Wired vs. wireless internet: Which should you choose for your home?

Wired home internet uses fiber, coaxial cable, or DSL to deliver a connection to a gateway that converts signals for home devices. Fixed-wireless connects via 4G LTE or 5G to an indoor gateway that supplies Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Opensignal’s April 2026 U.S. analysis shows fiber and cable subscribers have higher average download speeds than fixed-wireless, though the gap narrows when measuring consistent quality. T-Mobile’s Rely Home Internet reports typical download speeds around 170 Mbps.