Fiber vs cable vs fixed wireless for business
Fiber is the most reliable and fastest, cable is the most affordable and quickest to install, and fixed wireless fills the gap where fiber isn't built. The right choice depends on what's available at your address, how much downtime costs you, and how soon you need service.
Dedicated fiber
Guaranteed, symmetrical bandwidth with an uptime SLA
Highest monthly cost; install 30–90+ days
Best for offices where downtime is expensive
Business cable
Fast downloads at a low price
Shared bandwidth, slower uploads
Installs in 1–3 weeks; great for small offices and backup
Fixed wireless
Radio link from a nearby tower, no trenching
Installs in 2–4 weeks
Good primary service where fiber isn't built, or as backup
5G and LTE
Cellular-based, installs in days
Speed varies with signal
Best for failover and temporary sites
Our rule of thumb
If you can get fiber and downtime is costly, choose fiber with a cable or wireless backup. If fiber isn't available or will take months, start with cable or fixed wireless. If you have several sites, combine connections with SD-WAN.
Frequently asked questions
Is fiber always better than cable?
Fiber is more reliable and offers symmetrical speeds, but cable is often enough for small, download-heavy offices and costs much less.
Can I combine two types?
Yes. Many businesses use fiber as primary and cable or 5G as backup, with automatic failover.
How do I know what's available?
Availability is address-specific. Send us your address and we'll check every carrier for you.
See what's available at your address
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