5G vs. Fiber: Which One is Better for Home Internet?

When you hear 5G, you most likely think of your phone. That’s because 5G is a type of wireless network technology that connects your smartphone to the Internet.

5G isn’t just for smartphones anymore, though. Over the last year, almost all major cell phone carriers – Verizon, US Cellular, T-Mobile, and AT&T, to name a few – have begun offering 5G Internet service for homes, too.

As customers consider this new home Internet option, it’s important to understand what 5G really means. Not all types of Internet are created equal, and similar-sounding acronyms – like 5G, 5Gb, and 5Ghz, all of which mean different things in the Internet world – can contribute to confusion about what speeds people are really receiving.

This article explores 5G home Internet and how it compares to fiber Internet, helping you determine the best way to keep your home connected.

What is 5G Internet?

The acronym 5G stands for “fifth generation,” referring to the fifth generation of wireless data networks (the network your phone uses to access the Internet and receive cell service).

The fifth generation is a step up from the fourth generation of wireless data, which is referred to as 4G or 4G LTE. The main difference between 5G and 4G is the type of frequency used to transmit data. 5G uses a higher frequency of wave, known as a millimeter-wave, which allows for faster speeds – but at shorter ranges.

Which One is Faster?

5G: Average 300Mb Download, 50Mb Upload

One of the most common misconceptions about 5G home Internet is that “5G” stands for “5 Gigabit” - which is a massive amount of Internet speed. That’s because most Internet consumers are used to seeing a combination of letters and numbers that refer to speed – for example, 1 Gb means 1 Gigabit of speed, and 200Mb means 200 Megabits.

Though it may seem like a similar acronym, “5G” does not pertain to speed in any way. If you sign up for 5G home Internet, you shouldn’t expect to receive 5 Gigabits of speed. In fact, while 5G can reach speeds of over 1Gb, the average 5G home Internet speed ranges from 100 – 300Mb.

Because the strength of 5G Internet depends on the 5G network coverage in your area – which is easily affected by distance from the cell tower, buildings, and trees – most 5G home Internet speeds are advertised as a range. Verizon states most 5G home Internet customers can expect 50 – 300Mb download speeds on average; T-Mobile says 72 – 245Mb.

When choosing an Internet provider, it’s important to pay attention to upload speeds, too. Upload speed is how fast your network can transmit data from your device to the Internet – like uploading photos to the cloud, posting to social media, and sharing your screen during a remote meeting.

5G home Internet provides an average upload speed of around 50Mb. Similar to 5G download speeds, these upload speeds can fluctuate. For example, T-Mobile's website states upload speeds for their 5G Wireless Home Internet are typically between 15 – 31Mb.

Fiber: Up to 1 Gig (1,000Mb) Download, 1 Gig Upload

With fiber-to-the-home Internet, there tends to be much less fluctuation in speed. That's because the factors that affect 5G signals do not affect fiber. If you sign up for 300Mb fiber-to-the-home Internet, you can expect 300Mb of speed at all times.

Unlike 5G Internet, fiber Internet is also capable of providing symmetrical speeds, meaning your upload and download speeds are the same. For example, if you have 1 Gb of download speed, you’ll also receive 1 Gb of upload speed.

Symmetrical speeds are useful for things like smooth FaceTime calls, multiplayer gaming in real time, immersive virtual reality (VR) games, and more. Fiber is the only type of Internet technology that can provide these equally fast speeds.

Which One is More Reliable?

Of course, great speeds don't matter if your Internet is constantly cutting out. For 5G and fiber, reliability ultimately comes down to the type of network: wireless versus wired.

5G: Wireless, Moderate Reliability

As you might expect, 5G home Internet operates on the same wireless network as the 5G signal on your phone. Because the connection between the Internet provider and your home is not wired, the signal travels along airwaves.

As these airborne signals make their way from the nearest cell tower to the receiver in your home, they can encounter obstacles – mainly trees, homes, and other buildings. Each obstacle has the potential to weaken or disrupt the Internet signal to your home.

The material of the objects along the signal’s path matters, too. If you’ve ever been inside a brick or concrete building and suddenly lost cell service, then you’ve experienced how thicker, heavier materials can degrade a wireless signal.

5G’s millimeter-waves are especially susceptible to this type of interference, which is why many 5G home Internet providers typically rely on a mix of millimeter-wave, low-band, and mid-band technology. Low- and mid-band waves are more resistant to outside interference and can cover larger distances, but at a lower speed than millimeter-waves.

This mixture of wave types, while making the signal more reliable, dilutes the speed. Unfortunately, this is the case for many kinds of wireless technology – speed must be sacrificed for better reliability and range, or vice versa.

Fiber: Wired, High Reliability

Fiber Internet, on the other hand, does not rely on airwaves to transmit Internet signals. Instead, it relies on tiny glass strands of fiber, each thinner than a human hair, which are bundled together to create fiber-optic cables. These cables transmit Internet data using pulses of light – meaning information is literally traveling along the network at the speed of light.

Fiber-to-the-home Internet connects your home directly to a fiber network using these fiber-optic cables. Because the connection uses a physical wire, more infrastructure and construction are required for fiber Internet. Miles of fiber cables lie underground or overhead on telephone poles to bring the Internet directly to each home.

These wired connections come with some inherent advantages. Factors that affect wireless signals, like 5G’s airwaves, are a non-issue with fiber. Natural elements like cold weather, storms, and electromagnetic waves that affect other forms of wired Internet – like traditional coaxial Internet – have much less effect on fiber.

Fiber is also capable of sending stronger signals over longer distances, meaning you do not have to sacrifice speed or reliability for range. Traditional coaxial Internet uses copper to transmit data, and 5G home Internet uses airwave signals, both of which tend to degrade with distance. Since fiber uses pulses of light to transmit data, fiber Internet users don’t experience this same weakened signal, no matter how far the information must travel to reach your home.

Which One is Right for You?

There is a common misconception that 5G home Internet is the best option for people who mostly use the Internet on their phones at home. While 5G home Internet is inherently a mobile phone network, fiber Internet works just as well to access the Internet from a mobile phone while at home.

Ultimately, the type of home Internet that works best for you depends on many things that only you can decide – the number of devices in your house, your Internet usage, how much speed and reliability you need, and so on.

For both 5G and fiber, one of the biggest considerations is availability. Neither 5G nor fiber Internet are universally available yet, though companies like ImOn Communications have been working hard to close that gap when it comes to fiber. For example, ImOn's fiber network now covers over 130,000 homes and business in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Dubuque, with thousands more addresses being added every year.

To learn more about fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) Internet or see if it is available at your home, reach out to ImOn at (319) 298-6484 or visit ImOn.net. We are happy to talk through your home Internet options to find the right solution for you.