Ray Prince
If you’re looking for the best fiber internet providers, you’re in luck. Fiber internet in America is becoming more and more popular, and there are a ton of great providers to choose from. In this detailed review, we’ll share five of the best fiber internet providers in 2022. So whether you’re looking for reliability, affordability, or both, one of these providers is sure to fit your needs! Keep reading to learn more.
The 5 best fiber internet providers in The US provide blistering internet speeds, attracting monthly packages/discounts, and perks to retain loyal customers. With top speeds approaching 2 Mbps, fiber internet has quickly put DSL and cable networks by the wayside, offering near-instantaneous page downloads and lag-free streaming.
Here is a quick summary of our top 5 best fiber internet providers for The US.
Verizon Fiber
Verizon Fiber is a well-rounded workhorse, offering affordable plans, high-speed scores, and excellent customer service.
Its biggest draw is download speeds up to 940 Mbps, good enough for up to 10 family members AT&T in a single home to share uninterrupted, lag-free internet with virtually every task from pouring over spreadsheets to engaging in a high stakes Fortnite match.
In terms of bundles and perks, Verizon Fiber takes the cake over other providers by a long shot. For starters, Fios offers $200 gift cards during limited promotional periods, along with a 12-month subscription to Disney+, a 12-month subscription to AMC+, and other perks through its Mobile + Home Rewards program with select plans.
At the moment, Verizon Fios is mainly concentrated in the East—New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington, DC. For the most up-to-date availability, please visit Verizon Fios Availability
Pros:
- Download speeds up to 940 Mbps
- Lots of perks (e.g. gift cards)
- No data caps
Cons:
- Very small footprint
- High than the average cost on DSL plans
AT&T Fiber
AT&T Fiber is one of the more popular fiber internet providers out there.
It offers three plans—300Mbps speed, 500Mbps speed, and Up to 1 Gig. Its fastest plan, up to 1 Gig, offers a max speed and bandwidth of 1000Mbps, which translates to roughly 25 times faster speeds than cable.
Each of these plans works well from the average internet browser to heavy-duty gamers looking for no lag during gameplay. Even a 300Mbps plan is good enough to connect 10 devices throughout a home without speed loss.
Like many providers, AT&T Fiber bundles its plans with perks. As of this writing, AT&T is offering a $250 reward card for online orders along with a subscription to the AT&T Internet Security suite, which performs automatic virus scans to protect your computer against malware. Its top plan, Up to 1 Gig, even comes with a free subscription to HBO Max, valued at $14.99a month.
Existing wireless customers can also enjoy exclusive discounts with a locked in lower first-year rate.
One notable distinction with AT&T Fiber service is with customer service. Although all telecom companies have a long list of complaints published online, AT&T has done well for itself, winning the J.D. Power #1 in Customer Satisfaction award for Residential Internet Service. Combined with its expansive coverage area, there are more than enough reasons to appreciate AT&T Fiber.
Pros:
- Three plans (300Mbps speed, 500Mbps speed, and Up to 1 Gig)
- Expansive coverage
- Good number of perks (e.g. $250 reward card and HBO Max)
Cons:
- Not the cheapest plan
CenturyLink Fiber
CenturyLink has a single Fiber plan—Fiber Internet. Users can enjoy download speeds of up to 940 Mbps for less than $70 a month, one of the lowest monthly rates we’ve come across.
Note, to take advantage of CenturyLink lowest rates for Fiber, users must opt into a paperless billing or prepay plan. The monthly rate does not include taxes, fees, and other surcharges.
One of its biggest draws is the lack of a contract. All internet plans carry unlimited data. Additionally, there is a price lock, meaning your monthly fee will not change for the life of your contract.
Unfortunately, like most fiber internet providers, CenturyLink is only limited to 36 states. It is mainly absent in northeastern states like New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, as well as a single western state (California). Of these states, the Fiber internet plan is only available in less than 20 small to mid-sized cities.
Here is the complete city list as of 12/4/21:
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Tucson, Arizona
- Boulder, Colorado
- Denver, Colorado
- Fort Myers/Cape Coral, Florida
- Ocala/The Villages, Florida
- Orlando, Florida
- Idaho Falls/Pocatello, Idaho
- Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
- Columbia/Jefferson City, Missouri
- Springfield, Missouri
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Portland, Oregon
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Seattle-Tacoma, Washington
- Spokane, Washington
- La Crosse, Wisconsin
To find out if CenturyLink is available in your area, visit here.
Pros:
- Excellent value
- Low monthly rate
- Month to month (no contracts required)
Cons:
- Lack of perks
- So-so customer service
- Less than stellar DSL speeds
Frontier Fiber-Optic
Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Frontier Fiber Optic offers a single Fiber plan—FiberOptic Gig Service with max wired speeds of 940 download and 880 upload Mbps. With auto-pay enabled, users can enjoy fiber service, unlimited monthly data, and no overage charges for less than $80 a month. Activation is also free.
Like AT&T and Verizon, Frontier tries its best when it comes to perks. As of this writing, users receive a $200 Visa reward card with a one-year agreement.
One knock on Frontier Fiber-Optic is its tie-in to a one-year contract with early termination fees. Many other providers on our list offer month-to-month contracts, offering greater flexibility if a user decides to change plans for whatever reason.
At the moment, Frontier FiberOptic is only available in 25 states.
To check Fiber Optic availability in your area, visit https://go.frontier.com
Pros:
- Low monthly rate
- Excellent speeds (940 download and 880 upload Mbps)
- $200 Visa reward card upon enrollment
Cons:
- Required one-year contract
- Early termination fees
- Visa Reward Card cannot be redeemed for cash
- Only available in 25 states
Google Fiber
Google Fiber is one of the fastest-growing fiber internet providers in the United States. It offers two plans: Fiber and Webpass. Its Fiber plan is split into two offerings—Google Fiber 1000 and Google Fiber 2000.
Google Fiber 1000 is good for download/upload speeds of 1000 Mbps. Subscribers can also opt for the Google Fiber 2000 plan, which offers download speeds of 2000 Mbps and upload speeds of 1000 Mbps.
With Webpass, users can get the same download speeds (up to 1,000 Mbps) with an unlimited data cap.
Unlike Fiber, Webpass works a little differently, in that data is transmitted using a network of wireless relays from all service addresses to a centralized location.
In terms of which Google Fiber plan to select, we recommend Google Fiber 1000 for larger families, avid streamers/downloaders, and students. Opt for the higher octane Google Fiber 2000 if you are deeply immersed in programming work and around-the-clock streaming.
Our favorite feature with Google Fiber is all equipment included (wi-fi router and up to two access points for improved range and coverage) and the lack of a contract. Contracts work on a month-to-month basis with no fees other than an initial $10 service deposit and a $300 construction fee that goes towards the cost of installing the line. However, the construction fee can be waived if you sign up for a year of service. Subscribers can also pay down the $300 construction fee in installments over time.
Note, in the event fiber jacks or other Google equipment becomes damaged, you will need to pay a replacement fee. Replacement fees can range from $100 for a fiber jack to $280 for a multi-gig router and optical connector.
One downside with Google Fiber (and rationale for its lower ranking on this list) is its availability. At the moment, it is restricted to very few US cities and metro areas, including small to medium-sized geos like Nashville, Tennessee, and Salt Lake City, Utah. Webpass also sees the same coverage in cities like Denver, Chicago, Miami, Austin, and Seattle.
Pros:
- Offers two Fiber plans (Google Fiber 1000 and Google Fiber 2000)
- No equipment fees
- Affordable
Cons:
- Limited coverage
- Hefty equipment replacement fees
How Fiber Internet Works
Fiber internet works using fiber-optic cables that send information (data) as light, through flexible glass or plastic strands, as opposed to cable internet coaxial cables passing electricity. Under an FTTH or FTTP (Fiber-to-the-Premise) setup, a main fiber cable runs directly to your home with no cable wires, offering the highest speed possible.
A second setup, FFTB (Fiber-to-the-Builder) runs a fiber optic cable to the building between a series of copper coaxial cables that runs the data through to all units within the building. This is the most common setup for apartment buildings and other types of multi-unit housing like college dormitories.
A third setup, FFTN (Fiber-to-the-Neighborhood) is the most common setup. As the name implies, a neighborhood box runs a fiber optic cable and distributes internet to individual homes and buildings using coaxial cables.
As a result, fiber internet speeds and latency are significantly improved.
With fiber internet, data transmission can reach as high as 1Gbps, a nice boost over cable’s average download speed (25Mbps to 500Mbps) and average upload speed (5-50Mbps)
Another benefit of fiber internet over cable is resistance to service interruptions. Cable internet relies on electrical systems prone to power outages. Fiber cables are deeply grounded, not exposed to extreme weather, and immune to power outages because they use light, rather than electricity, to transmit data.
Fiber Internet Providers FAQs
Should I go for cable or fiber internet?
Each has its own pros and cons. Look to cable if you are looking for greater plan variety, widespread availability, and cheaper plans. Look to fiber if you are laser-focused on speed, dedicated lines, and live in areas prone to power outages. Generally, fiber internet offers a more reliable service than cable internet.
What are the different kinds of fiber connections?
There are many ways fiber connections can be set up in your area. These include FTTH (fiber-to-the-home), FTTC (fiber-to-the-curb) and FTTN (fiber-to-the-neighborhood) configurations. FTTH implies fiber-optic lines running to your home, as opposed to a nearby utility pole (FTTC) with help from coaxial cables and fiber connections serving an entire neighborhood with direct DSL and cable line connections.
What is the difference in speeds between cable and fiber internet?
The best way to evaluate the difference in speeds is to take real-life examples. Under a 100Mbps cable connection, a 4MB 4-minute song takes 0.3 seconds to download, whereas fiber internet takes 0.03 seconds to download. A larger file such as a 2-hour 2.5GB to 4.5 GB HD movie can take 4.5 minutes to download with cable, versus 25 seconds using a fiber connection.
How fast is fiber-optic Internet?
Fiber optic internet can reach speeds as high as 940 megabits per second. This translates to transmitting data close to 80 percent the speed of light, making it blazing fast compared to traditional copper coaxial cable methods.
What are some downsides of fiber internet?
For starters, fiber internet is available in a small number of regions. Some fiber internet providers serve fewer than 20 cities altogether as infrastructure and other considerations take form. Second, fiber is a delicate system, consisting of weaker and lighter threads than copper coaxial cables and metallic wiring. Any outside construction can easily be cut into fiber optic cables.
In terms of implementation, installing fiber and laying down a completely fiber-optic network is very costly, requiring specialized equipment and high technological know-how that is just only coming to form. This is one reason why widespread adoption is not possible yet.
Does fiber internet use a lot of electricity?
No, fiber internet does not use electricity. All data is transferred using beams of light, rather than electricity. This results in faster data processing speeds and higher bandwidth, a welcome change from copper’s limitations.
Is fiber internet use growing?
Yes, fiber internet is growing at a decent pace. According to Statista, fiber adoption rates in 2019 increased by 22 percent worldwide. For more information on worldwide fiber consumer adoption rates, visit Fiber broadband connection consumer adoption rates worldwide 2019, by country.
Fiber Connection Tips and Tricks
To help you bridge the information gap in terms of the best fiber internet providers, here’s a selection of our top tips and tricks:
No updates to your computer or wireless devices are needed to upgrade to fiber. However, we recommend staying on top of any software, firmware, or router updates for all devices used to connect to the internet for the best performance.
If a promotional period has ended, do not be afraid to call and ask for promotional period rates over the phone. Many fiber providers are all-too-happy to win your business.
