A young woman having a cup of coffee while on her laptop listening to either music or streaming a movie with her headphones on while surfing the Internet using Optimum Fiber Internet. A young woman having a cup of coffee while on her laptop listening to either music or streaming a movie with her headphones on while surfing the Internet using Optimum Fiber Internet.

5G Home Internet?
It’s NOT Good Enough.

The truth about 5G home
Internet--and why Optimum wins

5G Home Internet may sound good at first, until you realize you don’t know what speed you’re getting. That’s because 5G Internet runs on shared cell phone towers, with service that slows down when more people are online. They call it “fast internet” – we call it “not good enough”.

Terms

Fastest, most consistent, and most reliable Internet speeds based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data, median download and fixed Consistency Score for NY & NJ Q1-Q2 2025. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.

Pricing, offers, and terms subject to change and discontinuance w/o notice. All trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owner. © 2025 CSC Holdings, LLC.

Compare for yourself.
Optimum wins every time.

Untitled Document

Optimum LogoFios Logo
Fastest & most reliable Internet speedsNo reliability, speed or consistency transparency
Consistent speeds 24/7/365Inconsistent speeds that slow down during primetime
1:1 Fiber Internet connection straight to your homeShared connection delivered via cell phone towers
Terms

Fastest, most consistent, and most reliable Internet speeds based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data, median download and fixed Consistency Score for NY & NJ Q1-Q2 2025. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.

*8 Gig Fiber Internet is currently available in portions of NY, NJ & CT. Fiber Internet is not available in all areas. In some areas, Internet is delivered over cable network with different speeds. Enter your address to see availability in your area.

8 GIG FIBER INTERNET: Up to 8 Gbps download/up to 8 Gbps upload, not available in all areas. Advertised speed for wired connection. Actual speeds may vary & are not guaranteed, see optimum.com/speedfactors for more info.

99.9% reliability claim excludes outages caused by external events and scheduled maintenance.

Pricing, offers, and terms subject to change and discontinuance w/o notice. All trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owner. © 2025 CSC Holdings, LLC.

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Frequently asked questions

The main difference lies in the connection method:

  • Optimum Internet typically uses a wired connection (either traditional cable or, increasingly, fiber-optic lines) run directly to your home. 
  • 5G Home Internet uses Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), receiving an internet signal wirelessly from a nearby cellular tower, similar to a mobile phone signal, through a gateway device in your home.
FeatureOptimum (Cable/Fiber)5G Home Internet (Fixed Wireless)
Connection TypeWired (coaxial cable or fiber optic)Wireless (cellular towers)
ReliabilityGenerally more reliable and less affected by congestion or weather, especially fiber.Can be less reliable and prone to speed dips due to network congestion, distance from the tower, and physical obstructions.
SpeedOptimum offers much faster speeds (especially with fiber, up to 8 Gig) and more consistent performance.Speeds are generally slower than fiber and can fluctuate based on tower traffic and signal strength.
Latency (Lag)Generally lower latency, which is better for gaming and video conferencing.Generally higher latency and more susceptible to lag.

 

5G home internet often slows down at night because it uses the same cellular network as mobile phones, making it susceptible to network congestion during peak hours (typically 7 PM to 11 PM). When many people in your area are streaming, gaming, or downloading simultaneously after work and school, the shared bandwidth on the cell tower gets overloaded, leading to reduced speeds for everyone.

Optimum Internet plans generally advertise unlimited data and do not have hard data caps that would result in overage fees.5 However, they, like other providers, may have an "excessive use" policy. For most users, this means you can stream, game, and download extensively without worrying about data limits or speed throttling based on typical usage.

It depends heavily on your specific needs and location.

  • Good for basic WFH: It can be sufficient for basic tasks like email, web browsing, and occasional video calls, especially for one or two users with moderate speed requirements.

  • Less reliable for demanding tasks: It may be less reliable for tasks that require low latency (like competitive online gaming) or consistent speeds (like large file transfers or high-quality video conferencing, especially with multiple simultaneous users) due to potential congestion and signal fluctuation.

  • Wired is generally better: For the most stable and consistent experience crucial for professional remote work, a wired connection like Optimum's cable or fiber internet is typically the more dependable choice.

Yes, you most likely can, but availability can vary.

  • Optimum provides service to many multi-unit dwellings.

  • The actual availability in your specific building depends on whether the necessary Optimum infrastructure (cable or fiber lines) has been run to and through the building.

  • Some apartment buildings may have existing bulk-billing agreements with a specific provider, but you can usually choose your own if a different provider (like Optimum) has service available at your address.

This is a comparison of a dedicated wired connection versus a shared wireless one:

  • Fiber Internet uses light signals sent through glass strands (fiber-optic cables) run directly to your home, offering the fastest available speeds (often symmetrical: same upload and download speeds), lowest latency, and highest reliability.

  • 5G Home Internet is a wireless service delivered via radio waves from a cellular tower. Speeds are generally slower, can vary based on factors like distance/obstructions, and upload speeds are typically much slower than download speeds.

Optimum offers a wider range of speeds, particularly with its fiber service, which can reach up to 8,000 Mbps (8 Gig). T-Mobile Home Internet (a type of 5G home internet) typically offers speeds in a range (e.g., 40 Mbps to 300 Mbps or more, depending on location and network) but its maximum speeds are generally lower and less consistent than Optimum's high-tier cable and fiber plans.

  • Optimum: Capable of much faster, multi-gig speeds, especially with fiber, offering greater speed consistency.

  • T-Mobile Home Internet (5G): Offers a decent speed for the price, but speeds fluctuate more and generally top out at a lower maximum compared to Optimum Fiber.

Yes, weather can affect 5G home internet performance.

5G uses radio waves, which can be weakened or disrupted by environmental factors. Heavy rain, dense snow, or even thick fog can interfere with the signal traveling between the cell tower and your home, potentially causing reduced speeds or intermittent service drops. Wired connections like fiber are much more resilient to these types of weather-related interferences.