While most cooperative members only have 1 provider of electricity in their area, most do have an option in who provides their internet. It can be overwhelming and confusing trying to understand who provides the best service for your needs, and considering how heavily we rely on strong internet for work, gaming, connecting with family, and entertainment, it’s not a decision to take lightly. When considering an internet provider, make sure you understand whether it’s wireless or fiber (or both), what each service tier means, and of course, value for money.
Wireless or Fiber? What’s 100% Fiber?
Fiber internet uses fiber optic cables to transmit data at rapid speeds by using light pulses instead of copper wire or electricity. Wireless Broadband internet uses radio towers to let devices wirelessly connect through radio waves using devices like Wi-Fi routers. The main benefit of Fiber is that it can handle mass amounts of traffic without slowing down, it’s faster, and fiber optics are incredibly fine, and as such, are easy to scale when required. BEC offers 100% fiber to the home, so unlike others who only offer partial fiber, you will have equally fast upload and download speeds. You will know someone only offers partial fiber if the speeds are listed as fraction. For example, 250/500.
Mbps, Gbps, & Gigs, Oh My! Service Tiers Explained
Service tiers can be difficult to understand. How are you supposed to know what’s best for you if you don’t know what these acronyms mean? To put it simply, Mbps stands for Megabits Per Second and Gbps stands for Gigabits Per Second. It’s a common rate at which computers can transfer or process information. Megabits are smaller, or slower, than Gigabits. Gbps, G, Gig, and GIG all mean the same thing! You may also see 1 GIG referred to as 1000 Mbps, which is also the same thing. It’s just like if you said 12 inches instead of 1 foot.
So, what’s right for you? BEC offers 3 service tiers: ½ GIG (500 Mbps), 1 GIG, and 2 GIG. Our most popular choice is 1 GIG because it allows every member of the household to work, stream, game, chat, and listen to music at the same time without slowing down.
Is the Price Right?
Prices vary greatly for internet service depending on speed, whether it’s wireless or fiber, and the kind of company. For instance, it’s common practice for national chains to enter small towns, offer a low price, and jack it up a few months after you’ve signed the dotted line. BEC recently revamped our service tiers and prices to reflect our current market. While other providers are offering 1 GIG of partial fiber for $89.95, we offer 1 GIG of 100% fiber for only $79.99. Check your bill and current provider to make sure you’re not paying $119 more per year for a lesser service.
Ready to switch to BEC Fiber? Call (866) 226-3372 or check service availability online.