Verizon Fios Review: Is It Good?

Lightning-fast speeds, reliable connections, and great customer service. At a glance, Verizon Fios seems perfect. But it does have limitations. Find out if it's right for you.

Verizon Fios is a provider of internet, TV, and home phone service. They use fiber optic cable instead of traditional cable or DSL.

Fios is actually an acronym for Fiber Optic Service. Fiber optic cables transmit light signals, which travel much faster than transmissions through copper or coaxial cables. It also carries much more data. That's how Fios guarantees lightning-fast speeds.

This makes the Fios Verizon's signature product. They use it to provide TV and home phone services. They bundle these services and sell them as their double- and triple-play plans.

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A universal problem can be the speed of your internet. We all value our time and a slow internet connection can be stressful. If you need an internet provider with faster speed, check out Verizon Fios' promotions now. While they are one of the fastest providers, there's still a few things you should know before signing up. We discuss these below.

But first, here are the highlights of their latest promotions.

Verizon Fios Promotions

REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE TO VERIZON FIOS

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1. You want lightning-fast speeds.
   If you're looking for speed, Fios has it. For their internet-only plans, speeds range from 100/100 Mbps and go up to 500/500 Mbps.

   For the fastest speeds, they have the Fios Gigabit Connection package. It has speeds of 940/800 Mbps! That's close to Google Fiber's 1 Gbps connection.

   Also, these numbers aren't just for show. According to the FCC's latest report, Verizon Fios delivered at least 95% of the advertised speeds. In contrast, ViaSat delivered less than 80%.

   If speed is your top priority, go with Verizon Fios.

2. You want fast upload speeds too.
   Most internet providers only advertise their download speeds. Spectrum, for example, has download speeds of up to 100 Mbps. However, their upload speeds are less than 10.

   This may not be important if you'll just be downloading. But if you upload a lot of stuff online, you'll need fast upload speeds too.

   Verizon Fios has symmetrical speeds. This means their download and upload speeds are equally fast. If you regularly upload large amounts of data online, go with Verizon Fios.

   Why are Verizon Fios speeds advertised as 150/150?

   Verizon Fios advertises their internet speeds in two numbers: download and upload. This is to show that their download and upload speeds are equally fast. Many providers only show you their download speeds.

3. You want unlimited data.
   Other internet providers still have data caps. Xfinity, for example, has a 1TB data limit for its users.

   Verizon Fios currently has no data limit for their internet plans. You could use all that speed to stream as many HD movies and series as you'd like!

4. You want bundling options.
   Verizon Fios provides both triple-play and double-play plans. These plans are cheaper compared to signing up for the services on their own.

5. You're moving from another provider.
   Verizon Fios will compensate you if you're switching from another provider. They offer a credit of up to $500. Just show them your bill with your early termination fees. Verizon Fios will credit that amount (up to $500) to your Fios account.

   However, bear in mind that you'll need to subscribe to Verizon Fios's internet plan. You won't receive the offer if you're just switching to their TV or home phone plan.

6. You like introductory plans and bonus deals.
   Verizon currently has several plans and perks for new customers. For example, they have triple-play plans with the price guaranteed for two years. The plan includes their Custom TV pack, 150/150 Mbps internet connection, and home phone.

   They also have their Gigabit Connection promotion. Like the normal plan, it also has Custom TV and home phone. However, the internet comes with a whopping 940/880 Mbps connection upgrade! They'll automatically upgrade you if it's available in your area.

7. You'd like good customer service.
   Verizon Fios ranks 71 in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). They're the highest ranked provider, beating out rivals such as U-Verse and Optimum. They also ranked highest as a TV service provider too.

   The high score points to Verizon Fios's reliability, good connection, and great customer service.

8. You like customizing your own TV channel selection.
   With their Custom TV package, you can choose the channels you'd like. It comes with the basic channels, and offers channel bundles according to genre.

   You can choose between Action & Entertainment, Sports & News, Kids & Pop, News & Variety, Infotainment & Drama, Lifestyle & Reality, and Home & Family. This way, you don't have to pay for channels you don't want to watch.

9. You want a reliable TV service.
   Unlike satellite TV, Verizon Fios's TV is powered by their fiber optic cable. The biggest advantage of this is that Fios TV isn't affected by the weather. Whether it's snow, rain, or strong winds - you'll get clear reception every time.

REASONS TO CONSIDER OTHER PROVIDERS

• You're not in the coverage area.
  Verizon Fios' coverage is still limited. Currently, it's only available in nine states: Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Customers who live outside these areas won't be able to use Fios.

• Cost is a bigger priority for you.
  Verizon Fios has great speeds and services, but it can be slightly more expensive than its rivals.

Alternatives to Verizon Fios

Comcast Xfinity
If you can't get Verizon Fios in your area, try Xfinity instead. It's a popular choice, available in 40 states nationwide.

Xfinity rates well in terms of performance. The FCC reports that the majority of Xfinity customers get the speeds they paid for. Over 90% of their panelists had download speeds of at least 80% of their advertised speeds.

One downside is that Xfinity doesn't have symmetrical speeds. Upload speeds are less than 10 Mbps, so if you upload a lot of data, it's not the best provider.
They also have a 1TB data limit. While that is a big data cap, you could still go over if you've got a household with heavy data users.

Finally, Xfinity's customer service may not be up to par. They rated only a mere 58 in the ACSI compared to Verizon's 71.

AT&T
AT&T is also another major provider of TV, internet and home phone.

AT&T does have contracts, and prices may jump after the first year. Most providers have hidden charges and AT&T is no exception. Be prepared to deal with activation fees, installation fees, and equipment fees.

In terms of data caps, AT&T has different caps for different tiers. They have a 150GB cap for DSL, 160GB for fixed wireless internet, and 1TB for connections above 768 Kbps.

However, they do remove the cap if you bundle their services with TV and phone, or if you subscribe to their 1 Gbps internet connection. Alternatively, you can pay more for unlimited usage.

A thing we do like is that DirecTV is a popular satellite TV brand. It's available almost anywhere in the US. Combined with AT&T's internet coverage in 21 states, you'd probably find a triple-play plan at your location.

Spectrum
With services in over 40 states, Spectrum is another popular provider. The price goes up in the second year. However, Spectrum has no contract.

In terms of internet speed and performance, Spectrum delivers. The FCC reports that Spectrum delivered more than 90% of its advertised speeds to its users. While they only have a 60 Mbps speed for their internet, we think it's still pretty good.

If you're thinking of signing up with, talk with their customer service first. Find out exactly what the price structure is like. Know what your prices are in the first year and the second. It may vary by location, so take the advertised price with a grain of salt.

Also, while they have no modem fees, the modem they provide doesn't have Wi-Fi. If you'd like to have wireless internet in your home, you'd have to pay $5/month. That's a pretty big deal if you weren't expecting it. However, they don't have data caps, which is good for heavy internet users.

In terms of customer satisfaction, Spectrum falls in the middle. They scored 64 in the latest ACSI report. It's not very good, but it's not the worst either.
In short, Spectrum is not a bad choice. The only problem is, it's hard to get a clear idea of your costs. For that, you'd have to talk to them directly.

However, if cost isn't a big deal for you, then Spectrum can be a good alternative. No contract means you can negotiate prices in the second year. If you don't want to, you can just pick another provider.

BOTTOM LINE

We like Verizon Fios' fast speeds, price guarantee, and decent customer service. Prices are transparent, and they have some of the fastest and most reliable internet connections around. We like their perks and bonuses too.

The main downside is that it's not offered in many places. But if you happen to live in the area of operations - go for Verizon Fios.