If you're shopping for broadband, you'll have noticed two options cropping up everywhere: fibre and 5G. Marketing from big providers makes it sound like fibre is always better. It isn't — it depends entirely on your situation.
What is fibre broadband?
Fibre broadband delivers internet through physical cables — either to a cabinet near your home (FTTC, which still uses copper for the last stretch) or directly into your property (FTTP, also called "full fibre"). Full fibre is faster and more consistent, but it requires Openreach or a similar operator to physically install infrastructure at your address.
What is 5G home broadband?
5G broadband delivers internet wirelessly via a mobile network signal. A plug-in router receives the signal and creates a Wi-Fi network in your home. There's no cable installation, no engineer visit, and no landline requirement.
When fibre is the better choice
- You're in an area with full fibre (FTTP) availability
- You need the absolute fastest speeds for large households or heavy data use
- You want the most future-proof long-term connection
When 5G is the better choice
- Fibre isn't available at your address (or has a long wait)
- You're renting and can't have physical infrastructure installed
- You've just moved and need internet immediately
- You want a simpler contract without a landline
Speed comparison
| Type | Typical Download |
|---|---|
| FTTC ("standard fibre") | 30–70 Mbps |
| 5G home broadband | 50–300 Mbps |
| FTTP ("full fibre") | 100–1000 Mbps |
5G often beats standard fibre on speed. And for most households — streaming, working from home, video calls — it's more than adequate.
Our honest take
We only sell 5G broadband, so we're not going to pretend it's right for everyone. If full fibre is available at your address and you need the highest possible speeds, fibre wins. But for a huge number of homes and businesses — particularly outside major cities — 5G is faster, more available, and far less hassle to set up.