With the advent of the latest types of internet connection, it’s easy to lose focus in the mix. If fast internet connectivity is what you seek, then there are two types of internet connection that lead the market. The first one is cable and the second one is Fiber internet.
If you’re aware of these two types of connections, then you must know the speeds and reliability they’re capable of delivering. Now, which of these two is better for your household? Let’s help you find out.
Table of Contents
Cable Internet VS Fiber Internet
Cable Internet
Cable internet has been around for as long as we can remember. It runs on a coaxial cable network, which sends a signal via coax cable into your home’s modem. Unlike the traditional dial-up connection, cable internet does not cause interference in the phone line because it uses your TV lines to deliver internet to you.
The coaxial cable used in cable internet consists of copper. This ensures there are no slowdowns and outages in your connection. If you reside in an area where weather surprises you regularly with its changing moods, then cable internet holds the ability to withstand it all.
Cable internet is one of the most commonly available types of connection in the USA. It’s available to 88% of the USA and Spectrum is among the top cable providers that offers amazing bundles to its customers such as the Spectrum Gold Package. In rural America, where accessing other types of high-speed internet options is usually a hurdle, cable internet is easily available besides DSL and satellite internet.
In terms of durability, cable internet clearly outshines the other two rural counterparts. Moreover, Cable internet provider such as Mediacom Xtream is capable of mimicking fiber internet speeds, i.e. up to 1000+ Mbps. If you reside in an area where fiber internet infrastructure might not be introduced soon , then you can easily meet your needs with cable internet.
Fiber Internet
Now, pivoting towards Fiber Optic Internet. Fiber Internet has established its reputation as the Gold Standard for delivering tremendously fast speeds, superior-quality data transmission, and reliability. Fiber Internet is available to households and businesses. It’s easily a productivity booster to say the least, for the high-speed bandwidth it’s capable of reaching.
Albeit Fiber Internet is relatively new in the market and it has distinct advantages that make it a worthy competitor. Let’s begin with the network behind fiber internet. The data within Fiber-Optic infrastructure transmits over minuscule strands of glass via light. Since light travels faster than electricity, you can only imagine how fast your data transmission would become.
This is the reason why Fiber internet consistently delivers 117% of the speeds that are advertised, even during peak hours. For businesses, this is an added benefit since a slow internet can be a productivity drainer.
Remember when we mentioned Fiber internet is new in the market? Well, this is the reason why it still lacks availability in many parts of the US. Rural areas stand atop for having no fiber internet availability. This can be blamed on the cost of Fiber internet infrastructure. It’s expensive to deploy and maintenance costs are heavy too.
As compared to cable and other wired types of connection, fiber’s internet wins. It withstands signal interference, loss of connectivity due to severe weather conditions and temperature fluctuations.
Currently, the availability of fiber broadband in American households stands at a low of 30%. Compared to other countries, USA is far behind. Experts estimate that with the current pace of fiber’s network expansion, it’ll take about 4 more years for USA to bring fiber internet to 50% of its population.
Wrapping It Up
Cable and Fiber, both are tough contenders for the high-speed bandwidth they can deliver. If you’ve recently moved to a new neighborhood and have been looking into options, then narrow down your ISP choices to cable and fiber. Use your area’s ZIP code to confirm availability of fiber’s internet in your area and make it the ultimate choice. Or, if you want the second-best wired option then opting for cable internet might make you super satisfied.
