During 2021, the Cooperative hit an important milestone in the deployment of GVEC Internet Fiber: 1,000 miles of the total fiber-optic infrastructure installed across the Guadalupe Valley and surrounding areas. At present, we have over 10,500 homes subscribed to GVEC Internet Fiber, with a capacity for over 10,000 more—and we’re not finished. Our buildout continues through 2022 and beyond.
As Thanksgiving 2021 approaches, we offer thanks to GVEC Internet Internet customers for making this achievement possible. We’d also like to serve up some reminders of why Fiber is truly the reason for subscribers throughout our region to be thankful. Here are five.
GVEC Internet Fiber Is 100 Percent Pure Fiber-Optics
Most customers signing up for fiber internet probably don’t consider whether the service is delivered through 100 percent pure fiber optics. But here’s the thing: Not all these networks are built using pure fiber-optic cable. Some internet service providers (ISPs) incorporate copper into fiber. The reason is simple: decreased construction costs increased profits and less build time.
These ISPs build most of their service with fiber-optics but use preexisting copper cable leftover from previous networks to deliver internet the final few yards into the home. This can cause reduced reliability and speed, and greater susceptibility to corrosion and external interference from weather and other communications systems.
GVEC Internet Fiber is built from the ground up using 100 percent pure fiber-optics. This is why we promote our service as Fiber to the Home—that’s precisely what our network delivers. From our hubs, straight into your home, and along every yard of connectivity in between, GVEC Internet Internet delivers a 100 percent pure fiber-optics experience.
Symmetric Download And Upload Speeds
Internet speeds are largely measured in megabits per second (Mbps). However, fiber technology is making gigabits per second (Gbps) speeds more common (GVEC Internet Fiber delivers up to 1 Gbps). What subscribers may not realize is that the speed advertised with many internet plans is the download speed. The upload speed of such plans, meanwhile, is often slower.
Many users won’t be affected by a slower upload speed because downloading (streaming video, surfing the web, checking email, etc.) is far more common in day-to-day usage. However, if you frequently do online video chats, you’re more likely to notice. Chatting requires each participant to send a constant stream of video and audio to all the others. Fiber’s superior upload speeds make it ideal for live video streaming and online gaming.
Fiber-based technology makes it possible to achieve upload and download speeds that are more comparable. With GVEC Internet Fiber, participating in frequent video chats with many participants; online gaming; sending emails with large attachments—none of these will slow you down.
Low Ping Rates
When it comes to online gaming, many players only consider connection bandwidth. However, while having sufficient bandwidth is an important factor in smooth online gameplay, low latency—a.k.a. ping rate—is also critical.
Latency is the time needed for a digital “packet” of data to travel from computer to computer or from server to a computer and vice versa. Insufficient latency can result in choppy, skippy gameplay and frequent screen locks.
Fiber-optic technology delivers some of the lowest latency speeds available across modern online networks. With GVEC Internet Fiber, gamers won’t worry about dropped connections, locked screens or missing any of the action.
Fiber Can Add Value To Your Home
According to a study conducted in 2015 by the University of Colorado at Boulder and Carnegie Mellon University, access to high-speed fiber internet can add as much as 3.1% to a home’s value. These results offer a real-world indicator that fiber-optic technology truly is the future of home internet. At GVEC Internet, we’re proud to be building this future into our South Central Texas internet network.
No Data Caps
Finally, GVEC Internet Internet never sets a data limit on any of our internet plans, so you’ll never worry about extra fees, throttling or limits on how much you can game, video chat, or stream your favorite movies and TV shows.
Connect GVEC Internet Fiber To Your Home
With speeds up to 1 Gbps, GVEC Internet Fiber to the Home is available in areas of Cibolo, Cuero, Geronimo, Gonzales, Hickory Forest, La Vernia, Marion, McQueeney, New Berlin, New Braunfels, Stockdale, Seguin, Shiner, and York Creek.
To learn more, to find out if Fiber’s available at your address or to sign up, call 800-699-4832. You can also visit GVEC Internet’s Internet Signup page, or check our Internet Availability page.
