Your internet service is an essential part of daily life. So when you are looking for an internet plan, you want to make sure you are getting the fastest speeds. In rural America, your options typically include satellite or fixed wireless internet. Exactly how fast is fixed wireless internet? Fixed wireless internet provides faster connections than satellite. Here is a breakdown of the speed you can expect from a fixed wireless internet connection.
How fast is the bandwidth?
Bandwidth is probably the first term you think of when it comes to internet service. While bandwidth is not necessarily the speed of your internet, it does help determine your speed. The greater bandwidth you have, the faster your internet is able to get to you.
With fixed wireless internet through Cal.net, you can get bandwidth up to 25mbps. Now, if you are not familiar with internet terminology, that might not mean anything to you. So, let’s put it in more relevant terms: the speed you need for Netflix.
Netflix recommends 3mbps for SD, 5mbps for HD, and 25mbps for “Ultra HD quality”. So, with fixed wireless internet speeds up to 25mbps, your internet connection will be fast enough to watch Netflix in whatever quality you prefer.
What about the latency?
Speed doesn’t mean anything if your internet is going to lag or buffer. Who wants to watch Netflix if every five seconds you are interrupted by a spinning circle? When you are looking for a high speed internet service, you want an option with low latency. Low latency means that you are less likely to get that buffering circle or long wait time for a web page to load. Distance from your internet service provider greatly affects that. If you live in a rural area, cable internet servers are usually located in cities. With satellite internet, your internet server is located all the way in space, creating latency rates as high as 1000ms. For reference, 20ms is considered a good latency rate.
With fixed wireless internet, your internet service comes from a tower located within sight of your home. This close proximity allows for latency rates as low as 15-20ms. This means when you’re watching Netflix, playing video games, or even on a Zoom meeting, you will have a great internet connection with little to no interruption.
Get high speed internet with Cal.net
Now that you know how fast fixed wireless internet is, are you ready to make the switch? If you’re located in the greater Sacramento region or the “Motherlode” of Highway 94, you may be in Cal.net’s service area. Cal.net offers high speed internet in both rural and urban California at low prices. Our services start at less than $50 per month and have latency speeds as low as 15-20 ms. You really can’t get a better deal. Plus, our employees live in the community, so we completely understand the needs of rural Californian customers, unlike the big service companies. Get started with Cal.net today to get fast, reliable, affordable internet in Northern California.