5G Home internet has taken the broadband world by storm, but is it better than a fiber internet connection? Check out our take. - CNET

Oct 14, 2024

5G fixed wireless is growing in popularity, but how does it compare to a fiber connection? Here's what you need to know.

Article updated on September 28, 2024 at 5:00 AM PDT

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We've fully embraced 5G on our phones by now, and for good reason. The tech upgrade boosts cellular speeds 10 to 100 times faster than the previous generation. It's so fast and powerful that the wireless signals can serve double duty, delivering cellular connectivity and home internet service. Major providers that offer 5G home internet are T-Mobile and Verizon, which reach over 40 and 50 million households nationwide, respectively. AT&T has also gotten into the game with its AT&T Internet Air option.

While 5G and what it can do for your new smartphone is certainly impressive, don't count on it to replace your home internet connection just yet, especially if fiber-optic internet is available in your area. According to the latest data from the Federal Communications Commission, 43% of households are equipped with a fiber connection. 5G home internet has its advantages, sure, but I'm not ready to recommend it over fiber, or even cable internet for that matter, as the best connection type.

The same attributes that make 5G home internet appealing -- high speed potential, decent value and simple, contract-free service terms -- are also applicable, often even more so, to fiber. Plus, you'll get faster upload speeds, better speed reliability and more plan options with fiber internet versus 5G service.

Locating local internet providers

That said, there may be times when a 5G home internet service makes more sense for your home than fiber, particularly if you want cheap internet or are trying to find internet in a rural area where fiber is unavailable. T-Mobile Home Internet, for example, is available to more than 40 million homes, a third of which are in rural areas.

So what's the deal with fiber versus 5G? I'll explain it all, starting with an overview of how the two technologies work.

Locating local internet providers

The main differences between fiber and 5G internet begin with how the two services reach your home.

Fiber-optic internet sends data in light (optic) signals via long, thin glass wires (fibers) directly to your home or a local node on a dedicated line. Service runs to an optical network terminal, basically the fiber version of a modem, which establishes your internet connection. From there, a router may convert those signals into Wi-Fi, but the connection is fully wired all the way to your router.

5G (the fifth generation of wireless technology) sends and receives wireless internet signals over low-, mid- or high-frequency airwaves with each spectrum band having its own speed and range capabilities. Inside your home, a small, portable device receives the wireless signals and converts them into the connection you use for streaming, gaming, browsing, etc. Most 5G receivers have an Ethernet port or two to plug in a computer or gaming device, but otherwise your connection is entirely wireless as it enters your home and reaches your various devices.

Similar to connecting your computer to the modem via an Ethernet cable versus using Wi-Fi, a wired internet service is likely to be better equipped to deliver faster, more consistent speeds.

Higher-frequency millimeter-wave 5G was an early focus for Verizon 5G Home Internet deployments, but Verizon and also T-Mobile have since focused on offering home internet over their respective midband networks. Midband 5G is much more widely available than millimeter-wave, particularly in rural areas.

While not as wide ranging as low-band networks or as fast as millimeter-wave, it offers a solid mix of both speed and range with download speeds often around or over 100Mbps. T-Mobile Home Internet and AT&T Internet Air, for example, advertise speed ranges of 72 to 245Mbps and 75-225Mbps, respectively.

Midband 5G networks are largely resistant to interference from obstructions or bad weather, but customers may experience slowed speeds due to network congestion.

T-Mobile acknowledges the possibility of slowed speeds, disclaiming that "during congestion, Home Internet customers may notice speeds lower than customers using other T-Mobile services due to data prioritization." Admittedly, network congestion is a potential problem with wired internet services such as cable and DSL internet, too, but it's far less of a concern with fiber.

Most major fiber internet providers use a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connection, meaning each address on the network has a dedicated fiber line. The direct connection all but eliminates the threat of slowed speeds due to network congestion or outages due to obstructions or inclement weather. But don't just take it from me -- AT&T Fiber, Frontier and Verizon Fios are confident enough in their fiber networks to claim 99.9% reliability.

Reliability is comforting, but it's probably lower on your list of considerations when comparing internet services. What you're assuredly more interested in is what speeds you can get and how much it costs.

Here's a broad look at what to expect from fiber and 5G internet providers. Keep in mind that speeds and pricing, especially those of fiber service, can vary by location and the available providers in your area.

At first glance, you'll notice that fiber has the higher speed potential and, should you opt for those ultra-fast multi-gig speeds, a significantly higher price ceiling. Don't get too caught up on that $900 price point, however. Most fiber plans fall in a much more reasonable price range of $40 to $90 per month.

As for 5G, the $35 pricing reflects a bundle discount for qualifying Verizon mobile customers on the carrier's base plan, which otherwise starts at $50 per month. T-Mobile and AT&T Internet Air also offer a discount, around 20% off, for qualifying mobile customers.

If you can get those discounts, great, but if not, expect to pay $50 or $70 per month for 5G home internet. Unlike with fiber, your speed comes down to the best available at your address, so the overall value of your 5G internet plan will depend on what speeds you can get.

Fiber internet typically comes with two, three or more speed tiers to choose from. Quantum Fiber, for example, mainly presents two plan options: 500Mbps starting at $50 per month or gig service (940Mbps) starting at $75 per month. However, its 200Mbps entry-level speed tier and multi-gigabit plans might be available in select areas. Others, including AT&T, Frontier and Verizon Fios, come with even more speed tiers to choose from and may also offer multi-gigabit speeds of 2Gbps or even 5Gbps (5,000Mbps) in select areas. You won't currently find speeds anywhere close to that with 5G home internet.

5G, on the other hand, presents a speed range because the actual speeds you get can and will vary by location, specifically how far you are from a local tower or transmitter. Consequently, 5G providers are unable to match the speed tiers and selection of fiber providers.

T-Mobile offers just one 5G home internet speed tier, which may offer speeds between 72Mbps and 245Mbps in download and 15 to 31Mbps in upload. Similarly, AT&T Internet Air has a single speed tier ranging from 75 to 225Mbps down and 10 to 30Mbps up.

Verizon offers two plans, 5G Home and 5G Home Plus, with speed ranges of 50 to 300Mbps and 85 to 1,000Mbps, respectively.

All this is to say fiber internet is better suited than 5G to give you a selection of speed tiers to choose from. And again, a fiber-to-the-home connection is better equipped than 5G to actually deliver those speeds on a consistent basis.

Unless you qualify for a mobile bundle discount, fiber internet plans are typically a better value than 5G considering the speeds you get for the price.

For example, take AT&T Fiber and T-Mobile 5G home internet. AT&T Fiber's cheapest plan is $5 more than T-Mobile per month ($55 compared to $50), but it offers faster download and upload speeds, not to mention the reliability of a 100% fiber connection.

But let's say you can get the bundle discount with Verizon. I'll admit, $35 per month for speeds ranging from 50Mbps to 300Mbps is a good deal and $45 for speeds ranging from 85Mbps to 1,000Mbps could be an even better one if your address is eligible for faster speeds.

Still, you may find paying a bit more for fiber service to be worthwhile depending on the available providers in your area. Frontier's fiber service, for example, starts at $30 per month for symmetrical upload and download speeds up to 200Mbps.

The Verizon 5G Home Internet box.

Speeds and pricing are perhaps the most important considerations when choosing the best internet provider for your home, but you'll also want to take into account added fees and customer service terms like data caps and contract requirements.

AT&T, Frontier, Verizon Fios and a few other fiber providers include the equipment rental in your monthly costs, so there are no additional charges for renting your modem or router. Others, like Kinetic, may tack $11 in equipment fees onto your bill. There are often ways around the fee, such as using your own router or selecting a plan that includes equipment at no extra cost. CNET's broadband expert, Joe Supan saved hundreds of dollars off his internet bill by using his own equipment.

As for data caps and contracts, nearly all fiber internet providers offer unlimited data and come with no contract requirements, but some may require a one-year term agreement in order to qualify for promotional rates or other special offers.

Slight advantage to 5G here. AT&T Air, T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet are about as straightforward as it comes with their 5G home internet pricing and service terms. Your equipment is included at no extra cost, as is unlimited data and contract-free service.

You also won't have to worry about any immediate price hikes. Verizon 5G home internet comes with a two- or three-year price guarantee depending on the plan you choose while T-Mobile promises to pay your final bill if your rate ever increases. AT&T Air does not have a set price increase after 12 months.

There's no denying that the arrival of 5G is a win for our phones, but the technology isn't quite ready to replace a fiber-to-the-home internet connection. While the pricing and service terms are impressive, it's not enough to turn me away from the speed, reliability and value of fiber internet.

That said, considering there are no contracts and essentially no risk with 5G home internet service, you may want to try it out to see what speeds and reliability you can get -- it could even help you negotiate a better deal with your current internet provider. Just don't expect the service to perform like a fiber-optic connection.

Is 5G or fiber better for gaming?

Both connection type have the speed potential to support online gaming, but I would trust my gaming to fiber internet over 5G. Fiber internet has better speed consistency and is less susceptible to interruptions or slowed speeds due to network congestion. Additionally, fiber typically has a lower latency, or ping, than 5G, and is thus less likely to lag your game.

Is 5G better than fiber-optic internet?

5G home internet has its advantages, most notably being its availability and ability to quickly expand coverage areas due to its wireless delivery. 5G home internet providers, including AT&T Air, T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet, also feature comparatively low pricing and simple service terms that include free equipment rental, unlimited data and no contracts.

It's not uncommon for fiber internet providers to offer the same perks, however. Additionally, fiber internet often presents faster speeds, up and down, than 5G, plus better speed reliability.

Other than availability, 5G home internet holds no significant advantages over fiber internet.

Is fiber internet wireless?

Fiber internet is a wired connection using fiber-optic lines to run service directly to your home or to a nearby node where another connection type, most likely coaxial (cable), carries your internet service the rest of the way.

When using Wi-Fi, you are wirelessly connecting to your internet, but the internet service itself is not wireless. It is your router that takes the wired, fiber internet service and creates a wireless signal.

What are the major differences between fiber and 5G?

The biggest difference between fiber and 5G is one is wired (fiber) and the other is wireless (5G). The technology and wired connection behind fiber internet allows for far faster speeds and better reliability than 5G. The wireless delivery of 5G, however, results in greater availability and more rapid expansion than fiber internet. Major 5G contenders such as T-Mobile and Verizon are available to over 40 to 50 million households in the US, respectively. Whereas fiber internet is only accessible to 43% of households.

As for pricing and service terms between fiber and 5G, that depends on the available internet providers in your area. 5G may ultimately prove to be the cheapest option, but fiber is often the better value when considering cost per Mbps.