Fiber Internet Vs. Cable Internet: Which One Should You Choose?

In a world full of options, you have some important decisions to make. These decisions affect your work, life, and so much more. One of these important decisions is to choose which type of internet connection would be best for you. Of the multiple options that you can find on the market, two of these options stand out the most. These are fiber internet and cable internet.

You must have heard about it a lot too. Usually, fiber is supposed to be the faster option, but cable is the more available option. This is where it gets confusing too. What happens if fiber is available in your area, do you just go for that option, and discard cable internet without a second thought? Or do you stick with cable internet, since fiber can be a little costly?

For today’s blog, we aim to talk about fiber and cable internet both. After reading this blog, you will know the difference between the two and you will have a deep understanding of how they both differ from each other. Then, you will be able to judge for yourself which internet connection is good for you and which isn’t. Lastly, if you are looking out for a good fiber internet provider, or some cable internet providers, then you will find some mentioned towards the end of our blog.

What Is Fiber Internet?

Fiber internet, also referred to as fiber optic internet, is an internet connection type that uses fiber optic cables to send and receive data. Pulses of light are used to transmit data and it is translated as binary numbers (zeros and ones) on the other end. As we all know that light travels extremely fast, and this is precisely the reason why fiber internet is so speedy.

Moreover, fiber internet is scarcely available in many states and the reason for this is that the fiber infrastructure is expensive and it is also a relatively newer type of technology making it hard to understand or come by for most people. Most people opt for fiber because of its higher speeds that cannot be matched even by cable internet providers.

What Is Cable Internet?

Cable internet is another type of internet connection and it uses coaxial cables, instead of fiber optic cables. Using these coaxial cables, it transmits data via radio frequency signals. Cable internet is a better option than fiber in terms of cost. It is not as pricey as a fiber internet connection, and it is also easily available in a lot of areas, cities, and states. Cable TV uses the same cables as used for cable internet, and this is why you will find a variety of cable internet and TV bundles.

However, cable internet is less reliable and less speedy than fiber internet. While this doesn’t really pose a problem for many people, and they can manage just fine with the speed they have chosen, it does naturally become a problem if there is a constant distortion of the internet connection.

Comparison Of Fiber And Cable Internet Connection

Knowing the basics about fiber and cable internet, the next thing to do is compare the two to see the differences. Let’s take a look.

Speed

There are two types of internet speed: Upload and download speed. The download speed is needed for loading the results of your Google search, or for downloading the next screen and graphics for the MMO game you’re playing. Having a good download speed is essential since it is used for everything! Most times, it is also the only speed that is being advertised as “internet speed” by ISPs.

The upload speed is responsible for sending data from your end to the server. For example, when you’re playing World of Warcraft, you press some buttons and your character moves around and performs some actions. The process between you pressing those buttons and the game server receiving those instructions is facilitated via upload speed. Similarly, the same explanation applies to video and audio calls. Oftentimes, upload speed is not advertised and the reason for that is that upload speed is not a concern for many people. This is also why the upload speed is usually lower than the download speed.

One thing you should know about fiber and cable connection is that fiber offers symmetrical upload and download speeds, but the cable connection does not. And on that note, cable internet can reach speeds up to 1000 Mbps, whereas fiber internet can reach speeds up to 10 Gbps. As for upload speeds, cable internet can reach up to 50 Mbps, and fiber naturally reaches as high as its download speeds.

Availability

Fiber internet is still pretty new to the internet scene and this is why its availability is limited to particular areas only. Laying down the fiber infrastructure is time-consuming, not to mention the significant infrastructure investment it entails for ISPs. Cable internet, on the other hand, is widely available in many areas and part of the reason is that it was the best option for internet for fiber. It is still one of the best and falls right below fiber internet.

Some ISPs offer hybrid models of fiber and cable for the internet. It’s like combining the best of both connections and giving you an average-priced connection. The chances of you having the availability of a hybrid model in your area are greater than having a pure fiber connection.

Reliability

Fiber internet and cable internet are almost the same in terms of reliability. The little difference between them is that the cable connection is impacted by power availability and if your area experiences a blackout, so does your internet. Fiber internet is not affected by the residential power supply and so, you can continue to use it through an electrical outage too.

This is why fiber has slightly more reliability than cable. Unlike other internet connections, fiber is not affected easily by anything, be it bad weather, or signal issues. This is just another reason why people prefer to get a fiber connection. And it’s not only people but businesses and corporations that also want to get their hands on fiber internet.

Price

Typically, fiber internet is much more expensive than cable internet. Recently, however, the price for fiber internet has become much closer to cable internet and more affordable. Depending on the provider, the price for fiber internet can be cheaper, the same, or just a little more than the cable internet plan. But of course, there can also be a huge difference in the price set by other providers. So while we can’t say for sure, we can still say this much: the price of fiber is usually a little more than the price of cable.

Fiber Internet Plans

If you are interested in choosing fiber internet, then take a look at the fiber internet plans from various providers. Note that all these plans are 100% fiber internet.