Fiber Internet Providers

Fiber Optic Internet Providers in the USA

Fiber is a relatively new technology compared to other common internet options like cable and DSL. It is most commonly found in urban centers or densely populated suburbs, since the high cost of installation makes it difficult to install in rural areas.

What is fiber internet?

Fiber internet companies deliver service over fiber-optic cables, which transmit data as light over bundled strands of glass or plastic. Data is “pulsed” using laser diodes, allowing it to travel much faster than the modulated radio frequencies on copper used for cable and DSL service. For more information on how fiber internet works, see our technical guide to Fiber-Optics.

Top 5 Fiber Providers in the USA by Coverage Availability

Verizon Fios Availability

Currently, Verizon Fios is available in select areas within 9 states. New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have the greatest coverage. Verizon Fios speeds range from 200-940 Mbps, with plans costing $39.99-79.99/month. Cities such as New York, Boston, and Pittsburg have the most coverage by Verizon Fios.

EarthLink Fiber Availability

EarthLink Fiber offers coverage to 21 states across the US. California, Texas, and New York are the big three they service, providing major cities like San Francisco, San Antonio, and Brooklyn with fiber internet service. EarthLink Fiber is one of the more expensive fiber providers as their fastest speed of 1000 Mbps costs $99.99/month, however they are also one of the most available in the country.

AT&T Fiber Availability

AT&T Fiber coverage extends across 21 states with speeds up to 1000 Mbps in each of those states excluding Alaska. Their strongest foothold is in California, Texas, and Florida. Like most other fiber networks, they are concentrated around major cities like Dallas, Los Angeles, and Miami.

Frontier Communications Fiber Availability

Frontier FiberOptic is currently only available in six states. California, Texas, and Florida are the three states that have the largest coverage. Frontier FiberOptic speeds vary by city and state, but range up to 940 Mbps with prices ranging between $29.99 – $74.99.

CenturyLink Fiber Availability

CenturyLink’s Fiber availability is primarily around larger cities, but is scattered throughout most states in the US. Arizona, Colorado, and Washington have the most residents with access to CenturyLink Fiber. Currently, CenturyLink offers the cheapest fiber internet plans — its fastest speed, 940 Mbps, costs $65/month.

Pros and Cons of Fiber Internet

Pros

The first and foremost advantage to having a fiber connection is speed. Most fiber connections are faster than the fastest cable connections because of its similar download and upload speeds. Fiber-optic lines are also not susceptible to electromagnetic interference making for a more stable and reliable connection. This also makes them more secure. Since they do not send off electrical signals themselves, they prevent hackers from wirelessly tapping into the lines.

Cons

With speed and ease comes the price tag, fiber is often more expensive to install than other internet options. The reason for the high cost is because it is difficult to install. Fiber internet requires special equipment because if the lines are bent too much, the glass strands could break and the line would be useless. These difficulties lead to the biggest con of fiber internet, its availability. Since the fiber-optic lines have to be laid, the areas that are serviced are limited to the areas where these lines have been installed.

How many fiber internet providers are there in the USA?

There are currently 1,298 fiber internet companies operating in the United States. The largest fiber internet provider as of 2020 is Verizon Fios, offering availability in 9 states. Many fiber providers are small, premium business internet companies.

Who needs a fiber provider?

The more bandwidth that is used, the more one would benefit from a fiber connection. This means larger families who have multiple devices that are always connected, streaming, or gaming will want fiber as it has high bandwidth for downloads and upload.

Students who are conducting their courses online as well as the teachers teaching them can also benefit from fiber technology. Businesses and those who are telecommuting will see better connectivity with fiber internet.

Fiber Internet Types

What is fiber to the home (FTTH) internet?

“Fiber to the Home” connections use fiber all the way to the subscriber’s address, rather than switching to coaxial or ethernet somewhere on the street or block. FTTH is widely considered the gold standard for both residential and business internet connections, offering speeds faster than 500 Mbps ranging up to the gigabit range.

What is fiber to the curb (FTTC) internet?

“Fiber to the curb”, also known as “Fiber to the cabinet”, is when a fiber connection runs to a distribution point generally within 1,000 feet of the subscriber’s home. The line then runs up from the distribution point to the homes in the form of copper lines. With so little of the line being copper, there is minimal loss of speed within the connection.

What is fiber to the Node (FTTN) internet?

“Fiber to the Node” is also known as “Fiber to the Neighborhood”. This type of connection is just as it sounds. Fiber-optic lines are run from the source to a distribution hub, a “node”, within a neighborhood. Then, DSL or cable lines complete the connection to individual residences within that area. The main issue with FTTN is that the further the node is from the end user the slower the speed will be.

How does fiber internet compare to other internet types?

The biggest difference between fiber and all other internet types is speed. Fiber will outperform cable, DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite connections. While cable can reach download speeds up to 1000 Mbps, it cannot match fibers upload speeds which can reach gigabit speeds. Satellite speeds can only reach up to 100 Mbps and DSL speeds are normally under 100 Mbps. Fixed wireless can compete with fiber in terms of speeds at times, however, it suffers due to its dependency on line of sight, weather conditions, and distance from station.