Choosing a home internet plan depends on your budget, required speed, internet usage habits, location, and what’s available in your area. Here are some guidelines to help you choose the best one for you.

Fixed LTE 

Fixed LTE is a great option if you don’t have fibre or 5G connectivity in your area, but you need a connection at a fixed location, such as your home or office.  

A Fixed LTE internet package usually comes with a portable router, so you can travel with it if necessary. The connection uses the same cellular towers as your mobile and is a good option because the set-up is quick compared to something with a cable connection. Speed is fast, and coverage is wide. Vodacom offers both LTE and LTE-Advanced to customers who need lower latency (less lag) for online gaming or video calling.  

Check out Vodacom’s LTE deals here and LTE-A deals here. 

5G 

If you live in an urban area or larger city, chances are you may have access to 5G internet, as coverage started with the larger metros. And if you have the latest smartphone, you may want to take out a data-only contract for this to take advantage of the improved bandwidth. Otherwise, you can get a dedicated 5G router.  

It offers much better best-effort speeds, plug-and-play, boasts less lag, and it’s perfect for consuming multimedia content. If you want to download videos for offline play, this is a great option. Apart from videos, 5G is good for downloading music, file sharing, and some mobile gaming. 

If you want speed and uninterrupted connectivity, visit the Vodacom website to see what 5G offerings are available. 

Fibre 

Fibre connection uses fibre-optic cables made of thin, flexible glass. Fibre has a big advantage over copper cable for many reasons, such as faster speeds; a higher bandwidth capacity for large amounts of data at long distances at high speeds; and low latency, which is ideal for gaming.  

There’s also no electromagnetic interference, making fibre reliable and secure as it cannot be tapped into like copper cables. Plus, it’s less susceptible to weather interference.  

Most fibre offerings are fast and offer asymmetrical speeds, i.e., the same upload and download speeds. This is useful for cloud backups, video conferencing and online storage. 

Vodacom has expanded its fibre coverage, so check if your area is covered. Packages start at R499/pm for 25Mbps, including a free router, and free installation. All packages are unshaped (i.e., the bandwidth does not prioritise certain internet activities over others, so you get a continuously fast and more streamlined connection); and unthrottled (unlimited usage). 

When choosing a home internet package, consider the above factors, flexibility if applicable, and which one offers the best value for your needs.