Verizon Fios Home Internet Review: Plans, Pricing, Speeds and Availability

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Verizon Fios home internet rating

How we calculated our rating

7.6/10

CNET Score

We score internet providers for speed, value and customer care. Our data sources include the FCC, J.D. Power, The American Customer Satisfaction Index and extensive in-house research.

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7.6

/ 10

SCORE

Speed

7.5/10

Value

7/10

Customer Care

8/10

Pros

• All Verizon Fios plans are 100% fiber, with symmetrical download and upload speeds
• No data caps or allowances on any plans
• No term agreements necessary on any plans

Cons

• Low fiber availability for a national company
• While Fios and 5G are affordable, LTE and DSL options are pricey

See more pros and cons

Verizon Fios internet review

For our friends on the East Coast, you might be familiar with Verizon's 100% fiber-optic internet service, available in eight states and Washington, DC. Although availability is limited, Verizon Fios offers near-symmetrical download and upload speeds, transparent service details with no hidden fees and perks like a five-year price lock guarantee and free streaming subscriptions. Verizon Fios has plenty of advantages over competing internet providers, but there are key details to consider before signing up.

That limited availability might change soon. In September 2024, Verizon announced its acquisition of Frontier, a move set to expand its fiber footprint to 25 states by 2026, leveraging Frontier Fiber’s existing network. At the moment, Verizon Fios is one of the largest fiber internet providers nationwide despite only having 9% coverage. Once Frontier Fiber's networks merge with Fios, we expect that number to get much higher.

In addition to its growing fiber network, Verizon also offers Verizon 5G home internet service in many of its coverage areas. As seen through Verizon's coverage map, its LTE Home Internet service is available to over 99% of the US population -- making it one of the most available internet providers overall.

All of this complicates what coverage can look like for you, meaning there's a lot to consider before signing up for Verizon Fios. Let's take a closer look at terms of service and pricing to see how Verizon Fios compares to the competition.

Note that prices listed 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 pricing

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

In the world of broadband, where details get really confusing, Verizon Fios' service is one of the easiest to understand. There are four tiers: 300Mbps, 500Mbps, 1,000Mbps and, in select areas, up to 2,000Mbps. Unlike many providers that offer promotional rates that expire after 12 months, causing your bill to increase, Verizon doesn’t do that. Instead, Verizon currently offers a limited-time deal where you can lock in your price for up to five years across all plans -- at no extra cost. We appreciate this straightforward approach.

Also, since Fios is a fiber-optic network, it delivers near-symmetrical download and upload speeds, meaning your download and upload speeds will be nearly identical. If you're used to asymmetrical cable internet, where the upload speeds on a 300Mbps plan might only go as high as 10Mbps, you know how dramatic a difference it can make. It particularly affects videoconferencing and transferring large files.

If you're unsure what speed to choose, you can make note of how much speed your household uses. Typically, households average around 564Mbps download, according to the latest data from OpenVault. Fios 500 or Fios 1 Gig may make the most sense for the average family, but that same report shows that the average small household (consisting of one or two members) typically uses speeds below 578Mbps. Unless your household has a lot of streamers, gamers, remote workers or students, you'll most likely be just fine with Fios 300.

Here's How You Can Stop Internet Throttling By Your Broadband Provider See at Cnet

Where can you get Verizon Fios internet?

At the moment, Verizon Fios is only available in eight of the following Eastern states: Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia, as well as Washington, DC. You can use the Verizon availability checker to see if Fios is available at your address.

Other available Verizon internet connections

If Verizon Fios is not available at your address, Verizon has other services that might be worth checking out:

• 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. Though speeds are nowhere near what fiber can offer, an LTE home internet plan from Verizon will offer download speeds of 25 to 50Mbps and 4 to 5Mbps in upload speeds.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet is available in over 2,700 cities across the US, making it an ideal choice if your address is not serviceable for Verizon Fios. A 5G Home Internet service from Verizon will get you download speeds of 300 to 1,000Mbps (in select areas) and 20 to 75Mbps in upload speeds.

Verizon Fios contracts, equipment and additional fees

No Verizon plans require contracts. And there are no data caps, either. Just as your mom taught you to always look under the hood, it's never a bad idea to dig a bit for a better idea of what you're buying before committing to an internet service.

Additional monthly fees

Verizon Fios customers don't have to pay for their equipment rental, as everything comes included in the monthly price.

One-time installation fee

Your setup charge will depend on the Verizon plan you select. If you choose Fios, it'll be $99, which is waived for those who go with Fios 1 Gig.

No data caps

Unlike Cox, Xfinity and other ISPs, Verizon does not place a data cap on customers. Therefore, you won't need to worry about overage fees or data slowing once you hit a certain threshold. 

Verizon Fios deals, perks and promos

Verizon Fios can easily lean into the fact that you're not required to sign a term agreement, which means no early termination fees or getting stuck with a service you've outgrown or need to downsize. Many other offers also help sweeten the deal for potential customers.

First, Verizon has a discount of $25 per month on all its Fios home internet offerings for new customers who also enroll in the company's premium 5G mobile plans. 

Verizon's latest promotion is for a limited time only. All new Verizon Fios subscribers will receive a five-year price-lock guarantee for allplans. This is a plus, considering that Verizon previously offered a two-year price lock for some and a four-year price guarantee for the faster plans.

Most recently, Verizon announced a logo refresh and a slew of streaming options for all customers. Verizon's other promotions include discounted subscriptions for Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney Plus, Youtube Premium and more for just $10 a month. Verizon customers can cut streaming costs with some of these plans, and you can cancel at any time.

Verizon Fios garners high marks in customer satisfaction

Verizon Fios has consistently been at the top of customer service metrics for most of the last decade. Looking at the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index numbers for ISPs, Fios was near the top, second only to AT&T Fiber. It scored 77 points out of 100 points in 2023, two points higher than its already improved 2022 score. That marks four years of Verizon Fios increasing its score near the top of the ACSI's ISP benchmarks.

In addition, Verizon has consistently captured the top Eastern spot in J.D. Power's annual customer satisfaction ranking for the last 12 years. It's worth pointing out that Verizon was only scored in one of four regions. In that region, the East, Verizon finished first, scoring 575 points on a 1,000-point scale. That put the company well above the area's average of 528 points.

The speed-testing website Ookla tracks ISPs based on a scoring system that considers both download and upload speeds. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Based on the most recent Ookla tests from the first half of 2024, Verizon landed in second place ahead of Cox, Spectrum, Xfinity, Frontier and Optimum.

Verizon took first place for the lowest latency among top providers during that same period too, and was noted as the best internet provider for streaming high-quality video.

The bottom line on Verizon Fios internet? It's pretty good

Verizon can boast that its Fios service is 100% fiber. As internet connection types go, it's tough to beat that. Plus, Verizon can point to its high customer satisfaction ratings and its consistency in topping those charts.

The availability of Verizon's fiber plans is limited to the Northeast, at least for now. The company's DSL plans are nothing exceptional. Verizon Fios is a top-notch option for getting online if you live in the Northeast. We recommend the company's Fios 300 tier for $50 monthly as our top plan choice.

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