Internet Technology Guide: Fiber, Cable, DSL & More

The type of internet technology available at your address has the biggest impact on your online experience -- more than the plan you choose or the provider you select. Understanding the fundamental differences between fiber, cable, DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite helps you set realistic expectations and make the best choice from what's available. This guide explains how each technology works, its strengths and weaknesses, and which situations each one is best suited for.

Fiber Optic Internet

Fiber optic internet transmits data as pulses of light through thin glass or plastic fibers, enabling the fastest speeds available to consumers. Modern fiber networks deliver symmetric speeds from 300 Mbps to 10 Gbps, meaning your upload speed matches your download speed. This symmetry is a significant advantage for video conferencing, cloud computing, and content creation. Learn more in our detailed guide on how fiber internet works.

Fiber connections are immune to electromagnetic interference that can degrade cable and DSL signals, resulting in remarkably consistent performance regardless of weather conditions, time of day, or neighborhood usage. Latency on fiber is exceptionally low, typically 5-15 milliseconds, making it ideal for gaming and real-time applications. Fiber networks also have enormous future capacity headroom, meaning they can be upgraded to faster speeds without replacing the physical infrastructure.

The main limitation of fiber is availability. As of 2026, fiber reaches approximately 50% of U.S. households, concentrated in urban and suburban areas. Major fiber providers include AT&T Fiber, Verizon Fios, Google Fiber, Frontier Fiber, and numerous regional providers. Fiber installation typically requires running a new line to your home, which can take 1-4 weeks. Pricing ranges from $50-180/month depending on speed tier, making it competitive with cable for comparable speeds.

Cable Internet

Cable internet uses the same coaxial cable infrastructure originally built for cable television. It uses DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) technology to transmit data, with the latest DOCSIS 4.0 standard supporting speeds up to 10 Gbps downstream. In practice, most cable plans offer 100 Mbps to 2 Gbps download speeds with more limited upload speeds of 10-50 Mbps.

Cable's biggest advantage is availability -- it reaches about 90% of U.S. households, making it the most widely available broadband technology. It offers significantly faster speeds than DSL and doesn't require new infrastructure installation in most cases. Setup is quick, often available within 1-3 days of ordering.

The primary drawback of cable internet is shared bandwidth. All cable customers in a neighborhood segment share the same node's capacity, meaning speeds can slow during peak evening hours when everyone is streaming and browsing simultaneously. Upload speeds are also significantly lower than download speeds, which can impact video calls and cloud backups. Major cable providers include Xfinity (Comcast), Spectrum (Charter), Cox, Mediacom, and Optimum. See our cable vs fiber comparison for a detailed analysis.

DSL Internet

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) internet uses existing telephone copper wiring to deliver broadband. ADSL (Asymmetric DSL) typically offers 1-15 Mbps, while VDSL (Very-high-bit-rate DSL) can reach 50-100 Mbps over short distances. DSL's key advantage is near-universal availability since it uses the telephone network that reaches virtually every U.S. home.

DSL performance depends heavily on your distance from the provider's central office or DSLAM (DSL Access Multiplexer). Customers within 1 mile get the best speeds, while those 3+ miles away may see significant degradation. Unlike cable, DSL provides a dedicated connection that isn't shared with neighbors, resulting in more consistent (if slower) speeds throughout the day.

DSL is rapidly being phased out by major providers in favor of fiber. AT&T has stopped selling new DSL connections, and other providers are following suit. If DSL is your only option today, consider fixed wireless alternatives like T-Mobile 5G Home Internet or Verizon 5G Home, which offer faster speeds without the distance limitations of DSL. For a detailed comparison, see our cable vs DSL guide.

5G Fixed Wireless

5G fixed wireless internet uses cellular 5G networks to provide home broadband without any physical cable connection. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home are the leading services, offering speeds of 100-1,000 Mbps depending on the type of 5G signal available at your location. Setup is remarkably simple -- just plug in the provided gateway device and connect your WiFi.

The appeal of 5G fixed wireless is its combination of decent speeds, simple setup, no contracts, and competitive pricing ($50-60/month). It's particularly attractive in areas where the only wired options are slow DSL or expensive satellite. T-Mobile's service consistently delivers 100-300 Mbps in most locations, while Verizon's mmWave-based service can exceed 1 Gbps in supported areas.

Limitations include variable speeds depending on network congestion and signal strength, higher latency than wired connections (25-50ms vs 5-15ms for fiber), and potential deprioritization during times of cellular network congestion. 5G fixed wireless works best as a primary option when fiber and cable aren't available, or as a backup connection. Compare in our 5G vs fiber guide.

Satellite Internet

Satellite internet provides broadband coverage virtually anywhere in the United States, making it the last-resort option for rural areas without wired or wireless alternatives. Traditional satellite providers like HughesNet and Viasat offer 25-150 Mbps with data caps and high latency (500-700ms), while SpaceX's Starlink uses a low-earth orbit constellation to deliver 50-250 Mbps with much lower latency (20-60ms).

Starlink has revolutionized satellite internet by dramatically reducing latency and increasing speeds, making it viable for video calls and light gaming. Standard Starlink service costs $120/month with a $599 equipment fee, while the Priority tier offers faster speeds and more data for $250/month. Despite the higher cost, Starlink is often the best option for rural households that can't access fiber, cable, or reliable 5G.

All satellite internet faces limitations that wired connections don't: weather can temporarily reduce speeds, there's typically a line-of-sight requirement to the sky, and data caps or deprioritization policies limit heavy usage. If you're in a rural area, compare satellite options in our satellite internet guide and rural internet guide.

Choosing the Right Technology

Your choice of internet technology should be based on what's available at your address, your speed requirements, and your budget. If fiber is available, it's almost always the best choice for its speed, reliability, and symmetric upload performance. If not, cable provides the best combination of speed and availability for most households. 5G fixed wireless is an excellent alternative where available, especially in areas with only DSL. Satellite serves as the fallback for truly rural locations.