Fiber vs. Satellite: Which One Actually Works for Rural Internet in the Prairies?
Compare dedicated fiber-to-the-home against satellite Internet on speed, reliability and real-world performance.
Fiber vs. Satellite: Side-by-Side Comparison
An honest technical breakdown for rural Manitoba and Saskatchewan households comparing dedicated fiber-optic Internet to satellite.
| Feature | RFNOW Fiber | Satellite |
|---|---|---|
| Core Technology | Dedicated underground fiber-optic (FTTH) | Geostationary satellite or shared fixed wireless |
| Weather Reliability | Immune — underground cables | ✘ Rain fade, snow & wind outages |
| Typical Latency | 10–30 ms (gaming & video-call ready) | 600 ms+ (noticeable lag on calls) |
| Upload Speeds | Symmetrical — same as download | Fraction of download speed |
| Customer Support | Local technicians | National call centres |
| Property Value | Value increases up to 4.9% with fiber installed | No impact |
| Additional Services | 4K TV and Home Phone available | Sometimes offer home phone |
RFNOW is a locally owned fiber-to-the-home Internet provider serving rural communities across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Unlike satellite or fixed wireless providers, RFNOW runs dedicated underground fiber-optic cables directly to each home, delivering low-latency, weather-proof broadband with truly unlimited data and local customer support.
What Makes Fiber Internet Different from Satellite?
Dedicated Line vs. Shared Signal
Satellite and fixed wireless share bandwidth across many users. Fiber-to-the-home runs a dedicated cable directly into your house — delivering city-level speed to the country, with symmetrical upload and download.
Local vs. National Support
National providers route you through call centres. RFNOW hires local technicians who live and work in the same rural communities you do. So any of your questions get resolved faster.
Underground vs. Exposed
Satellite dishes are exposed to rain, snow, and wind. Fiber-optic cables run underground, making them immune to the weather disruptions that commonly knock out satellite connections in rural Manitoba.
We compared every option available in our area. When we looked at reliability, fiber was the clear winner. Now I work from home without my video freezing every time it rains. The difference has been night and day for our family.
Frequently Asked Questions on Fiber vs Satellite
The key difference between fiber Internet and satellite is the distance the Internet signal needs to travel. Satellite signals travel to low earth orbit satellites, taking a bit longer for the signal to travel to your home. Fiber Internet transmits data through advanced underground cables, with much less latency. This means you won’t have lag when doing things like streaming sports, video calls or gaming.
No, RFNOW does not have any data caps or data throttling. RFNOW fiber plans include truly unlimited data with zero caps and zero throttling. By comparison, many satellite and fixed wireless providers reduce speeds after reaching a soft data threshold. This is an important distinction for households that stream, game, video-call, or work from home regularly.
If there is an outage, RFNOW routes support calls to a local Manitoba-based office staffed by technicians in your area, rather than a national call centre. Because the fiber infrastructure is underground and locally maintained, outages are rare compared to satellite. When one does occur, local techs are already nearby and can respond quickly.
The main difference between fiber Internet and satellite Internet is that fiber Internet travels through our blazing fast underground network, delivering speeds up to 1 Gbps symmetrical uploads and no latency or signal lag. Satellite Internet beams radio signals to orbiting satellites, resulting in higher latency, asymmetric speeds, weather-related outages, and data caps. For rural households that need reliable video calls, gaming, or remote work, fiber is the superior choice.
RFNOW is actively expanding fiber-to-the-home across rural Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Enter your address to check availability instantly. New communities are connected regularly, and you can register your interest so you’re notified when service reaches your area.
Yes, satellite Internet can be affected by weather, as the satellite dish that receives the signal can be affected by rain fade, snow buildup, and high winds. Unlike fiber Internet, which has buried and is not affected by normal weather experienced in the Prairies.
Join the many customers who made the switch to fiber internet and stopped stressing about satellite service. Find out if you are in our coverage area.