Considering changing home internet service? Do your homework before switching to 5G

This paid piece is sponsored by Midco.

You know the classic saying: “If it sounds too good to be true …?”

Well, when it comes to the latest home internet service offering, 5G Home Internet, what might seem like a way to streamline your services could end up costing you speed and reliability.

“From a technical standpoint, 5G is a very different service than if you’re a Midco customer today,” said Eric Tijerina, Midco’s director of network architecture and access engineering.

“I think customers hear ‘5G’ advertised by cellular providers and mobile network operators and don’t actually realize what it means. It’s very different than when we talk about 5 gig, for instance.”

Here’s what you need to know: 5G as it relates to mobile providers actually refers to the generation of wireless technology used to service the customer – in this case, the fifth generation. Five gig as it relates to fiber-based internet providers refers to your bandwidth – in this case, 5 gigabits per second.

“So while 5G is the most recent version of cellular technology, how it functions within your home or business is very different than our latest technology used to deploy internet service,” Tijerina said.

“With Midco, you’ll be able to browse quickly, stream, upload and download any time of day,” he said.

“With 5G cell service, I think you’ll notice decreased performance during peak hours because the performance of the network is not as robust,” Tijerina said.

“And with cellular technology, the more customers in your neighborhood or your apartment building who sign up, the bigger the demand on that network, so everyone is going to see decreased performance.”

Ever tried to send multimedia messages from a stadium or concert? You get the idea.

“There’s just only so much airtime available, and it pales in terms of capacity to what we’re able to do because we’re physically connecting to our fiber network to the home or business to deliver services to customers,” Tijerina said.

“That way, you’re not constrained by others using the services, and you can enjoy the performance that our internet services allow.”

What can happen if you risk it and go with 5G Home Internet? Plenty of frustration.

“You’re going to feel the pain when you’re downloading large files, potentially when you’re trying to stream a movie and definitely when you’re gaming,” Tijerina said. “Some game updates involve huge files, and when you’re playing, latency becomes a huge factor.”

Latency essentially is the time it takes to request information and then get that information back. When you’re playing a video game, it’s critical.

“If there’s any lag in your service, you’re going to notice it with a very poor gaming experience,” Tijerina said. “And at the same time, if you have multiple users in your household on devices at once, plus connected devices, that definitely could compromise performance.”

Another thing to consider: Your location.

“5G service is very location-dependent,” Tijerina said. “If you live somewhere with a lot of trees or buildings, you probably won’t get great connectivity. Think of it like having one bar on your cellphone and trying to utilize the internet. It might work great for the neighbor across the street, but your setting could be different.”

That can vary even within a home, he added.

“Coverage is not always consistent,” Tijerina said. “If you have multiple rooms, it can vary with 5G Home Internet even within the home.”

Midco’s home Wi-Fi product is different.

“We’re able to do mesh network within the home,” Tijerina said. “That allows us to set up a system that provides connectivity throughout the entire home, where with 5G it’s inconsistent.”

For businesses, the differentiators are even more critical, he added.

“If you’re running a business, the same negative aspects to 5G Home Internet apply. You’re going to experience frustration with your virtual meetings, videoconferencing, downloading files and browsing the web,” he said. “It can be a much slower experience, and for a business, it can be extremely frustrating.”

Midco continually invests in the technology it offers to residential and business customers. Its Fiber Forward initiative already is approximately doubling speed, and future plans will deliver even more cutting-edge service.

“Our customer today is going to notice that our network is very responsive, without delays and lack of responsiveness,” Tijerina said. “It’s going to be like a faucet. Turn the handle and the water comes on. The internet is always working, and you’re not going to have this varied experience where everything seems to be working OK and then later in the evening it’s not.”

To learn more about Midco’s internet options, click here.

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