Glossary and FAQ
Business internet, in plain English
The words in an internet quote, explained, and answers to the questions we hear most.
Glossary
Terms you will see
- Symmetrical speed
- Upload speed equal to download speed. Every AT&T Business Fiber plan is symmetrical.
- Mbps, Gbps and GIG
- Megabits and gigabits per second. 1 GIG is 1,000 Mbps; 5 GIG is 5,000 Mbps.
- Upload and download
- Download is data coming to you, like opening a file. Upload is data you send, like a video call, a backup or a shared file.
- Latency
- How long data takes to make a round trip, in milliseconds. Low latency keeps calls and video smooth.
- Shared fiber
- A fiber connection whose network capacity is shared with other customers. Speeds are "up to" speeds.
- Dedicated fiber
- A connection that is yours alone, on its own port, usually backed by a service level agreement.
- SLA (service level agreement)
- A written commitment from the carrier about uptime or performance, often with service credits if it is missed.
- Failover
- Switching automatically to a backup connection when the main one goes down.
- 5G and LTE backup
- A wireless backup connection over the cellular network. LTE is used where 5G is not available.
- Static IP address
- An internet address that never changes, used for hosting, remote access and some security systems.
- Dynamic IP address
- An internet address the provider assigns and may change from time to time.
- Gateway
- The AT&T device that connects your location to the fiber network and provides Wi-Fi.
- Fiber-ready building
- A building where AT&T fiber is already in place, so service can be installed without new construction to the building.
- Data cap
- A monthly limit on how much data you can use. AT&T Business Fiber has none.
- MPLS
- A carrier technology for private networks that connect many locations, as used by AT&T VPN.
- Wavelength
- A private point-to-point fiber link between two sites, with no switching or routing in between.
FAQ
More questions
Is AT&T fiber available in my state?
AT&T's fiber footprint covers 21 states, and availability still goes building by building. Elevate checks your exact address.
Why does my 5 GIG test show less than 5 Gbps?
A single wired device tops out at 4.7 Gbps on the 5 GIG plan, and Wi-Fi is slower than a wired connection. The full speed is shared across all your devices.
Is fiber better than cable?
For businesses that upload a lot, yes: fiber uploads as fast as it downloads. Cable is still a good choice at many addresses, and Elevate sells both.
Can I upgrade later?
Yes. Choose the speed you need today and upgrade as you grow.
Do I deal with AT&T or with Elevate?
Both, in a good way. AT&T runs the network and its 24/7 business support; Elevate is your point of contact for the order, the setup and anything that goes wrong.
What is ACC Business?
An AT&T brand that works only through solution providers like Elevate, on the AT&T network. Depending on your location and needs, Elevate may order your AT&T service through ACC Business.
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