Internet Speed: How Does It Work?

Internet speed can lead to incredibly frustrating situations. We all know the feeling of buffering Netflix shows, Pinterest not loading, or a Zoom call that makes everyone sound like a robot. If you deal with this frequently, it may be time to check in on your Internet plan. In this blog post, we’ll explain everything from bandwidth and broadband to the best types of Internet connection. As Internet providers ourselves, we know these topics can be confusing, so let’s go over them together.

Speed vs. Bandwidth

Speed and bandwidth are often used interchangeably, but they are different from each other. Bandwidth is the capacity of data that can be used for internet speed. Picture a backyard hose, for example. If you choose a hose with a smaller opening, you’re going to get less water per second than you would with one with a larger opening. Bandwidth works the same with data. The more bandwidth you have, the more megabits of data you can transfer per second, which creates a faster internet speed.

Signs Your Speed is Being Affected by Your Bandwidth

Unsure if your bandwidth is failing you? Here are some of the most common signs:

• Your Internet-powered chats won’t load (WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook messenger, etc.)
• Video games lag or boot you out of a game
• Streaming services won’t play properly because they need to load every few minutes
• It takes more than a few seconds to load websites.
• Your Internet crashes when multiple people are using Wi-Fi

If all your devices are struggling to transfer data, there is a great chance your bandwidth is too small for you. In this case, you want to upgrade to a broadband network with a higher megabits per second package.

What Is a Broadband Network?

A broadband network is what people are referring to when they say “high-speed Internet.” It is a term that refers to different types of wide bandwidth data transmission. In other words, different technologies allow for faster Internet because more data can be transmitted. Before broadband was created, people relied on dial-up connection which wouldn’t allow for the things we enjoy today like Netflix and video games. Today, many households use DSL or fiber internet to keep up with our modern luxuries.

DSL Internet

Perhaps the most popular Internet source is the digital subscriber line (DSL) because of its wide availability. DSL uses phone lines made from copper to transfer data. Because phones have been around for much longer than the Internet, most households in Texas should have DSL abilities.

Fiber Internet

One of the latest gifts from technological advancements is the creation of fiber Internet. This technology was made available in 1996 and is the fastest internet solution out there, and it only gets faster with time. It is run through thin glass fiber strands that carry light instead of electricity like DSL. Because of this, fiber can transmit data up to 100 times faster than DSL. So, if you work from home or have many Internet users in your home, fiber Internet is the best solution.

When it comes to the availability of fiber Internet in rural Texas, CTTC is continually expanding its network. CTTC has been expanding across Central Texas, allowing more people to have access to fiber Internet. If you’re in Central Texas, give us a call to see if fiber is available in your community.

How Do Different Plans Affect Your Usage?

In the simplest of terms, the less bandwidth you have, the slower your Internet will be. If you have a plan with low bandwidth, you may run into issues like loading delays and poor streaming quality. When you have different devices (such as Smart TVs, Wi-Fi enabled security cameras, smartphones, gaming consoles, etc.) using data at the same time, your bandwidth needs to be able to support it. If it doesn’t support all of these devices at once, that’s when you will experience buffering and lagging.

We recommend using our Broadband Calculator to see how many megabits per second your household will need. From there, choose a plan that supports this speed or more if your budget allows for it. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to Internet speed so you can always access what you need.

Should You Upgrade Your Internet Plan?

If you’re constantly dealing with Internet problems like the ones listed above, we recommend you upgrade your Internet plan. There are great solutions for both urban and rural dwellers that may be more affordable than you think.

Because fiber internet wasn’t available until 1996, many homes or buildings haven’t been able to install it yet. However, thanks to new technology, chances are DSL and fiber Internet are now available, no matter how small your town is and no matter when your home was built.

If you’re in Bend, San Saba, Richland Springs, Goldthwaite, and surrounding towns, contact us to upgrade to a broadband network or fiber Internet.

For some people, December is a magical time of tinsel, gingerbread, and showering friends and family with love. Equivalent to the belief that makes Santa’s sleigh fly, thoughtful gift-giving is the love language that fuels their holiday cheer all season long. 

For others, the thought of braving the crowds at big box stores gives them anxiety. You stress over the proper gifting budget, sizing, and if your loved one will even care about your presents. 

But whether you bleed red and green ribbon at this time of year or feel like hiding until New Year’s, there is one type of gift that has a pretty good track record – technology! So to help stack your presents under the tree, we’ve gathered 15 of our favorite tech gift ideas! 

ThermoPro TempSpike Wireless Meat Thermometer

Grill fanatics and meat lovers alike will get ample use of this wireless meat thermometer, which utilizes Bluetooth technology to provide the precise temperature of their steak or sirloin, along with the ambient pit temperature. They can also receive alerts directly to their phone, ensuring they have a perfectly-cooked piece of meat every time.

Skylight Digital Photo Frame

Looking for something more sentimental? Parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles would love this smart digital photo frame. It’s easy to set up and even easier to add photos — all you need is a Wi-Fi connection to add more. You don’t need to have a Wi-Fi connection to enjoy the photos that have been previously uploaded, either.

Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2 

Winter mornings can feel even colder when your coffee grows cold, and the Ember Smart Mug seeks to end all lukewarm beverage problems. Using a smart app, you can control the temperature of your choice beverage for 1.5 hours or indefinitely when charging. 

Dyson Airwrap Styler

Give the gift of an at-home hair salon with this complete styling kit from Dyson. With seven attachments, four heat settings, and three airflow modes, this multifunctional tool can transform any hair type into sleek styles in a matter of minutes. 

Nintendo Switch OLED Model

This compact gaming gear is a fan favorite for a reason – it’s portable, offers multiplayer functionality, and can seamlessly connect to your TV. From road trips to family nights, the Nintendo Switch is a covetable gift for anyone on your list. 

Fizzics DraftPour Beer Dispenser

If they love nothing more than sipping on a pint at their local taproom, they’ll adore this beer dispenser that converts any can or bottle into a crisp, nitro-style draft. It works with any type of beer, whether they’re an IPA, stout, or sour fanatic. 

Tile Mate Essentials 4-Pack

Help them keep track of all their important belongings with this set of Tile trackers. They’ll get two keychain-friendly fobs, a wallet-friendly fob, and a sticker fob, all of which are compatible with both Apple and Android.

AeroGarden Harvest Indoor Garden

They don’t need a green thumb to operate this hydroponic indoor garden. Simply plant the herb seeds and follow the instructions about when to water and add plant food—the lights turn on and off by themselves.

Deep Tissue Massage Gun

For the fitness guru or anyone who is always complaining about their aching muscles. This muscle-relaxing gun will allow athletes to recover faster and soothe aging bodies. Different heads allow for specialized muscle targeting. 

Amazon Kindle

E-readers might not replace the feel of a physical book in your hand, but to carry an entire library in your pocket is a pretty incredible thing. This backlit device makes reading anywhere, anytime a breeze. 

Furbo 360° Dog Camera 

Know one of those people who seemingly exists to please their pooch? You can’t go wrong with the Furbo 360° Dog Camera. Aside from doing all the usual smart camera stuff with Full HD live-streamed video, a 360° field of view and two-way audio, the Furbo has one very special trick up its sleeve. You can use its app to remotely toss treats at your dog. In moderation, of course – you don’t want a robot stealing your status as the furball’s favorite.

Panasonic Multishape Groomer

Panasonic’s Multishape is the absolute Swiss Army Knife of the grooming world, with enough attachments to tidy up your whole daily routine from hair and beard to teeth and nose. Looking for a gadget that does it all? Combining an electric toothbrush, beard trimmer, razor, and nose and ear hair trimmer all in one go, you’ll never need another grooming gadget again. With detachable heads to help you navigate your daily tidy up and switch between cutting your ‘tache to cleaning your teeth in seconds. 

Ring Video Doorbell

Tired of scrambling to put your pants on to answer the door? Looking to avoid your persistent aunt who’s visiting for the fourth time this week? Find out exactly who’s at the homestead with the Amazon-made Ring video doorbell, which offers live video feedback straight to your smartphone, and text alerts if there’s something unusual going on while you’re away. 

MuteMe Button 

A gift for the work-from-home employee! Quickly (un)mute when the unexpected happens, no more frantically searching for the mute button. Compatible with Zoom, Teams, WebEx, Google Meet, and more. 

CTTC Spring Entertainment Update

It is almost Spring in Texas, and eventually, we will all be looking for wildflowers and taking pictures in the Bluebonnets, but just in case we get a few more rainy days that might keep you inside over the next few weeks, we have collected a few lists of top-streaming shows on a variety of streaming platforms.

What People are Watching on Netflix

According to Newsweek magazine, the top three most-streamed shows on Netflix in February were:

Firefly Lane

Apparently, a lot of people were looking for something light and fun after the challenges of 2020, and Firefly Lane took the top spot. The friendship-focused show spans a number of decades and is based on the book by Kristin Hannah.

Bridgerton

This British fictional period drama is the story of a young couple pretending to be in love to avoid being matched up with someone else, a brilliant plan, until they wind up making their lives even more complicated–including an old-fashioned duel!

Lupin

Lupin is a hit new show with roots in some old-school material. The story focuses on a thief trying to steal a necklace that belonged to Marie Antoinette. The idea came from a book he was read as a child, called “The Queen’s Necklace” which is a real story from 1906. 

What’s Trending on Disney+

According to businessinsider.com the top streaming shows for the week of February 18th on Disney+ have a science-fiction theme:

The Mandalorian

Season 2 of the Mandalorian has been a huge hit, with the return of a number of vintage Star Wars characters, and following the adventures across the galaxy of Din Djarin as he tries to get The Child safely to the Jedi and away from the embers of the fallen Empire. 

Wanda Vision

This is the first Marvel series made for television and it has scored big numbers. The series focuses on Wanda and Vision, who find themselves in a normal suburban neighborhood trying to fit in despite their superpowers, although everything is not as it seems and there is much more going on than meets the eye.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

When Disney purchased the rights to all of the Star Wars properties, they most likely had a plan that included extending the lives of cartoon series like The Clone Wars, and a new season has just recently launched exploring the storyline and events that lead up to “Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith.”

What Amazon Prime Members are Watching

Some people do not realize that free television programming is included with their Amazon Prime membership, and there are some great shows to check out including:

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

A 50’s housewife decides she wants to become a standup comic once her husband fails at doing so. Witty dialogue, amazing sets and costumes, and the absolute energy of Rachel Brosnahan pull you in to see what will happen next.

Sneaky Pete

What happens when you are a con man who escapes from prison that robs a gangster? In this case, Marius, takes the identity of his cellmate Pete and walks back into their lives without missing a beat. The sticky situations and quick cons are made for binging. 

The Boys

The Boys is an example of what happens if you give a teenager obsessed with comic books and violence the freedom to do anything they want with any character in the story–no rules. The Boys flips heroism on its head, making the superheroes bad guys with addiction problems, anger management issues, and too many other maladies to list. 

Other Suggestions to Wrap up Winter

There are many other streaming services out there, and so many great shows to choose from, so here are a few more suggestions, in case you might have already checked out some of the ideas above:

Netflix

• How to Get Away With Murder
• Outer Banks
• The Crown
• Schitt’s Creek
• Queen’s Gambit

Amazon Prime

• The Man in the High Castle
• Jack Ryan
• The Expanse
• Fleabag
• Goliath

Disney+

• Pixar Popcorn
• The Simpsons
• Schoolhouse Rock

Lightning Fast Internet Speed

CTTC is proud to provide lightning-fast internet connections so you can stream all of the content you want without buffering, skips, drops or any problems. Contact us today to upgrade your internet connection and start streaming some of these amazing shows!

What’s the Difference Between Fiber vs. DSL vs. WiFi?

At CTTC, We get asked all the time, what is the difference between the different types of internet connectivity available in our region, so we thought we would give a quick overview of all of the options out there, and more specifically the ones available to most of our communities.

The Internet Has Become a Critical Tool For the Success of Rural Texas Communities

Living in rural Texas presents many unique challenges that our friends in the big city rarely have to face. For many, one of those challenges is access to reliable, fast internet for your home and business. However, CTTC has laid the groundwork to help our Central Texas communities lead the way in fiber connectivity, building Smart Rural Communities, and providing fast, reliable internet connectivity with lightning-fast speeds. Over the past year, it has become more important than ever to be able to work from home, run online businesses, and have access to telemedicine, and CTTC has been here to ensure our rural Texas towns like Bend, Big Valley, Cherokee, Doole, Millersview, Eola, Evant, Goldthwaite, Locker, Lohn, Melvin, Mercury, Mullin, Priddy, Richland Springs, Rochelle, San Saba, Star, and Voca have the best connection possible.

The Four Main Types of Internet Connections

When it comes to choosing which type of internet delivery service is best for you, it is important to know the differences between your choices and what options are available. There are four primary types of internet connections: Fiber, Cable, DSL, and Wireless Internet. Each type of connection has different download and upload speeds, as well as different delivery methods. Here are the facts you need to know about each type of connection:

Fiber Internet Connection  (Available from CTTC)

Fiber internet is a broadband internet connection delivered through glass fibers that allow for data to be transferred at about 70% of the speed of light. Fiber connections are fast (up to 1 gig-1000 Mbps) and are resilient to external factors because the lines are dedicated only for internet connections. 

Cable Internet Connection

A cable internet connection uses underground coaxial cables that are shared lines that also transmit television signals. Cable connections can be as fast as fiber internet (up to 1 gig-1000 Mbps) in some cases, but connections are not very common in rural areas. Cable connections also experience lags during peak use times due to the shared nature of the connection.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) Connection (Available from CTTC)

DSL is an affordable, fast option that transmits signals over copper phone lines. DSL is often the best option available to rural communities due to the lack of existing fiber or cable lines. Most communities have existing phone lines that can be shared to transfer data over the internet at speeds up to about 115 Mbps.

Wireless Internet

Wireless internet is becoming more common but has been less widespread up this point. This type of connection uses stationary fixed points to transmit the data signal from one location to another, it does not require a cable delivery system, so it is very flexible. WIreless connections transfer signals over the air instead of through a cable or fiber, so the connection is much slower, around 25 Mbps. These connections are also impacted by weather and sightlines, and if the signal becomes blocked by a tree or a building, the connection will deteriorate. 

What is Mbps Exactly?

One of the most important questions you need to ask when considering an internet provider is how fast does my internet need to be? The national average internet speed in the United States is 42.86 Mbps, but what is Mbps anyway? Broadband speeds are measured in “megabits per second,” shortened to Mbps. Bits are tiny units of data with a megabit representing a million of them. The higher the number of Mbps, the faster your internet connection. Any internet speed of less than 25 Mbps is considered a slow connection.

How Does WiFi Play A Role in Connecting Communities?

WiFi is often confused as being interchangeable with other internet connections. In actuality, WiFi is what transmits data inside of your home or business from your router to devices such as your smartphone, tablet, smart TV, laptop, and anything else that can pick up and utilize an existing internet signal. A WiFi signal is local, which means that it will generally only reach the areas within your home or office. It does not create internet access; it only allows you to have the signal carried to your device when there is internet service available. Wireless internet service is not WiFi, and WiFi is not internet service. The two go hand-in-hand, but they are not the same thing. WiFi does allow businesses to offer customers a connection while they are shopping or having a coffee. The quality of the WiFi connection will depend on the type of internet connection and router that it is connected to.

Why Fiber is the Future of Internet Connectivity 

In rural areas, many large cable companies do not want to make the investment in infrastructure for internet services for residents. This means that many rural communities are being left behind when it comes to technology and growing businesses beyond our local neighborhoods. However, CTTC has invested greatly in the future of our region, digging hundreds of miles of fiber lines to prepare for the future. 

Fiber is the most reliable, and fastest option available today. The further you move from the source of the connection, the fiber signal barely degrades. It has a higher resistance to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio-frequency interference (RFI), so you can rely on the fact that your signal won’t be interrupted by things that carry an electrical signal. Likewise, the speeds are not affected by environmental factors either. It can reach speeds from 50Mbps to 100Gbps, which are unmatched by other technologies.

Fiber is also far superior when it comes to security since the only way to disrupt a fiber optic internet connection is to cut a cable. This compromise can be identified quickly, fixed rapidly, and there is no way that anyone can tap or listen in on your transmissions. Optical fibers are easy to install and simple to upgrade so it is a great solution for a growing business, especially in a rural area. 

Finally, the cost of using fiber internet is lower than other methods. The initial cost may be higher than wireless or other wired methods, but the cables require less maintenance since they are resistant to corrosion, and, because of this, they are far more reliable.

Speed and Reliability for Your Business

If you are looking for high-quality internet that is fast and reliable, contact CTTC to discuss all of your options for internet services. We are happy to break down all of the differences between our services and help you decide which is right for you. When your business or home needs the best possible internet service, only CTTC has the internet options that will keep you reliably connected. Don’t let internet connection be a challenge for your family, CTTC is here to connect you to the rest of the world quickly and reliably.