Ways to get home internet
Six kinds of connection reach American homes. Most addresses can get two or three of them.
| Type | Download | Upload | Delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber | 300 to 5,000 Mbps | Same as download | 5 to 20 ms |
| Cable | 100 to 2,000 Mbps | 10 to 50 Mbps | 15 to 40 ms |
| 5G home | 50 to 300 Mbps | 10 to 30 Mbps | 30 to 70 ms |
| Fixed wireless | 25 to 300 Mbps | 5 to 50 Mbps | 20 to 50 ms |
| DSL | 5 to 100 Mbps | 1 to 20 Mbps | 25 to 60 ms |
| Satellite | 25 to 250 Mbps | 3 to 25 Mbps | 25 to 600 ms |
Typical advertised ranges. What you get depends on your address and the plan.
- Fiber internetWhat fiber internet is, how fast it really is, what it costs to install, and how to find out whether fiber reaches your street.
- Cable internetHow cable internet works, why upload is slower than download, what data caps and equipment fees to expect, and who it suits.
- 5G home internet5G home internet uses the mobile network to connect your house. See typical speeds, what affects them, and when it beats cable or DSL.
- Fixed wireless internetFixed wireless beams internet from a tower to an antenna on your home. Learn the speeds, the line-of-sight rule and how it compares with satellite.
- DSL internetDSL runs over copper phone lines. See realistic speeds, why distance matters, and what to do as phone companies retire copper networks.
- Satellite internetSatellite internet works almost anywhere with open sky. Compare low-orbit and traditional satellite on speed, delay, data limits and cost.