Fiber Optic Internet Providers

AT&T has the greatest availability of any fiber provider, extending service to more than 16 million potential customers across 21 states. The provider also boasts some of the lowest pricing on fiber internet service when you take into account its new multigig tiers announced in January. 

At $180 a month for speeds up to 5,000 megabits per second, AT&T’s Internet 5000 plan boasts a 4-cents-per-Mbps cost that is hard to pass up, but not every household needs that much speed. All plans, from the budget-friendly 300Mbps plan to multigig service, come with unlimited data and require no contract. 

The fast speed, relatively low pricing and customer-friendly service terms have earned AT&T high customer satisfaction ratings in recent years. The American Customer Satisfaction Index gave AT&T a score of 71 out of 100 in 2021, sharing the top spot with Verizon Fios. AT&T’s ACSI score did drop a couple points in 2022, but the provider is still ahead of the majority of ISPs and well above the industry average of 64.

Though AT&T Fiber and Verizon Fios are available to more people, CenturyLink’s fiber network covers more areas, with fiber service that spans an impressive 25 states. Like Windstream, CenturyLink also operates primarily in suburban and rural areas, bringing high-speed fiber connections to areas that may not otherwise have access to them. 

However, people living in CenturyLink fiber service areas only have two plan options: 200Mbps starting at $50 a month or gigabit service starting at $70 a month. While more plan options would be nice , CenturyLink’s gigabit speed plan is still a pretty good deal. At $70 a month for speeds up to 940Mbps and no equipment fees, CenturyLink is one of the cheapest fiber providers for gigabit service.

Frontier Communications recently expanded its fiber internet coverage to 19 states and then rolled out a new multigig service to the entire footprint at once, becoming the first major ISP to do so.

Frontier’s new multigig plans are priced competitively at $100 a month for speeds up to 2,000Mbps and $155 monthly for the 5 Gig plan. Even if you don’t need all that speed, the lower tiers — 500Mbps starting at $50 per month and gig service starting at $70 monthly — are as good a value as you’ll find from any major provider.

Like AT&T and Verizon Fios, Frontier Fiber plans come with unlimited data and require no contract. Unlike many other providers, Frontier includes the equipment cost with the price, so other than taxes, Frontier plan pricing is very much “what you see is what you pay.” 

Google Fiber is still around and resuming expansion after a multiyear hiatus. Where available, Google Fiber offers fiber internet service starting at $70 a month and a 2Gbps plan starting at $100 a month. Both come with equipment included at no extra cost, no data caps and no contracts. 

There’s also the newly introduced 5 gig and 8 gig plans for $125 and $150 per month, respectively. Availability is currently limited, but a Google Fiber spokesperson confirmed with CNET that the provider aims to extend the plans to all service areas later this year.

Verizon Fios is a close second to AT&T in terms of speed, pricing and service terms, but it lacks the same breadth of coverage. Though available to nearly the same number of potential customers as AT&T Fiber, Verizon Fios primarily serves the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. 

Those lucky enough to live in a Verizon Fios service area will likely find the fiber internet service is hard to beat, especially for those looking for a low-cost connection. Starting at just $50 a month, the lowest-price Fios internet plan comes with concurrent download and upload speeds of up to 300Mbps. The next speed tier is also a decent value — $70 a month for up to 500Mbps — but at $90 per month, gigabit service is priced the same or a touch higher than you’ll find with other fiber providers. 

Whichever Fios plan you sign up for, expect some enticing extras with your order, like free streaming subscriptions or gear. All plans currently come with a free Disney Bundle subscription, which includes Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus for one year, or a wireless headset and/or a DualSense controller. Signing up for gigabit service also comes with the added bonus of free Wi-Fi router and extender rental.

One disadvantage of fiber internet is that it’s typically only available in select neighborhoods of larger cities. If you’re living in the suburbs or a rural area, then your best chance to get fiber internet is likely Kinetic by Windstream. Roughly a third of Windstream’s network — which spans rural and suburban areas across 18 states — is fiber optic.

Windstream is one of the best rural internet providers, bringing high-speed connections to places likely underserved by cable or by other fiber internet providers. Those in a Kinetic service area will also appreciate the low pricing — $37 a month for speeds of up to 200Mbps where available, and gigabit service for only $67 a month — along with unlimited data and no contract requirements.