Fibre, fixed wireless or 5G: which connection should the site use?

The best access depends on what is available and how fast you need it

Fibre, fixed wireless and 5G are all good ways to connect a business, for different sites. The right one is about what can actually reach the address, how quickly you need it and how the site works, not about one technology always being best. Here is an honest look at when each one fits.

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The honest difference

What actually separates them.

Four questions do most of the deciding. None of them makes one technology the right answer everywhere.

Whether it can reach the address

Fibre and fixed wireless depend on what has been built to your location. 5G depends on mobile coverage. None of them is available everywhere. Availability depends on your location, run a coverage check.

How quickly it can go live

5G can often be live fastest because it uses existing mobile coverage. Fibre can take longest where the line still has to be built to the site. Timelines are confirmed at survey stage.

How much sustained capacity you get

Fibre generally offers the highest sustained bandwidth. Fixed wireless and 5G can vary with distance, demand and conditions. Availability depends on your location, run a coverage check.

Where it physically works

Fibre needs a physical line into the building. Fixed wireless needs line of sight to a mast. 5G needs a decent mobile signal. Confirmed by site survey.

When it fits

When fibre is the right call.

Where it can reach the site, fibre is usually the strongest long-term choice.

  • Fibre is already available at the address

    If a fibre line already reaches the building, it is typically the most capable and stable option to build on. Availability depends on your location, run a coverage check.

  • You need high, sustained bandwidth

    Heavy, constant data use, large transfers and busy sites are where fibre capacity earns its place. Achievable speeds are confirmed by site survey.

  • It is a permanent, fixed site

    For a location you will occupy for years, investing in a fibre line makes sense over its lifetime.

  • You may want dedicated capacity later

    Fibre can be delivered as shared business broadband or as uncontended Dedicated Internet Access, so it can grow with the business. Availability depends on your location, run a coverage check.

When it fits

When fixed wireless is the smarter choice.

For plenty of sites, fixed wireless is genuinely the better fit, not a fallback.

  • Fibre does not reach the address

    Where no fibre line has been built to the site, fixed wireless can deliver business-grade connectivity over the air. Availability depends on your location, run a coverage check.

  • Fibre would take too long to provision

    If a fibre build would take weeks or months you cannot wait, fixed wireless can get the site working sooner. Timelines are confirmed at survey stage.

  • You have line of sight to a mast

    Fixed wireless needs a clear path to one of our masts. Where that path exists, it is a reliable, dependable option. Confirmed by site survey.

  • The site is rural or beyond the fibre footprint

    For sites out past where fibre has been built, fixed wireless is often the best fixed connection we can offer across Ireland. Availability depends on your location, run a coverage check.

When it fits

When 5G is the right call.

5G is not just a stopgap. For some sites it is the best answer on its own.

  • You need to be live quickly

    5G can often be switched on fast because it uses existing mobile coverage, with no line to build. Timelines are confirmed at survey stage.

  • The site is temporary or may move

    For pop-ups, short-term sites or anywhere you might relocate, 5G moves with you rather than tying you to a fixed line.

  • You need a separate backup path

    5G gives you a route that does not share the fibre’s physical path, so it can keep the site online if the main line fails. Switchover behaviour is confirmed at design stage for your site.

  • Line of sight to a mast is not possible

    Where fixed wireless cannot get a clear path, 5G may still reach the site on mobile signal. Coverage and achievable speeds are confirmed by site assessment.

The products

Compare the options directly.

Read the detail on each, or tell us the address and we will tell you honestly which can reach the site and which suits it.

Fibre

Fibre business broadband

Shared fibre connectivity for sites where a fibre line is available.

Learn more
Dedicated

Dedicated Internet Access

Uncontended, symmetric fibre with stronger service levels for critical sites.

Learn more
Wireless

Fixed wireless

Business-grade connectivity over the air for sites where fibre does not reach.

Learn more
5G

Outdoor 5G

Fast-to-deploy 5G connectivity for temporary sites, mobility or backup.

Learn more

Talk to us

Not sure which connection your site can get?

Tell Regional Broadband the address and what the site needs, and we will tell you honestly which of fibre, fixed wireless or 5G is the best fit, and what is actually available there, no upsell.

Talk to a Specialist