Why Can’t I Get Fiber Internet?

Straight Talk on How Your Internet Works – #AskOasisInternet

It’s a question that is being asked more and more frequently, “Why can’t I get fiber internet in my area?” For internet access in remote areas, customers are finding their options are more limited than they thought. In fact, fiber is scarce even in densely populated areas – only 37.7% of all Californians have immediate access to fiber. With fiber internet so widely anticipated, it’s causing quite a stir for people who can’t gain access. To figure out whether there is an end in sight for fiber accessibility, there are several issues that have to be overcome.

Set-Up Costs:

This is also called the “last mile’ cost factor. For internet services, the ‘last mile’ of service is delivering it to an individual home with fiber infrastructure. This is often the most costly step of the service set-up. Companies decide whether to invest in delivering fiber to whole neighborhoods based on whether there is already comparable service available and if they believe enough customers will switch to them. If your neighborhood isn’t large enough or you already have an internet company in the area, alternative companies may not see a benefit in competing. 

Updating Infrastructure:

Another cost consideration that internet companies have to face is updating or upgrading existing infrastructure. The precursor to fiber lines are copper lines used for DSL and cable. If a company has just run copper lines in an area, they are going to be hesitant to run all new fiber lines in the same area. Companies will delay upgrading to fiber until the copper lines require maintenance and replacement.

Like most industries, internet providers have been affected by the pandemic, not least because of supply chain shortages out of China. A resulting shortage of semiconductors has brought internet providers to a standstill in their ability to reach new clients. While this issue does have an end in sight, it is causing delays in major companies’ fiber roll-outs, including AT&T who missed their goal for 2021 numbers.

So How DO You Get Fiber Internet here?

These delays we’ve highlighted leave customers at the mercy of the supply chain and corporate decisions whether to invest in an area. During the wait for fiber roll-out, customers are looking for alternatives. Cell phone providers like T-Mobile offer 5G internet services in remote areas and we have highlighted in a previous blog how the Starlink rollout is going. Usually, at this point, customers run out of steam in their search for internet solutions and they settle for an inferior service. 

You don’t have to settle. To take back control of your internet. Customers in Lake Tahoe and the Foothills region are turning to Oasis Broadband. We offer internet solutions for remote locations with speeds that rival fiber! Expect to see Oasis opening up wireless sites soon to easily deliver 1G/sec speeds to previously unavailable areas. Learn more about who we are and what we do!