Comparing Internet Connection Types

Internet availability largely depends on your location, with urban areas typically having more internet providers and better access to high-speed options like fiber internet. Rural areas often have fewer choices and may be limited to slower connections like DSL.

Before choosing an internet type, consider your data usage to avoid exceeding caps and paying overage fees. There are six main types of internet: fiber, cable, DSL, satellite, fixed wireless, and 5G, each with different speeds, performance, and costs.

This guide explains the differences between these internet types to help you understand your options and find the best fit for your needs. Use our comparison tool to discover available plans near you.

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Internet Connections At a Glance

To give you a general overview, here is a table outlining what each internet connection type typically offers. We compare them based on download speed ranges, starting price ranges, and the percentage of the U.S. population with access.

What Type of Internet is Best?

As it stands, fiber internet is the best internet if you can get your hands on it. It’s extremely fast and reliable compared to other internet types, offering equal download and upload speeds of up to 2,000 Mbps (though 1,000 Mbps is more common). This makes it ideal for heavy users who have larger homes, multi-person families, or bandwidth-heavy jobs.

However, since it’s a newer technology, fiber internet is the least available connection type today. Internet service providers (ISP) are still working to build infrastructure to support it, which takes time and money. This also explains why fiber plans are generally more expensive, too. If you can’t get fiber where you live, check out what other connections have to offer below.

Fiber Internet

Fiber internet uses light, rather than electric signals, to transfer data along fiber-optic glass cables. These “cables” are thin, transparent glass fibers that transmit data at the speed of light, which explains why it’s so much faster than other connection types.

Overall, fiber offers the fastest speeds, delivers the largest home coverage, and supports the most device connectivity among internet options. However, since fiber is not as widely available as DSL and cable internet and can cost a pretty penny, it only makes up 1 in 5 internet subscribers today (or 19% of all U.S. households).

Our Top Fiber Pick:

• Simplified pricing
• Unlimited data included
• No annual contract required

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Cable Internet

Far more common than fiber, cable internet uses electrical signals to pass internet connection from a provider to the home. It piggybacks off of pre-existing infrastructures to deliver internet, using the same coaxial cables that TV service runs on. While DSL is similar in that it relies on older networks, cable internet is usually more reliable than DSL.

Cable service offers fast download speeds and is widely available, which makes it the leading choice for households today. Currently, 3 in 5 internet subscribers use cable internet (64% of all U.S. households).

Our Top Cable Pick:

• Variety of plans
• Wide availability
• Fiber internet speeds

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DSL Internet

DSL internet, which stands for digital subscriber line, is the most common connection in the United States due to its availability. Similar to cable, DSL uses pre-existing copper phone lines to transmit internet signals to your home.

Based on its speeds, DSL is a step up from dial-up service but is still known to cause dead spots, latency issues, and all-around slower speeds compared to cable and fiber internet. It’s best for smaller households, users with fewer connected devices, or those looking for cheap internet.

Out Top DSL Pick:

• Best internet protection
• Unlimited data included
• No credit checks

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Satellite Internet

Satellite internet is a wireless connection that uses space technology to transmit internet signals between 3 satellite dishes. One is set up at your provider’s main hub, one is set up on your property, and one is in space. This connection type has the unique advantage of being available virtually anywhere, but it is subject to service interruptions caused by bad weather or poor equipment.

There are only a few satellite internet providers available today. For the most part, it’s an internet solution meant for rural homes that can’t get wired connections to their property easily.

Our Top Satellite Pick:

• Fast satellite internet
• Ideal for rural areas
• Up to 3x faster than DSL*

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Fixed Wireless Internet

Fixed wireless internet uses cell towers to transmit internet signals over radio waves. Like satellite, fixed wireless is most common in rural areas where hard-wired cable connections are difficult to lay, yet it’s limited by line of sight requirements due to the way it transmits internet signals.

This connection is only recommended for households with minimum internet usage. It can support light activities like checking emails or browsing social media, but it won’t get you very far during Netflix marathons.

Out Top Fixed Wireless Pick:

• Affordable plans
• High speeds
• Flexible bundles

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5G Internet

Fifth-generation internet technology, or 5G, is the next evolution in wireless networks set to replace 4G, 3G, and LTE with far better performance. 5G networks are powered by new technology referred to as millimeter wave (mmWave) that runs on three different bands: low-band, mid-band, and high-band. Each band has the capacity to carry different speeds, 100 Mbps, 1,000 Mbps, and 10 Gbps respectively.

While very limited at the moment, 5G internet is capable of delivering faster speeds, lower latency, and increased connectivity than even fiber internet. After years of anticipation, internet providers like Verizon are starting to lay down 5G networks in select regions across the U.S. However, we aren’t holding our breath. Fiber has been around for two decades and still only covers about half of U.S. households. 5G still has a ways to go before the masses adopt it.

Our Top 5G Pick:

• Fast symmetrical speeds
• Fiber-optics network
• No annual contracts

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Picking Your Internet Connection

Picking the right internet connection really comes down to your usage and household needs. Do you live in a large home that requires greater WiFi coverage? Will you be streaming or gaming frequently at home? Does your family include more than two people? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, consider finding cable or fiber internet options. If not, you may do just fine with a slower connection that costs less.

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