Buying new technology can be a risky endeavor. High prices may keep some shoppers away, but the thought of their new devices becoming quickly outdated is the more significant risk. New iPhones, for instance, come out regularly.

However, few systems offer the possibility to hold up to future uncertainty like fiber-optic Internet. In fact, fiber networks have yet to reach their full potential. Fiber-optic networks can provide Internet service with symmetrical upload and download speeds.

In addition to these benefits, fiber Internet networks can meet future demand, and many consider it a future-proof technology. Here’s why fiber optics will still be relevant in the years to come and why you should consider upgrading.

Limitless potential

The gigabit speeds offered by fiber are not limited by the line’s capacity. As these devices continue to evolve and speeds inevitably get faster, fiber will ramp up and meet the new demand.

“There’s never been a time when the fiber lines couldn’t handle the data being pushed through them,” saids Tim Herzog, senior manager of field operations for fiber Internet provider Ting Internet. This means the speed potential with fiber is almost limitless.

“Fiber is glass, and it’s basically the speed of light,” said Herzog. “To this day, no one has pushed enough data through fiber to max its capacity, so it’s only limited by the electronics that provide the light through the glass. It’s unlimited in its potential.”

Fiber-optic lines use pulses of light to transmit information. This process ensures, no matter how high future Internet speeds get, fiber will always be at the forefront of Internet technology. While it’s hard to predict when and how speeds will increase, we haven’t even come close to maxing out fiber’s potential.

“Fiber is not going to get outdated in the next two or even five years,” said Todd Rubin, regional manager for Ting Internet. “People want fast Internet so they can connect all their devices and connect to their applications for work. Once the fiber is in the ground, the only limitation is the technology behind it, meaning the routers, the optical light networks, the optical network communicators, all the infrastructure that you need sits in our central office, which is basically the brains of our operation. It’s really the equipment that’s behind the service that controls how fast we can provide in terms of our speeds.”

No need to upgrade

Current copper networks were never designed to transmit data. Most were created for voice communication, and there are many reasons they lack the technology needed to compete as speeds increase.

First, copper network connections degrade over long distances. This means if you’re not close to your provider’s home base, you’ll struggle with weaker connections and increased latency. High latency means more delays during data transfer and can make telecommuting, distance learning and live streaming extremely frustrating. Lower latency is one of the most significant advantages of switching to a fiber network.

Second, as speeds ramp up in future years, these coaxial networks will need to be upgraded or outright replaced. Due to their limited capacity, we’re already fast approaching the top end of their speeds. Fiber-optic lines have yet to be overloaded with data and should easily handle terabit speeds.

“Coax requires a lot of upgrades and upkeep whereas fiber has the strength and ability to adapt to new technologies,” said Herzog.

Proven technology

Fiber-optic connections that go directly into homes are relatively new, but the technology has been around for years.

Fiber lines enable instant communication across the world and have been the backbone of global communication since the beginning of the web. This infrastructure is strong enough to handle the ocean floor’s harshness, so it’ll easily hold up during inclement weather in your neighborhood.

Fiber also poses significant challenges for bad actors. Despite being around a long time, thieves have not perfected the art of tampering with lines and must go through a great deal of trouble to even try. Copper lines, however, can have their data intercepted with relative ease. Fiber remains the safest way to transmit data across the web.

At the end of the day, fiber is the way of the future.

“One of the most popular questions I get asked by residents is this: ‘Is fiber future-proof?’ The easy answer is yes,” said Rubin. “Of course, there are few if any future-proof technologies out there and like other technologies, it is possible that despite fiber’s superior reliability and data capacity, another technology could be developed in the years to come. However, this seems very unlikely. One thing I do know for sure, fiber infrastructure will outlast your traditional cable offering. Fiber has the potential to offer more than the gigabit speeds we see today. With the pace of how we advance technology today, we could see this happen sooner rather than later. I believe fiber technology is superior and will outlast your traditional cable offerings.”