Out with the old: Why it's time to upgrade from copper to fiber internet
If your internet experience feels slow, spotty, or just plain unreliable, especially during peak hours, you’re not imagining things. For many households still connected through copper lines, that frustration is part of everyday life. And while copper served its purpose for a long time, the truth is, it just can’t keep up with what modern families need.
Let’s break down what’s going on and why switching to fiber is one of the best upgrades you can make for your home.
What is copper internet, and why was it everywhere?
Copper connections use the same infrastructure that brought us landline phones. These lines, which are made of copper wire, send electrical signals to transmit data. If you’ve ever had (Digital Subscriber Line) DSL or old-school phone-based internet, that’s copper at work.
Back in the early internet days, copper was king. It was already in the ground, already hooked up to homes, and it got the job done for checking emails and loading basic web pages.
But today’s internet demands are a whole different story. Streaming, video calls, gaming, smart homes, dozens of connected devices—all of that puts serious strain on copper lines. And that’s before we even get into reliability issues.
What makes copper so inadequate?
Slower speeds: Copper just isn’t built to carry the kind of bandwidth today’s households need.
Signal loss: The longer the signal has to travel, the more it weakens (much more so than fiber). That means even if you’re paying for decent speeds, your actual performance might say otherwise.
Weather sensitivity: Rain, wind, and even temperature swings can mess with copper lines, causing hiccups, dropped connections, and slow speeds.
Aging infrastructure: Many copper networks were installed decades ago and are now degrading or outright failing.
Copper theft: From HVAC systems to DSL wiring, copper theft is becoming a real problem in many areas, and it can cause wide-scale outages that leave you unconnected.
Even with upgrades, there’s a ceiling to how much performance you can squeeze out of copper. It’s a patch job at best, and for many providers, those patches are nearing the end of the road.
Signs your internet issues might be copper-related
If you're still on a copper connection, there’s a good chance your frustrations aren’t just about your plan or provider—they’re about the physical infrastructure itself. Here are some common issues copper internet users frequently run into:
Video calls freezing or dropping: Especially during peak hours, copper networks can struggle to maintain the consistent speed and stability that video conferencing demands.
Streaming that constantly buffers: If your favorite shows drop in resolution or pause to load, it could be your copper line bottlenecking the connection.
Online gaming lag: Copper can introduce higher latency, which makes fast-paced games frustrating or even unplayable.
Slow uploads: Trying to back up photos or send large files? Copper’s upload speeds are often painfully slow.
Inconsistent speeds: You might notice your connection fluctuating wildly throughout the day, especially in bad weather or when more neighbors are online.
These aren’t just minor annoyances. They’re signs that your connection may be outdated, and you’ll likely get a much better experience by switching to a modern internet connection.
How fiber internet connections work
Fiber-optic internet works differently. Instead of sending electrical signals through metal, fiber uses pulses of light to carry data through ultra-thin glass strands. That sounds complicated, but the takeaway is simple: it’s faster, clearer, and more reliable.
Gig-speed potential: Fiber can handle internet speeds up to 1 Gbps or more, even with multiple users and devices.
Symmetrical speeds: Uploads are just as fast as downloads—great for video calls, file backups, and working from home tasks.
Greater reliability: Fiber is resistant to weather interference and signal loss.
Future-proof: Fiber is the gold standard for internet. As more services move online, fiber has the ability to handle them all with ease.
So, what’s the catch?
There really isn’t one, aside from availability. Not all areas have fiber just yet, but that’s where we come in. We’re expanding it as fast as we can, and in fact, Kinetic has made it a priority to invest in fiber infrastructure across rural and suburban communities, including yours.
And while we’re not making any official announcements just yet, it’s safe to say that copper networks won’t be around forever. The industry has been steadily shifting toward fiber for a while now, and customers who switch now can start enjoying better internet and be ahead of the curve when copper starts to sunset.
Make the switch—and get rewarded
If you’re already a Kinetic customer and love your fiber service, you can spread the word and get rewarded. OurRefer-a-Friend program gives you a bill credit for each friend you send our way who signs up for fiber.
And if you’re not sure whether fiber is available at your address yet, we’ve made it easy to find out. Check your address now to see if Kinetic Fiber is available in your area. A better internet experience might be closer than you think.