A very good dwelling web plan is borderline important lately, so if you happen to’re purchasing round for a brand new one, you have received loads to consider. Past understanding how the totally different applied sciences at play would possibly have an effect on your community efficiency and figuring out how a lot velocity you really want, you would possibly take into account trying into the obtainable reductions for low-income households or bundling your property web with different providers.
Exterior of that, you will need some familiarity with the web service suppliers competing for your small business, too. Amongst them, two of the most important are Comcast Xfinity, which is on the market to roughly one-third of American households, and Verizon Fios, obtainable to slightly over one-sixth of the nation. Should you stay within the Northeast, you would possibly even have entry to each.
If that is the case, you have come to the appropriate publish. Beneath, 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: Expertise and speeds
From fiber to satellite tv for pc, dial-up to DSL, there are many other ways for ISPs to get web connectivity into folks’s houses. Whereas a whole lot of web suppliers make use of a mixture of strategies as wanted to get as many individuals on-line as attainable, most deal with one most important know-how for a majority of shoppers. As an example, Comcast’s Xfinity web service focuses on cable web, which carries your internet visitors alongside the identical copper coaxial wiring that delivers cable TV into folks’s houses. That is no shock — together with being an web juggernaut, Comcast is likely one of the greatest cable TV suppliers within the US.
In keeping with the Federal Communications Fee’s most up-to-date information (an admittedly flawed and outdated database, even in accordance with FCC commissioners), cable web accounts for 99.98% of Xfinity’s subscriber footprint, with obtain speeds of as much as 1,000 megabits per second (1 gigabit) obtainable to about 97% of these prospects. Comcast notes that these figures are from December 2020, and provides that speeds and availability percentages are each slightly larger lately.
“As of January 2021, Comcast upgraded its Xfinity Gigabit Web velocity to supply 1.2Gbps (1,200Mbps) in its Northeast Division,” a Comcast spokesperson instructed us earlier this 12 months. “The corporate will roll out this velocity enhance throughout the remainder of its footprint all through 2021. Xfinity Gigabit Web is on the market to 99-plus% of its footprint.”
Per the FCC, sooner fiber hookups account for the opposite 0.02% of Xfinity subscribers, although Comcast says that this quantity is on the rise, as properly. In November, the corporate introduced high speeds as excessive as 3Gbps for purchasers throughout the nation, quick sufficient to qualify because the quickest residential web plans within the nation.
Add speeds are one other story
Whereas Xfinity gives quick downloads, add speeds with these 1.2Gbps cable plans sometimes high out at round 35Mbps, which is roughly the naked minimal for HD video conferencing. Decrease-tier plans supply even much less. As an example, if you happen to subscribe to Xfinity’s Blast plan with obtain speeds of 300Mbps, 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, but it surely’s unclear when a majority of Xfinity prospects ought to anticipate to profit from them.
“Over time, we have now persistently elevated each upstream and downstream speeds,” a Comcast spokesperson says, whereas additionally pointing to an in-house report exhibiting that downstream visitors was roughly 14 occasions larger than upstream visitors in 2020.
“We proceed to judge utilization, however nothing to announce about will increase to our upstream speeds presently,” the spokesperson added.
Comcast Xfinity Dwelling Web Plans
Package deal (obtain/add) | Typical month-to-month price |
---|---|
50Mbps / 5Mbps | $20-$25 |
100Mbps / 5Mbps | $35-$45 |
200Mbps / 5Mbps | $40-$60 |
300-400Mbps / 10Mbps | $60-70 |
600-900Mbps / 15-20Mbps | $70-$80 |
1Gbps (1,200Mbps) / 35Mbps | $80-$90 |
3Gbps / 3Gbps | $300 |
Verizon Fios Dwelling Web Plans
Package deal (obtain/add) | Typical month-to-month price |
---|---|
200Mbps (300Mbps in NYC DMA) / 200Mbps | $40 (with AutoPay) |
500Mbps (600Mbps in NYC DMA) / 500Mbps | $60 (with AutoPay) |
940Mbps / 880Mbps | $80 (with AutoPay) |
With none cable infrastructure in anyway, Verizon is rather more depending on fiber deployments, with max obtain speeds of 940Mbps obtainable for 62% of its prospects as of December 2020. Fiber is a lot better than cable at dealing with uploads, too, so Verizon Fios prospects can anticipate 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 the client base will get its web from Verizon by way of DSL, which the FCC lists as obtainable to 87% of subscribers at a lot slower obtain speeds starting from 1.1 to 10Mbps.
Verizon additionally notes its rising 5G and LTE dwelling web service, which leverages the corporate’s mobile towers to beam web connections straight into peoples’ houses. In December, 5G Dwelling service expanded to incorporate Dayton, Ohio and Jacksonville, Florida, which brings the overall variety of US markets to 62.
“Our growth of 5G Dwelling … will proceed all year long,” a Verizon spokesperson mentioned.
Xfinity is the clear winner for general nationwide protection
In keeping with the FCC’s protection maps, Verizon’s web service is primarily obtainable within the northeast US. This is a rundown of metro areas the place the service is on the market:
- 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 gives Xfinity web service in New England, as properly, together with in Boston, Hartford and components of New York. With a complete declare of 28.3 million residential prospects, the sprawling service can be obtainable in quite a few different areas all through the nation, together with Chicago, Atlanta and the Pacific Northwest.
All instructed, you will discover Comcast Xfinity obtainable in 40 totally different states, whereas web from Verizon is on the market in 9 states.
Plans and pricing
Each Verizon and Xfinity supply quite a lot of dwelling web plans, in addition to bundles that package deal your property web with different providers like cell or cable TV. You will discover a better number of choices with Xfinity, which gives twice as many plans as Verizon Fios.
The 2 suppliers are comparably priced on the excessive finish, with gigabit or near-gigabit velocity plans sometimes working for about $80 monthly. Comcast additionally gives a Gigabit Professional plan that gives fiber-to-the-home speeds of 3Gbps, each obtain and add — although it is obtainable in all Xfinity service areas, that plan requires a web site inspection to verify serviceability, and it prices $300 monthly plus set up and costs.
On the low finish, each suppliers supply 200Mbps plans at about $40 monthly, although Xfinity additionally gives speeds of fifty and 100Mbps for as little as $20 monthly. In the meantime, Verizon’s DSL service gives single-digit speeds for about $40 monthly.
Past these baseline plans, each suppliers supply discounted charges for low-income households who qualify
With Verizon, the Fios Ahead program lets certified prospects deduct $20 from the month-to-month price of any Verizon Fios plan. That brings the price of a 200Mbps fiber web plan right down to $20 monthly, and the price of a 940Mbps plan right down to $60 monthly.
With Comcast, low-income prospects can join the Web Necessities plan, which gives speeds of 50Mbps for $10 monthly. That is the one low-income Xfinity plan Comcast gives, and it is not as quick because the a number of low cost plans obtainable from Verizon, however it’s the least costly possibility.
Verizon Fios persistently ranks on the high in buyer satisfaction
One thing else price contemplating if you happen to’re evaluating Comcast Xfinity and Verizon Fios is how glad their present prospects are with the providers. It is a metric that the American Buyer Satisfaction Index tracks with yearly surveys and studies, together with an everyday have a look at the highest telecom suppliers.
In 2021, Verizon was tied with AT&T on the high of the entire main web service suppliers with a satisfaction rating of 71 out of 100, six factors larger than the general ISP satisfaction grade of 65. That marks six consecutive years of rating within the 70s for buyer satisfaction within the ACSI ballot — the one ISP capable of make that declare.
Comcast Xfinity completed with an above-average rating, too, however at 67 out of 100, solely simply barely. Nonetheless, the report notes that Xfinity’s 2020 rating jumped 8% from 2019, which was the largest acquire of any ISP in that span. It held that momentum to achieve one other level in 2021. It is a good signal that Comcast is transferring in the appropriate path.
Comcast Xfinity vs. Verizon Fios recap
Ry Crist/CNET
Xfinity offers you extra plan choices than simply about every other supplier, with velocity tiers within the Northeast area starting from 50Mbps to 2Gbps. Whereas availability on the 2Gbps plan is very restricted (and comes with a hefty price ticket of $300 monthly), the usual gigabit plan is on the market in 99% of Xfinity service areas and gives max obtain speeds as much as 1,200Mbps. Sadly, since Xfinity makes use of a cable connection, add speeds on all plans underneath 2Gbps will not match the quick obtain speeds, so anticipate add speeds within the 3 to 35Mbps vary.
Excluding the dear 2Gbps plan, Xfinity plans are competitively priced, at the very least for the primary 12 months of service. After the 12-month mark, plans are topic to a value enhance that would add as a lot as $50 to your month-to-month invoice. At that time, it might be price investing in your individual router to shave the $14 tools price off your invoice.
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Verizon Fios comes with fewer plan choices than Xfinity, however every plan gives loads of velocity with 200Mbps, 400Mbps and gigabit velocity tiers obtainable. And since Verizon Fios employs a 100% fiber connection, prospects can anticipate symmetrical or near-symmetrical add and obtain speeds. Pricing is about the identical as Xfinity for comparable velocity tiers however with out the particular and doubtlessly steep value enhance after 12 months. Moreover, Verizon Fios gigabit service consists of the router at no further price, a $15-a-month worth.
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 of 73/100 in 2020 and once more in 2021 with a 71/100, albeit a tie for first place with AT&T. Verizon Fios additionally fared properly with J.D. Energy in 2021 with a rating of 758/1,000, incomes the highest spot for suppliers within the East area.