that is gigabit compatible, you do not have to invest in upgrading your internet service. All you might need to do is subscribe to an affordable plan and get the gigabit service installed in your home.
- Gigabit offers you the ultimate streaming and gaming experience, as you will not lag out due to poor connectivity. This will help ensure that you enjoy your leisure time without any internet-related disappointments.
- Most importantly, gigabit internet can support an unlimited number of devices and users at any given time. This will be beneficial if you have a number of different smart devices and a family who also uses the home internet service at the same time.
Despite the cost of installation and monthly rates, our experts at WirelessWizard.ca recommend that you consider gigabit speed internet service. If you encounter any trouble in finding a service provider in your locality, just enter your postal code and we’ll help you out.
