Whether or not you are shifting to the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast for the primary time or simply trying to find higher web service at your present deal with, chances are high you will have the selection of Comcast Xfinity or Verizon Fios. The excellent news is each suppliers are respectable choices for house web with quick speeds, honest pricing and agreeable service phrases.
Xfinity has a slight benefit over Verizon Fios in relation to promotional pricing and gigabit obtain speeds, however Verizon Fios might be the higher long-term web deal. Secure pricing, to not point out the pace and reliability of a 100% fiber connection, have helped Verizon Fios land the highest spot for buyer satisfaction in recent times.
So which supplier, Xfinity or Verizon Fios, is finest in your house? Under, we’ll check out how the 2 suppliers stack up, from speeds and value tiers to protection maps and buyer satisfaction.
Verizon Fios vs. Xfinity: Speeds and connection sorts
From fiber to satellite tv for pc, dial-up to DSL, there are many alternative ways for ISPs to get web connectivity into folks’s properties. Whereas quite a lot of web suppliers make use of a mixture of strategies as wanted to get as many individuals on-line as attainable, most concentrate on one essential expertise for a majority of shoppers. As an example, Comcast’s Xfinity web service focuses on cable web, which carries your internet site visitors alongside the identical copper coaxial wiring that delivers cable TV into folks’s properties. That is no shock — together with being an web juggernaut, Comcast is without doubt one of the largest cable TV suppliers within the US.
Cable web does not have the identical pace potential as fiber web, however it’s nonetheless fairly able to delivering a high-speed connection. In actual fact, Xfinity provides quicker max obtain speeds than many competing cable web suppliers. “As of January 2021, Comcast upgraded its Xfinity Gigabit Web pace to offer 1.2Gbps (1,200Mbps),” a Comcast spokesperson informed us final yr. “Xfinity Gigabit Web is offered to 99-plus % of its footprint.”
Per the FCC, quicker fiber hookups account for the opposite 4% of Xfinity subscribers. Comcast says that this quantity is on the rise, as nicely. In November of 2021, the corporate introduced high speeds as excessive as 3Gbps for patrons throughout the nation, and later doubled that to 6Gbps. However once more, your property will have to be wired for fiber with a view to hit speeds like these.
Add speeds inform a distinct story
Whereas Xfinity provides quick downloads, add speeds with these 1.2Gbps cable plans usually high out at round 35Mbps, which is roughly the naked minimal for HD video conferencing. Decrease-tier plans provide even much less. As an example, when you subscribe to Xfinity’s Quick plan with obtain speeds of 400Mbps, your accompanying add speeds might be capped at simply 10Mbps. And no, Comcast is not near clear about this shortcoming on its web site, or in any of its promoting for Xfinity service.
Sooner add speeds do appear to be within the works, however it’s unclear when a majority of Xfinity clients ought to count on to profit from them.
“Over time, we have now constantly elevated each upstream and downstream speeds,” a Comcast spokesperson says, whereas additionally pointing to an in-house report displaying that downstream site visitors was roughly 14 occasions greater than upstream site visitors in 2020.
“We proceed to guage utilization, however nothing to announce about will increase to our upstream speeds presently,” the spokesperson added.
Comcast Xfinity web plans (Northeast area)
| Plan | Max speeds | Two-year fee with autopay | Commonplace fee with autopay | Tools payment | Knowledge cap | Time period settlement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Join Extra | 200Mbps obtain, 10Mbps add | $25 | $77 | Included | No | None |
| Quick | 400Mbps obtain, 10Mbps add | $35 | $92 | $14 gateway rental (skippable) | No | None |
| Superfast | 800Mbps obtain, 15Mbps add | $60 | $97 | $14 gateway rental (skippable) | No | None |
| Gigabit | 1,000Mbps obtain, 20Mbps add | $70 | $102 | $14 gateway rental (skippable) | No | None |
| Gigabit Further | 1,200Mbps obtain, 35Mbps add | $80 | $107 | $14 gateway rental (skippable) | No | None |
| Gigabit Professional | 6,000Mbps obtain, 6,000Mbps add | $300 | $300 | $25 gateway rental (required) | No | 2 years |
Verizon Fios house web plans
| Plan | Max speeds | Common month-to-month value | Month-to-month tools payment | Knowledge cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fios 300 | 300Mbps obtain, 300Mbps add | $50 | None | None | None |
| Fios 500 | 500Mbps obtain, 500Mbps add | $70 | None | None | None |
| Fios Gigabit Connection | 940Mbps obtain, 880Mbps add | $90 | None | None | None |
Fiber is significantly better than cable at dealing with uploads, so Verizon Fios clients can count on excessive add speeds that match their obtain speeds, or that come shut. As an example, that top-tier 940Mbps plan comes with add speeds of as much as 880Mbps.
Exterior of Fios fiber-optic service, the remainder of Verizon’s wired web buyer base will get its connection from Verizon by way of DSL, which the FCC lists as out there to 65% of subscribers at a lot slower obtain speeds starting from 1.1 to 15Mbps.
Verizon additionally notes its rising 5G and LTE house web service, which leverages the corporate’s mobile towers to beam web connections straight into peoples’ properties. In mid-January, 5G Residence service expanded to roughly 900 cities, which brings the supply of Verizon 5G Residence Web to a complete of over 30 million households throughout the US.
“Our growth of 5G Residence … will proceed all year long,” a Verizon spokesperson mentioned.
Verizon Fios protection is concentrated within the Northeast, whereas Xfinity service is extra widespread and out there in a number of areas.
Xfinity wins the supply battle for its nationwide protection
In line with the FCC’s protection maps, Verizon Fios web service is primarily out there within the northeast US. This is a rundown of the most important areas the place the service is offered:
- Delaware
- New Jersey
- New York Metropolis
- Albany, New York
- Buffalo, New York
- Lengthy Island, New York
- Plattsburgh, New York
- Staten Island, New York
- Syracuse, New York
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Salisbury, Maryland
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Windfall, Rhode Island
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Richmond, Virginia
- Washington, DC
Comcast provides Xfinity web service in New England, as nicely, together with in Boston, Hartford and elements of New York. With a complete declare of 28.3 million residential clients, the sprawling service can also be out there in quite a few different areas all through the nation, together with Chicago, Atlanta and the Pacific Northwest.
All informed, you will discover Comcast Xfinity out there in 40 completely different states, whereas wired web from Verizon is offered in 9 states, with fastened wi-fi connections over 5G and 4G LTE airwaves out there elsewhere.
Verizon Fios vs. Xfinity: Plans and pricing
Each Verizon and Xfinity provide quite a lot of house web plans, in addition to bundles that bundle your property web with different providers like cell or cable TV. You may discover a higher number of choices with Xfinity, which provides twice as many plans as Verizon Fios.
The 2 suppliers are comparably priced on the excessive finish, with gigabit or near-gigabit pace plans usually working for about $70-$90 monthly. Comcast additionally provides a Gigabit Professional plan that provides fiber-to-the-home speeds of 6Gbps, each obtain and add. Although it is out there in all Xfinity service areas, the corporate says, that plan requires a web site inspection to substantiate serviceability, and it prices $300 monthly plus set up and charges.
On the low finish, each suppliers provide 300-400Mbps plans at about $40 to $50 monthly, although Xfinity additionally provides speeds of 200Mbps for as little as $25 monthly. In the meantime, Verizon’s DSL service provides single-digit speeds for about $40 monthly.
Each suppliers provide discounted charges for low-income households
With Verizon, the Fios Ahead program lets certified clients deduct $20 from the month-to-month value of any Verizon Fios plan. That brings the price of a 300Mbps fiber web plan all the way down to $30 monthly, and the price of a 940Mbps plan all the way down to $70 monthly.
With Comcast, low-income clients can join the Web Necessities plan, which provides speeds of 50Mbps for $10 monthly. Xfinity additionally options an Web Necessities Plus plan, which doubles the obtain pace to 100Mbps for $30 a month.
Verizon Fios was on the high for all web service suppliers, with a satisfaction rating of 72 out of 100. Xfinity got here in at 66, two factors greater than the business common.
Verizon Fios constantly ranks highest in buyer satisfaction
One thing else value contemplating when you’re evaluating Xfinity and Verizon Fios is how completely happy their present clients are with the providers. It is a metric that the American Buyer Satisfaction Index tracks with yearly surveys and reviews, together with an everyday have a look at the highest telecom suppliers.
For 2022, Verizon was on the high of all the main web service suppliers with a satisfaction rating of 72 out of 100, eight factors greater than the general ISP satisfaction grade of 64. That marks seven consecutive years of rating within the 70s for buyer satisfaction within the ACSI ballot — the one ISP in a position to make that declare.
Comcast Xfinity completed with an above-average rating, too, however at 66 out of 100, solely simply barely. Nonetheless, the report notes that Xfinity’s 2022 rating, although down 1% from the earlier yr, marked its third straight yr above the business common. It is a good signal that Comcast is shifting in the best route.
Comcast Xfinity vs. Verizon Fios recap
Worth vary $20 – $300 monthlyVelocity vary 75 – 6,000MbpsConnection CableHighlights A lot of plan choices, strong buyer satisfaction numbers, information caps on some plans
Xfinity provides you extra plan choices than simply about another supplier, with pace tiers starting from 200Mbps to 6Gbps. Whereas availability on the 6Gbps plan is extremely restricted (and comes with a hefty price ticket of $300 monthly), the usual gigabit plan is offered in 99% of Xfinity service areas. It provides max obtain speeds of as much as 1,200Mbps. Sadly, since Xfinity makes use of a cable connection, add speeds on all plans underneath 6Gbps will not match the quick obtain speeds, so count on add speeds within the 10 to 35Mbps vary.
Excluding the expensive 6Gbps plan, Xfinity plans are competitively priced, at the least through the two-year promotional interval. After that time, plans are topic to a value improve that would add $20 to $40 or extra to your month-to-month invoice.
Learn our Xfinity house web evaluation.
Worth vary $50 – $120 monthlyVelocity vary 300 – 2,000MbpsConnection FiberHighlights Limitless information, no contracts, free tools with gig service
Verizon Fios comes with fewer plan choices than Xfinity, however every plan provides loads of pace with 300Mbps, 500Mbps and gigabit pace tiers out there. And since Verizon Fios employs a 100% fiber connection, clients can count on symmetrical or near-symmetrical add and obtain speeds. Pricing is about the identical as Xfinity for comparable pace tiers however with out the particular and doubtlessly steep value improve after a promo interval ends.
Quick, dependable speeds and aggressive pricing have landed Verizon Fios the highest spots in buyer satisfaction from the American Buyer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Energy in recent times. The ACSI awarded Verizon Fios the highest rating for seven years working. Verizon Fios additionally fared nicely with J.D. Energy in 2022 with a rating of 758/1,000, incomes the highest spot for suppliers within the East area.
Learn our Verizon Fios house web evaluation.
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