What Is the Difference between 5G and Fiber Optic?

With an MBA from Duke University, Jonathan Chou has over 25 years of experience working in executive and senior finance roles at various Fortune 500 companies. Pre-lockdown in March 2020, he splits his time between New Jersey and San Francisco Bay Area. As a former CFO and a founding member who helped incorporate Open5G Inc, Jonathan Chou has reverted back to an advisor for Open5G. Open5G is an innovative startup that aims to improve high-speed internet to communities across the United States.

Some people may question the difference between fiber optic and 5G networks and how that affects their internet. While both 5G and fiber are still fairly new technologies, there are some distinct variations between the two.

The 5G relies on radio waves to transmit data while fiber-optic sends communication using light to send data through cables. This creates pros and cons to each kind of technology, considering fiber optic tends to be more expensive to tap into because of the groundwork involved in installing the cable. While 5G may be more wide-reaching because it pulls off cell antennas, it is possible that too many people on the same network can create a network overload that’s not as stable.

Both types of services provide lightning-quick connections, but fiber tends to be faster. It all depends on the available tower nodes pinging the 5G in the area and if fiber groundwork is in place with both services.