If fibre reaches your home, it’s almost always the better long-term choice. But LTE and 5G still win in specific situations — and knowing which you’re in can save you thousands a year.
Speed & consistency
Fibre delivers the speed you pay for, around the clock. A 100 Mbps fibre line gives you close to 100 Mbps at 8pm on a Sunday just as it does at 3am. LTE is shared — your speed depends on how many people are on the same tower, so it sags during peak hours.
Side by side
| What matters | Fibre | LTE / 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Peak-time speed | Rock steady | Drops when busy |
| Latency (gaming/calls) | 5–15 ms | 25–60 ms |
| Data caps | Truly uncapped | Often FUP-limited |
| Setup time | 3–14 days (install) | Same day |
| Load-shedding | Needs UPS on router + box | Battery in tower helps |
| Portability | Fixed to home | Take it anywhere |
Cost
Rand for rand, fibre is cheaper per gigabyte by a wide margin once you use more than ~50GB a month — which most households do in a single weekend of streaming. Uncapped fibre from around R400/month replaces both a capped LTE plan and the anxiety of running out.
Rule of thumb: if you work from home, stream in 4K, game online, or have 3+ people sharing — get fibre if you can. If you move often, rent short-term, or fibre simply isn’t on your street yet, LTE/5G is the sensible bridge.
The verdict
Check coverage first. If a network is live at your address, compare fibre deals before defaulting to mobile data — you’ll usually get more speed, no caps, and a lower bill. If nothing’s live yet, a 5G router is a great stopgap until the trenches reach you.