Torn Between Cable and Fiber Internet? Let’s Clear Things Up

In the case of quick, dependable web, cable and fiber are the heavyweights — leaving satellite tv for pc, DSL and glued wi-fi within the mud.

However in the event you’re questioning which one actually wins the pace recreation, fiber comes out on prime. With lightning-fast efficiency, equal add and obtain speeds, and fewer community congestion, fiber is the future-proof alternative constructed for at this time’s linked world. That mentioned, don’t rely cable out simply but. It nonetheless has loads going for it — like broader availability, decrease upfront prices and enticing bundle offers that make it a sensible choose for a lot of households.

So, which one must you select? On this information, we’ll break down the professionals, cons and key variations between cable and fiber web that will help you discover the proper match on your house — and your finances.

Coaxial web cables vs. fiber-optic web cables

The distinction between cable and fiber web begins with how the service reaches your property. 

Cable web makes use of coaxial cables, the identical ones that carry cable TV to your property. These cables encompass a stable or woven copper wire surrounded by insulating and protecting sheathings. The cables are an efficient means for transmitting numerous indicators, together with these on your web connection, however sign power and high quality can reduce with distance, interference and community congestion.

Fiber web makes use of skinny glass strands referred to as fiber-optic cables to hold knowledge, resembling your web service, by way of gentle indicators. The know-how can carry higher quantities of knowledge at sooner speeds than coaxial cables and can also be higher outfitted to retain sign power and high quality over lengthy distances, like throughout the ocean.

The draw back of fiber-optic cables is that they’re costlier than coaxial cables, and laying new traces is a logistical problem. In consequence, cable web boasts far higher availability than fiber.

Let’s get into a number of the particulars of fiber web and cable web and the advantages, drawbacks and affordability of each.

Cable web professionals

Cable web cons

• Speeds: Cable web doesn’t match the obtain pace potential of fiber, and add speeds are considerably slower.
• Community congestion: Peak utilization instances can lead to slower speeds to the house.
• High quality print: That is provider-specific, however with cable web, you’re extra prone to encounter worth hikes, knowledge caps, gear charges and contracts.

Fiber web professionals

• Speeds: Fiber is the quickest web connection kind, and add speeds can match obtain speeds.
• Reliability: Fiber-optic traces are much less prone to community congestion and interference.
• Worth: In comparison with cable, fiber plans usually have a decrease value per Mbps, together with fewer charges and worth hikes.

Fiber web cons

• Availability: Lower than half of US residences are serviceable for fiber web, in line with current knowledge from the Federal Communications Fee.
• Pricing: Fiber web might have the next beginning worth than cable web.
• Bundling: Few fiber suppliers additionally supply TV or different house providers, limiting the supply of web bundles.

Cable vs. fiber web availability

You’re almost twice as prone to be serviceable for cable web than fiber web. Cable connections can be found to greater than 82% of US households, whereas fiber protection lands round 43%, in line with the FCC.

Each cable and fiber suppliers largely function in city and suburban areas, however cable usually supplies extra broad and constant protection all through a given location. Fiber availability is restricted to pick areas in a metropolis, and serviceability might range from one neighborhood to the subsequent.

My hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, is an efficient instance. The primary native cable supplier, Spectrum, is obtainable to 93% of town’s residential addresses. Two main fiber ISPs, AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber, serve the realm, however solely round 60% of Charlotte addresses are serviceable for fiber web.

High 5 cable web suppliers by availability

High 5 fiber web suppliers by availability

If you happen to’re purchasing for cable or fiber web, you could encounter a number of of the suppliers above. Then once more, there are tons of of regional and hyper-local cable and fiber web suppliers throughout the US. The obtainable suppliers in your space will play a job in how a lot your web prices, what speeds you will get and different service situations.

Cable vs. fiber plans and pricing

Plan choice and pricing will range by supplier, however cable is usually the very best supply of low-cost web, no less than for the primary 12 months or two of service. Cable suppliers resembling Astound, WOW and Xfinity, for instance, have introductory charges as little as $20 to $25 a month for obtain speeds starting from 150 to 300Mbps.

Fiber web is obtainable for $20 to $30 a month — Ziply Fiber and Frontier Fiber supply 100Mbps ($20) and 200Mbps ($30) plans, respectively — however, for essentially the most half, count on to pay no less than $40 to $50 month-to-month for service. AT&T Fiber, Quantum Fiber and Verizon Fios are $50 to $55 monthly in most places, whereas Google Fiber’s least expensive plan begins at $70.

Low-cost cable web plans

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge

Low-cost fiber web plans

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge

Selecting the most affordable web plan from a cable or fiber supplier usually means accepting the slowest speeds. As you get into sooner pace tiers — 500Mbps to 1,000Mbps, or 1 gigabit per second — pricing is a little more evenly matched, though cable should still have the benefit, relying on the supplier. 

In choose areas, Astound, Spectrum, WOW and different cable ISPs have decrease introductory pricing on gig service than you’ll discover with most fiber suppliers. Simply remember the fact that whereas cable web’s low pricing is tempting, it might not final lengthy.

Take into account introductory and normal pricing

Cable web might begin out cheaper, however many suppliers have steep worth will increase after the primary 12 months or two. Relying on the plan you select, Astound, Mediacom and Xfinity charges can enhance by $30 to $50 or extra as soon as the introductory pricing expires. 

Month-to-month pricing is a little more steady with fiber web. AT&T Fiber has no set worth will increase after 12 months, Verizon Fios provides a worth assure of two to 4 years and Quantum Fiber will lock in your month-to-month fee for so long as you retain your plan.

When evaluating cable and fiber web suppliers, be sure you consider introductory and normal charges. If you happen to go along with cable for the cheaper preliminary pricing, keep watch over your invoice and be prepared to change web suppliers when the promotional pricing interval ends.

Cable vs. fiber web speeds

Like pricing, obtainable speeds will range by supplier, however obtain speeds will most likely be sooner with fiber. Add speeds will certainly be sooner. 

Most cable and fiber web suppliers supply obtain speeds as much as a gig. Just a few cable ISPs supply speeds larger than a gig — Astound goes as much as 1.5Gbps, WOW has a 1.2Gbps plan and Xfinity stretches to 2Gbps in choose areas — however a single gig is usually the usual max for cable.

With fiber web, it’s not unusual to have a single gig pace tier, plus multi-gigabit plans with speeds of 2Gbps, 5Gbps, 8Gbps or larger obtainable. Ziply Fiber provides the quickest house web plan I’ve encountered with most speeds of 50Gbps, or 50,000Mbps.

Quickest cable web plans

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge

Quickest fiber web plans

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge

Discover that with cable web plans, add speeds are considerably slower than downloads. That’s not essentially a giant deal as add speeds play much less of a job in our web use (my colleague, Joe Supan, notes that his cable add speeds are greater than sufficient). Nonetheless, it’s one thing to think about when evaluating cable versus fiber web providers.

Cable vs. fiber further issues

Value and pace are the 2 most necessary elements when selecting an web supplier, however that’s not all it would be best to take into consideration. Charges and contracts can have an effect in your satisfaction as a buyer. Once more, this stuff are extra provider-specific than the know-how, however I discover fiber to be extra favorable.

Gear, knowledge caps and contracts

Gear rental charges can simply add $10 to $15 to your month-to-month invoice, maybe extra when you’ve got a mesh system with a number of pods. Choose cable and fiber suppliers embody gear rental at no further value, however the scale tilts extra to fiber.

Astound provides free gear rental. Xfinity might embody free gear with choose plans, in choose areas. Spectrum features a free modem lease, however renting a router for Wi-Fi will add $10 to your month-to-month web value in the event you go along with the 500Mbps plan. Cox, Mediacom and others might cost $13 to $15 to hire a gateway router. 

In distinction, AT&T Fiber, Frontier Fiber, Google Fiber, Quantum Fiber and Verizon Fios, amongst others, supply free gear rental.

The one potential draw back to fiber is that you could be be restricted as to the place you may put your router. Most properties wired for fiber have an put in ONT (the fiber model of a modem) that is probably not in the very best location for a router. My ONT, as an illustration, is hidden behind a closet panel, so my router sadly sits in a coat closet.

As for knowledge caps and contracts, fiber suppliers are once more usually extra favorable. Practically all fiber suppliers I’ve come throughout supply limitless knowledge and few require a contract. Cable ISPs, however, usually tend to maintain you to a knowledge cap and contract with the specter of pace throttling or added charges.

Buyer satisfaction favors fiber

One final provider-specific, cable-to-fiber comparability right here, however it’s one price noting because it offers perception to how precise prospects really feel about their service. Within the newest American Buyer Satisfaction Index report, main fiber suppliers scored larger than the large cable ISPs. 

All named fiber suppliers (except for Optimum, which is generally a cable ISP and is infamous for low buyer satisfaction), scored above 70/100. The closest cable suppliers, Cox and Spectrum, got here in at 68/100. Granted, the ACSI categorizes fiber and non-fiber suppliers individually, however I’d assume they’re evaluated the identical.

One other supply we like to make use of for buyer satisfaction knowledge, J.D. Energy, paints the same image. In its 2024 report, a fiber supplier led in all 4 markets: Verizon (East), Google Fiber (South) and AT&T (North Central, West).

Cable vs. fiber web recap

Cable web has its benefits — availability, low introductory pricing, higher bundling choices — however fiber is the superior connection kind. Fiber web is able to sooner speeds, up and down, and is best suited to constantly ship these speeds, even throughout peak utilization instances. Relying on the obtainable ISPs in your space, fiber could also be a bit costlier, however the general worth can’t be beat.

Cable vs. fiber FAQs