Though not as speedy as fiber internet, cable internet service is still one of the fastest connection types. That makes sense, because cable internet uses the same coaxial connections as cable TV. Cable is one of the most common types of internet connections - available to nearly 90% of US households - and you'll often find it bundled with TV packages. Taylor Martin/CNET Cable internet: Your standard connectionĬable internet lacks the full speed potential and reliability of fiber-optic service, but it's much more widely accessible. Notable fiber internet providersĬable internet delivers a connection to your home via copper coaxial cable - the same as traditional cable TV. Consequently, fiber internet is only available to around 38% of US households and primarily those in urban areas, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Laying enough fiber-optic cables to connect entire cities and regions is a huge logistical challenge, and with lots of competition and red tape to cut through, it's been slow going for any of the major service providers to expand coverage to underserved areas. Other connection types may present slightly lower introductory prices, depending on the available providers in your area, but when you take into account the speeds you get for the price you pay, you're likely to find the best value with fiber internet.Īvailability is the only real disadvantage with fiber. Pricing for the ultraspeedy plans can easily run you $100 or more per month, but most providers also offer slower (if speeds of 100 to 1,000Mbps can be considered slow) speed tiers for $40 to $90 per month. Upload speeds, which are especially important when working and learning from home, are also significantly faster with fiber-optic service and typically mirror download speeds. ISPs send data along these fibers as light signals, and the result is speed and reliability that are superior to other connection types.įiber-optic can deliver download speeds as fast as 10 gigabits (10,000 megabits per second) or higher - fast enough to download a two-hour movie in HD in less than a minute - but you're likely to find max download speeds around 1,000Mbps from most fiber-optic providers. Fiber internet: The best, but with limited availabilityįiber-optic internet refers to a connection that comes to your home via long, thin strands (fibers) of glass or plastic.
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