Verizon Fios Home Internet Review: Plans, Pricing, Speeds & Availability
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Verizon Fios home internet review
Advantages
- All Verizon Fios plans are 100% fiber, with symmetrical download and upload speeds
- No data limits or credits with a subscription
- No term agreements are required for any plans
Disadvantages
- Low availability of fiber for a national company
- While Fios and 5G are affordable, LTE and DSL options are pricey
Verizon Fios Internet Review
With Verizon Fios Internet, you can count on simple service details, near-symmetrical speeds, and solid benefits.
Recently, Verizon made headlines when it announced the acquisition of Frontierwhich expanded its fiber optic network across the country. In addition, last year Verizon Fios has announced the completion of its fiber network expansion to 2,000 homes in Delaware. That marked the latest expansion for the fiber optic internet service, which has held the top spot in multiple customer satisfaction surveys for years since its inception Launch 2004However, it is currently only available in eight states and the District of Columbia.
Verizon also offers home internet via DSL in many of the coverage areas, primarily those in the Northeast, that do not have access to the Fios network. As seen on Verizon’s coverage mapLTE Home Internet service is available to over 99% of the US population.
All of this makes for a complicated coverage map, so there’s a lot to think about before signing up for Verizon Fios based on the rave reviews alone.
If you live within Verizon’s East Coast coverage area and Verizon Fios is available at your address, the internet service will outpace the speeds offered by other Verizon services. If you’re outside of the fiber network, you likely have another form of Verizon home internet service available, but you’ll have to do some tough comparison shopping to determine what’s truly best for your address. Keep reading — we can help.
Please note that the prices on this page reflect available discounts for setting up paperless billing. Your price will be higher if you choose not to use automatic monthly payments.
Verizon Fios Internet Plans and Prices
Plan | Monthly price | Maximum speeds | Rates and service details | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fios 300 | $50 | 300 Mbps download, 300 Mbps upload | Free equipment, no contracts or data limits | |
Fios 500 | €75 | 500 Mbps download, 500 Mbps upload | Free equipment, no contracts or data limits | |
Fios 1 Gig | $90 | 940 Mbps download, 880 Mbps upload | Free equipment, no contracts or data limits | |
Fios 2 Gig | $110 | 2,300 Mbps download, 1,500 Mbps upload | Free equipment, no contracts or data limits |
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Source: CNET analysis of carrier data
Of all the complicated ISP deals, pricing, and plans out there, Verizon’s Fios service is one of the easiest to understand. There are four tiers: 300 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 1,000 Mbps, and in certain areas, up to 2,000 Mbps. Plus, many providers offer a promotional rate that expires after 12 months, which will bump up your bill, but Verizon doesn’t. Depending on the plan you choose, there’s a price guarantee for two to four years. We like the simple approach.
Additionally, because Fios is a fiber network, it delivers nearly symmetrical download and upload speeds, meaning your download and upload speeds will be virtually identical. If you’re used to asymmetric cable internet, where the upload speeds on a 300Mbps plan might only be 10Mbps, you know how dramatic the difference can be. It’s especially impactful for video conferencing and transferring large files.
Of those options, Fios 300 is an attractive choice, as it’s the least expensive option from the provider. But consider going with Fios 500 or Fios 1 Gig, as US households average around 567 Mbps in downloads, per The Latest Report from OpenVault.
Where can I get Verizon Fios internet?
Verizon Fios is only available in eight eastern states: Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C. You can Verizon Availability Check to see if Fios is available at your address.
Other available Verizon internet connections
- Verizon High Speed Internet, a DSL service, still exists, but is no longer available to new customers.
- Verizon LTE Home Internet is available in select markets in 48 states.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet is available in over 2,700 cities in the US.
Simple Terms of Service with Verizon Fios
Verizon plans don’t require contracts. And there are no data caps. But just like your mother taught you to always check under the hood, it’s never a bad idea to do a little digging to get a better idea of what you’re buying before you commit to an internet service.
Additional monthly costs
Verizon Fios customers do not have to pay for equipment rental as everything is included in the monthly price.
One-time installation costs
Your setup fee will depend on the Verizon plan you select. If you choose Fios, the fee is $99, which is waived for those who go with Fios 1 Gig.
No data limits
Unlike Cox, Xfinity, and other ISPs, Verizon does not cap its customers’ data, so you don’t have to worry about overage charges or data slowdowns once you reach a certain threshold.
Verizon Fios Deals, Promotions & Benefits
Verizon Fios can easily play on the fact that you don’t have to sign a term agreement, meaning you won’t pay early termination fees or be locked into a service you’ve outgrown or need to downsize. But plenty of other offerings help sweeten the deal for potential customers, too.
First, Verizon is offering a $25-per-month discount on all Fios home internet deals for new customers who also sign up for the company’s premium 5G mobile plans.
Additionally, all new Verizon Fios subscribers currently get a two- to four-year price guarantee, depending on the plan they choose.
And all Verizon Fios customers get Vix Premium for 12 months. Fios Gig and 2 Gig subscribers also get the choice of a NFL Sunday Ticket (valued at $449) or $400 credit toward a Samsung appliance at Home Depot.
Recently Verizon announced a logo refresh and a range of streaming options for its customers. Verizon’s latest promotion, myPlanis a customizable plan with discounted bundle packages, allowing customers to choose from 2TB of Verizon Cloud Storage, a Walmart Plus membership, or a streaming bundle for just $10 more per month. Additionally, a Disney Bundle (with access to Disney Plus Premium, Hulu, and ad-supported ESPN) is included with the streaming packages. For just $10 per month, Verizon customers can reduce their streaming costs with some of these plans, and you can cancel at any time.
Verizon Fios scores high in customer satisfaction
Verizon Fios has consistently topped customer service metrics for the past decade. When we look at the Latest figures from the American Customer Satisfaction Index for ISPsFios was almost at the top, second only to AT&T FiberIt scored 77 out of 100 points in 2023, up two points from its already improved 2022 score. That means Verizon Fios has improved its score to near the top of the ACSI ISP benchmarks for four years running.
Additionally, Verizon currently has the highest average score in JD Power’s Latest ISP Customer Satisfaction RankingsIt’s worth noting that Verizon was only rated in one of the four regions. In that region, the East, Verizon came in first, with a score of 760 on a 1,000-point scale. That was well above the area average of 709, giving it the second-highest score nationwide. For the past 10 years, Verizon has consistently earned the top Eastern spot in J.D. Power’s annual rankings.
Speed testing website Ookla ranks ISPs based on a scoring system that takes into account both download and upload speeds. Based on the most recent Ookla Tests From First Half Of 2024Verizon came in second, ahead of Cox, Spectrum, Xfinity, Frontier and Optimum.
Verizon also ranked first for lowest latency among top providers during the same period and was seen as the best ISP for high-quality video streaming.
The bottom line about Verizon Fios internet? It’s pretty good
Verizon can boast that its Fios service is 100% fiber. When it comes to internet connectivity, that’s hard to beat. Plus, Verizon can point to its high customer satisfaction ratings and consistent rankings on those lists. All true.
But Verizon’s fiber plans are limited to the Northeast. And the company’s DSL plans aren’t all that special. That said, Verizon Fios is a top-notch option for getting online if you live in the Northeast. We recommend the company’s Fios 300 plan for $50 per month as our top pick.
Verizon Fios Frequently Asked Questions
Fios refers to Verizon’s fiber-optic internet service, which has four different speed tiers – 300, 500, 1 Gig, and 2 Gig. One of the appeals of this service is that it offers comparable upload and download speeds. Verizon also offers other options for home internet service – DSL, LTE, 5G – but none of them are considered Fios.
Can I get Verizon Fios in my area?
Verizon Fios is only available in the Northeast. To find out if Fios is available at your address, you can visit the Verizon Availability Check.
If you’d like to explore the provider’s other Internet options, you can call 800-225-5499, though Verizon advises that the fastest option is to use the “Chat Now” feature on the Verizon Contact Page.
Is a router included with Verizon Fios service?
Yes, that’s correct. Previously, only gigabit customers had their router rental included in their monthly fee, and all other Verizon Fios customers paid an additional $15 per month for a router. But Verizon is eliminating the monthly router fee in 2022.