How Installing a GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) Can Lower Your Business's Costs And Ensure Your Network Remains Efficient Over Time

Businesses have many things they rely on to remain both efficient and operational. One of the most significant concerns for many companies is how fast their internet connection is, is it stable, and how many employees will use it at one time. Bandwidth and speed issues have often led to many frustrations for employees of businesses.

Fortunately, however, this is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Today, there are several fiber optic solutions out there to eliminate these problems virtually. One of the best available fiber optic solutions on the market, in terms of overall cost efficiency, is a technology known as GPON. 

GPON architecture is quickly becoming the go-to standard for businesses today for a good reason. The number of benefits to GPON when it comes to cost, efficiency, and more are numerous. Read on to see why GPON is a superior network solution for all businesses.

What are the Components of a GPON Cable?

GPON, an abbreviation of Gigabit Passive Optical Network, is a type of network that uses fiber optic cabling. The core of all fiber optic cables is made up of an extremely thin strand of glass, which allows a signal to transmit both quicker and over longer distances than any other form of cabling available.

Around the glass strand, there are a few other materials that hold it together. Surrounding the core is a layer of cladding, which reflects light back into the core. This helps the core transmit data quicker and over longer distances. Around the cladding is a synthetic material known as Kelvar. Since Kelvar is a tensile material that can be bent and stretched, the cables can resist damage when moved. Finally, the Kevlar is wrapped with a jacket (also known as the cable's sheathing) to help prevent outside elements from damaging the cabling.

Beyond te fiber optic cables themselves, there are also materials used to connect the cabling. Immediately connected to the fiber optic cable is a plastic (or rubber) piece called the boot. The boot's primary purpose is to support the cable and the connector to prevent breaks and strain on the cabling. As its name implies, the connector is the end of the cable that is plugged into network equipment. The tip of the connector, known as the ferrule, is used for precision alignment when plugged into equipment.

What Are Some of the General Benefits of GPON?

There are many advantages to implementing GPON. Here are four of the most common reasons businesses implement GPON.

1. GPON has faster speeds than any other cabling system. This is probably going to be the first thing people look for in a network. Fortunately, GPON delivers on that front. Traditional copper wiring can only go up to roughly 100 megabits per second (Mbps). This is fine for the average household, but most businesses with many employees will encounter issues using copper wiring in today's business world. GPON, however, demolishes it in terms of speed. On average, GPON transmission download speeds range from 1.25 gigabits per second (Gbps) to around 2.5Gbps. At its slowest, GPON will still be at least ten times faster than traditional cable wiring.
2. GPON cables are cheaper to purchase and take up less space on average, meaning building a GPON network is more inexpensive in both the short and long run. GPON cabling is cheaper than copper cables, often up to 50% cheaper to buy and implement. Additionally, since fiber optic cables are smaller than copper cables, the amount of dedicated space needed to maintain an internal network properly will be lower.
3. GPON can transmit data over a longer distance than any other type of cabling. Traditional copper cabling, for example, is limited to roughly 100 meters before the signal terminates. GPON, in comparison, can go up to 20 kilometers before termination. In other words, GPON is up to 1000 times more effective than copper cables.
4. A GPON network is more resistant to interference than a traditional copper wire network. Since standard cables are made out of copper, they have the potential to produce an electromagnetic current that can impact your network's efficiency. The fiber optic cables in a GPON network, on the other hand, are immune to this electromagnetic interference, meaning that you will not experience this issue. Additionally, fiber optic cables are resistant to extreme heat and catching on fire, making them safer and not a potential fire hazard.

How Implementing a GPON Design Into Your Business Can Improve Your Efficiency

Taking into consideration the above points, it is easy to see how GPON can benefit a company. Here are just a few possible scenarios of how an average business may see an increase in its efficiency after switching to a GPON.

1. Company ABC now has sharper video quality with no lag and clear audio with no stutter. Since GPON is fast to transmit data and can transmit a more considerable amount than a traditional network, Company ABC will not need to worry about the potential embarrassment of a teleconference call's quality on their end while speaking with an important client.
2. Company DEF, a large company with many employees, does not experience the occasional lag they used to have. In the past, Company DEF encountered various issues related to their bandwidth, especially during peak business hours. Due to the more significant transfer throughput that GPON offers, they are no longer experiencing any issues related to network slowdowns.
3. Company XYZ, a small business with a limited budget, can now get significantly faster network speeds compared to in the past. Because GPON is cheaper to purchase cables for and implement, Company XYZ could afford the cost and have now seen a tremendous improvement in speed over what they had in the past. Additionally, they reduced the amount of space their network closet took up, allowing them to utilize more of the room for storage.

How To Go About Implementing a GPON in Your Business

Installing a GPON network may be affordable, but it is not something the average person should attempt. Fortunately, we at House of I.T are an IT consulting firm specializing in GPON architecture, GPON design, and installation of GPON.

If you are interested in implementing or switching to GPON, we encourage you to contact us to see if GPON would be a good fit for your business. We hope to hear from you!