What Is Fiber Internet Anyway? Everything I Learned About Fiber-Optic Internet My First Month Writing

Fiber internet is, by far, the fastest internet connection your money can buy.

I spent my first few weeks writing about home internet trying to figure out what exactly fiber internet is. It didn’t take me long to discover that fiber speeds vastly outpace the likes of cable, 5G fixed wireless, satellite internet and the middling speeds of DSL. Fiber is also one of the most popular internet service connections among customers across the country. So if people who buy fiber are happy with the internet service why don’t we just recommend fiber-optic internet to everyone? Why bother with other internet connection types? 

The answer is simple: Fast speeds and customer satisfaction alone don’t automatically make fiber the best option for every household. Prices, availability, fees and other details impact how efficient fiber may be for your broadband needs and budget. Plus, most households don’t exceed 600 megabits per second in download speeds, according to the latest data from OpenVault, so you may not need the 5,000Mbps or 8,000Mbps speeds offered by some fiber providers.

But fiber internet is, still, pretty marvelous. A fiber-optic internet connection relies on the speed of light to transmit data, a technology we’re still getting acquainted with but one that has had a tremendous impact on the way we communicate and use the internet. 

And it's an internet connection that you'll find CNET recommending again and again -- if it's available to you. But if, like me, you have questions about what fiber broadband is and how it even works, let's get in the weeds about how fiber internet works and whether it's a worthwhile investment.

What is fiber internet exactly?

Fiber internet relies on fiber cables or thin, long strands of glass or plastic encased in layers of cladding and coating that transmit data through light signals across long distances. Technically, the speed of light used to transmit this data is reduced by 30% because of the refraction that occurs within the cables, but the speeds are still very, very fast. In fact, you’re reading this right now because of the lightning-fast fiber cables under the ocean, powering your internet connection -- whether it’s fiber or not.

So, what does all that mean for you? That means you get symmetrical download and upload speeds on any speed tier, even up to a 50-gigabit (or 50,000Mbps) plan. Compared to the upload speeds of most cable internet providers, which usually range between 20 to 50Mbps, that’s a vast improvement. 

But you should also know that fiber cables are very expensive, as is the installation process for a fiber network. That means it may be difficult for some providers to extend a fiber network to your neighborhood, especially if you’re in a rural area or just outside a big city. 

Because fiber internet requires an existing infrastructure or fiber network to work, the speeds you get depend on which fiber internet provider has already been active in your area. Occasionally, fiber providers will share each other's networks to mitigate costs. 

There are a few different means to access a fiber internet connection, depending on the network, but there are three main ways. Note that the only true fiber internet connection is a direct one or Fiber to the Home connection.

• Fiber to the Home (FTTH): Fiber-optic cables run directly from the network to your house. This is the fastest option.
• Fiber to the Curb (FTTC):  If your household can’t be wired for fiber directly, the fiber cables connect with a coaxial cable from a utility pole or cabinet, which will inevitably slow the connection down but is still plenty fast.
• Fiber to the Neighborhood (FTTN): This fiber internet connection, also known as Fiber to the Node, runs from a connection hub or node utility pole. Your house is then connected to the network through coaxial cables, meaning it travels the furthest of the three options and is the slowest connection type of the three.

Despite what direct fiber connection may be available to you, fiber internet is installed using a small utility box or an optical network terminal (ONT) that a technician installs either inside or outside your home. The ONT is wired to the fiber network. Now, you have the fastest internet connection on the block.

Is fiber internet the best internet connection?

There’s plenty to consider before calling fiber “the best” internet connection type. Fiber is definitely the fastest, but it’s also the most limited internet connection type in terms of availability. 

According to the Federal Communications Commission, less than half of the population is wired for a fiber internet connection. Compared to cable availability, which covers 82% of the population, fiber providers have some catching up to do.

The costs of fiber internet also determine whether it's a good option for your home. There's no doubt that fiber internet has higher starting prices than cable, with many starting prices averaging around $50 per month. There are a few cheap fiber internet providers, though, like Frontier Fiber and Ziply Fiber, which start at $30 for 200Mbps and $20 for 100Mbps a month, respectively. 

If you look at the cost per Mbps, fiber is often the most cost-efficient internet connection type, and prices don’t typically increase year after year as they do for some cable providers. For example, Spectrum and AT&T Fiber both offer 1,000Mbps for $80 a month or 8 cents per Mbps. Spectrum will increase that price to around $110 monthly in a year or two. AT&T Fiber won’t. Also note that AT&T Fiber offers 1,000Mbps upload speeds, lower latency and more overall reliability than Spectrum’s 35Mbps upload speed for that tier.

Even for Google Fiber, one of the more expensive fiber providers, which starts at $70 a month for 1,000Mbps and only goes up from there, the cost per Mbps reveals you’re getting pretty good value for the offered speeds. Paying $125 a month for 5,000Mbps may seem like a lot, but that price comes down to around 3 cents per Mbps. 

Again, consider first how much internet speed you actually need, so you make the best use of your dollar. Not all of us require 5,000Mbps, but for those who work at home, are avid gamers and have multiple busy internet users in the house, a multi-gig internet connection may be the way to go. 

Lastly, fiber internet has the best customer service track record when compared to other internet service types. The American Customer Satisfaction Index points to positive trends for fiber internet providers in the past few years. AT&T Fiber scored at the top of the ACSI’s 2024 satisfaction benchmark with a score of 80, while the lowest score came from Optimum Fiber at 66. For context, the scores for non-fiber internet providers (DSL, fixed wireless and cable) ranged from a low of 56 to a high of 76, held by T-Mobile Home Internet. 

Data from J.D. Power, another customer satisfaction surveyor, notes that customers were happier with wireless internet overall during 2023, though they may not have separated the fixed wireless offerings from the fiber offerings from one provider. For example, Verizon offers 5G home internet as well as fiber through Verizon Fios, though there are no separate categories in the data. Either way, AT&T, Frontier Fiber, Verizon and Google Fiber scored at the top of all regional surveys.

What internet providers offer fiber?

There are upwards of 1,400 fiber internet providers in the country, according to the latest report from the FCC. Most of those providers are local. Only around seven providers serve more than 1% to 2% of the population, with Verizon Fios and AT&T Fiber covering the most ground with 9% and 12% coverage, respectively.

• Altafiber
• AT&T Fiber
• Brightspeed
• Frontier Fiber
• GoNetSpeed
• Google Fiber
• Kinetic by Windstream
• Metronet
• Optimum
• Point Broadband
• Quantum Fiber
• Verizon Fios
• Ziply Fiber

Bottom line: Is fiber internet worth it?

The answer to this question will depend on several factors, but perhaps most important is whether fiber is available in your area. If you can get fiber, it’s absolutely worth it. You may not need multi-gigabit tiers for over $100 a month, but even the lower tiers of 300Mbps download/300Mbps upload outpace the speeds offered by cable, fixed wireless providers and especially DSL. Fiber usually features unlimited data as well as no contracts or monthly equipment fees (though this varies by provider). But fiber internet isn’t the only solution to our broadband needs. Working out the expansion of fiber networks and improving the affordability of multi-gig tiers are some of the biggest priorities, but while we wait for those improvements, you’d be hard-pressed to find an internet connection that’s as lightning-fast as the speeds you get from fiber.

What is fiber internet FAQs

How fast is fiber internet?

The fastest known residential internet connection (at the moment) is Ziply Fiber’s 50,000Mbps tier, which raises the bar for all internet providers. Some fiber providers, like Google Fiber, start at 1,000Mbps and max out around 8,000Mbps or 10,000Mbps. Others have lower starting speeds, like Frontier Fiber or Verizon Fios, which start at 200Mbps and 300Mbps, respectively.

Is fiber internet expensive?

It definitely can be, depending on your internet provider and how fast you want your internet to be. Some of the cheapest fiber providers have plans starting at $20 a month for 100Mbps (Ziply Fiber) or $30 a month for 200Mbps (Frontier Fiber), but most starting prices average around $50.

What’s the difference between fiber internet and “fiber-rich” internet?

Cable providers often use the term "fiber-rich" to describe their services, but that doesn't mean you'll get true fiber internet. It usually means fiber-optic cables are somewhere along the network but not fiber to your home. You can usually tell if an internet provider offers true fiber service by the download and upload speeds. If they're symmetrical, it should be fiber.

Where can I get fiber internet?

If you live in or near a big city, your chances of getting fiber internet are much higher. That said, you can plug your address into the availability checkers on most provider websites or use data from the FCC to determine if your address is eligible for fiber.