Comparing Fiber, Cable and 5G Internet

Swyft Fiber has been providing internet to rural and underserved communities for years, so we’re acutely aware of the choices consumers have in our communities.

Most residents in our service areas have a choice between internet being delivered over traditional coax cable or phone lines (DSL), 5G wireless, or a fiber-optic network. This article will focus on some of the most common topics that come up with new customers.

Quality Internet Depends on How the Signal is Delivered

When talking with potential customers about why Swyft Fiber is a better option, we typically begin by explaining that the quality of internet service essentially depends on whether that signal is delivered directly to the home either by copper cable, wireless transmission, or fiber optic cable.

Cable TV and phone companies dominated as early internet providers, and most still have viable networks today. However, the technology is outdated and both cable and DSL internet suffer from inherent flaws: speed limits and latency issues. Therefore, internet over copper cable is going to be lower quality and have less quality than newer technologies.

5G home internet is based on wireless technology, and uses the 5G network towers of a cellular company to transmit a signal to each user of the network. A wireless 5G router in a user’s home picks up the signal and converts it into Wi-Fi. But this also means that the quality of 5G internet is affected by the same things that degrade a cell phone signal: geographic obstacles (like buildings and dense foliage coverage), network congestion, and the distance to the nearest cellular tower.

Fiber internet provides broadband connections via fiber-optic installed directly to a user’s home. This type of cable isn’t vulnerable to interference like older wired technologies. And unlike 5G, fiber-optic cables are less susceptible to interruptions or slowed speeds due to network congestion.

Consistency and Reliability

As important as 5G and cable internet technology is for rural communities, fiber internet is simply a superior technology for providing a consistent and reliable internet connection. Fiber-to-the-home connections outperform other internet technologies in the 3 primary categories that affect the quality of a signal:

Fiber-optic technology has 5 times the bandwidth capacity of 5G and cable. Unlike 5G, fiber does not suffer from lag or buffering due to all the users “competing” with each other for bandwidth on the local network.

Fiber internet – unlike 5G or cable – offers symmetrical upload and download speeds for most plans. This simply means that the upload speed is the same as the download speed, which is crucial for activities like gaming, video conferencing, and other high bandwidth activities. Additionally, fiber is the only technology capable of multi-gigabit speeds, making it perfect for high-usage households.

Latency is like a golf score: the lower, the better. While 5G internet tends to have a much lower latency compared to coax cable internet, the average latency for fiber internet is over 300% lower than 5G. This adds to the quality and efficiency of a fiber connection.

There are a variety of factors that influence the Bandwidth, Internet Speed, and Latency of each method of internet delivery. Decades-old copper cable connected to outdated equipment impacts the latency of cable and DSL systems, and network congestion causes bottlenecks in 5G bandwidth. High latency affects overall internet speed, as does low bandwidth. Fiber internet, on the other hand, transmits data as clean light which is significantly less susceptible to interference and not affected by network congestion. Thus, fiber internet the most consistent and reliable choice compared to all other internet delivery methods.

Pricing, Data Caps and Contracts

Naturally, the cost of internet is a huge priority for our customers. But other factors should be considered when choosing an internet provider, especially between 5G and fiber. Most 5G internet providers require (at least) an annual contract – along with other restrictions – just to sign up for a plan. Additionally, providers may require customers to switch their cell phone service in order to sign up. 5G customers are often subjected to overage charges if they exceed a monthly data cap.

At Swyft Fiber, we don’t believe our customers should be limited. That’s why we offer unlimited data with no overage charges or annual contracts for residential service.

The Bottom Line: Fiber Internet is the Best Choice

In a nutshell, 5G home internet works well for households where there is plenty of 5G coverage, like in urban areas. 5G home internet is less effective in rural areas where coverage is typically limited. These wireless internet plans also are less reliable and offer less signal quality when compared to modern wired internet options. Finally, 5G providers usually place data caps on plans, then impose automatic overage charges for exceeding the usage limits.

Fiber Internet is likely a much better choice for homes and businesses in rural areas because it is more reliable, offers consistency in speeds, virtually no lag time, and enough bandwidth to handle a high number of devices simultaneously. And, considering the overage charges many 5G internet households accrue every month, fiber internet tends to be a smarter financial choice as well.

But don’t just take our word for it…try a Swyft Fiber connection yourself. There’s no contract needed and no risk involved!