Quick Answer
Vivo is Brazil’s largest operator with 102 million subscribers and FTTH fiber delivering symmetric speeds with ~50% upload ratio. NET Virtua is Claro’s legacy cable brand using HFC technology capped at 500 Mbps. Vivo fiber is the better technology. NET Virtua cable may be cheaper at lower speed tiers.
Side-by-Side Comparison
This table compares Vivo’s FTTH fiber against NET Virtua’s HFC cable broadband.
| Feature | Vivo | NET Virtua |
|---|---|---|
| Parent Company | Telefonica | Claro (America Movil) |
| Technology | FTTH symmetric | HFC cable (DOCSIS 3.1) |
| Max Download | 1+ Gbps | 500 Mbps |
| Upload Speed | ~50% of download | 30-50 Mbps max |
| Price Range | R$110-170/month | R$80-130/month |
| Mobile Bundle | Yes (102M subs) | No (use Claro mobile) |
| 5G Access | Yes | No |
Test Vivo speed | Test NET Virtua speed
Speed Comparison
Vivo’s FTTH fiber delivers significantly better performance than NET Virtua’s cable. The biggest gap is upload speed. Vivo offers roughly 50% upload-to-download ratio, so a 500 Mbps plan gives around 250 Mbps upload. NET Virtua cable maxes out at 30-50 Mbps upload regardless of download tier.
Download speeds are closer in practice. Both networks deliver advertised download rates in most urban areas. NET Virtua’s cable can slow during peak evening hours due to shared neighborhood bandwidth. Vivo’s fiber is dedicated per household.
Latency is also better on Vivo fiber. Gamers and video callers notice the difference.
Run a speed test to compare your current performance.
Coverage
NET Virtua’s cable network covers major cities in Brazil’s Southeast and South regions. The network was built decades ago and reaches many addresses where fiber has not arrived.
Vivo’s FTTH footprint is growing but does not cover every address. Some locations have NET Virtua cable but no Vivo fiber option. Vivo fills gaps with DSL in legacy areas, but DSL performance is poor compared to either cable or fiber.
NET Virtua is being phased into the Claro brand. New installations may come under Claro branding with the same cable technology.
Which Should You Choose?
Vivo fiber is the better connection where available. Higher upload speeds, dedicated bandwidth, lower latency, and 5G mobile bundling make Vivo the premium choice. The R$110-170 monthly cost is justified by the technology gap.
NET Virtua works for budget users where Vivo fiber has not reached. At R$80-130/month, cable broadband delivers adequate download speeds for streaming and browsing. Upload-heavy users should upgrade to fiber when possible.
Consider Claro fiber as well. Claro is replacing NET Virtua cable with FTTH in many areas. TIM UltraFibra offers another pure FTTH option at R$90-140/month.
Summary
Vivo fiber is the better technology with symmetric speeds and lower latency. NET Virtua cable is cheaper but limited on uploads and shared bandwidth. Choose Vivo if fiber is at your address. Keep NET Virtua only if no fiber options exist yet.
Test your connection at Kencang speed test and check the Brazil internet overview for all provider options.
Last Updated: March 28, 2026 Data Sources: Anatel Brazil, Opensignal, operator investor reports