Where Can I Get Fiber

Cobweb internet offers best-in-class service

Cobweb is the gold standard for home cyberspace, offering a faster and more reliable connexion than cablevision or DSL internet. Cobweb optic internet uses small strands of glass wrapped with plastic to transmit data equally low-cal, rather than coaxial cables that employ electricity to transport information.

All of that adds upwardly to significantly faster speeds. Most cobweb plans go between 300 and ane,000 Mbps, but providers similar AT&T, Frontier, Google Fiber and Xfinity all offer speeds even faster than that. At 1,000 Mbps, information technology would take you about ten seconds to download a two-hour motion picture, compared to x+ minutes on a 20 Mbps connectedness.

Co-ordinate to the FCC, nearly 43% of the U.S. population has access to fiber internet service. With few exceptions, you should opt for a cobweb connection if it's available to you. A recent FCC written report establish that download speeds for DSL connections average 21 Mbps, compared to 178 Mbps for cablevision and 447 Mbps for cobweb. Cobweb plans are typically more than expensive than DSL, just yous'll pay a similar price to cable.

What's more, cobweb internet provides symmetrical speeds — the same upload and download speeds — where cablevision and DSL usually have much slower upload speeds. That could translate to glitchy gaming or Zoom meetings, and longer wait times for uploading media.

Check to meet which fiber providers are available most you lot

Xfinity – Best hybrid provider

Get the Gigabit plan at $79.99/mo*

Cox – All-time for Goggle box & internet bundles

Gigablast Internet available at $99.99/mo*

AT&T – Fastest bachelor speeds

Gig-speed fiber plans starting at $80.00/mo*

Verizon – Best for no-contract plans

Get the Gigabit Connexion at $89.99/mo*

Frontier – Best for no equipment fees

Gig fiber programme available at $79.99/mo*

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to modify at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. Speeds may vary. As of 06/10/22.

Allconnect's top fiber optic internet provider: AT&T

Although Google Cobweb is the all-time cobweb provider out there, serviceability is limited and users are more likely to find AT&T available in their expanse. AT&T'southward Allconnect rating for AT&T cobweb service is 4.43 out of five stars and the starting price for cobweb service is $55/mo.

How we score internet providers

We evaluate broadband providers in iv categories: affordability, operation, value and customer satisfaction. Each category contains multiple sub-factors, all of which are weighted differently to affect the provider's overall score.

We evaluate broadband providers in iv categories: affordability, performance, value and customer satisfaction. Each category contains multiple sub-factors, all of which are weighted differently to impact the provider's overall score.

For each sub-gene, we score all providers on a continuous calibration of i to 5, relative to the industry equally a whole. Because the average download speed in America is currently 180 Mbps, for example, we assigned all plans with download speeds between 100 and 299 Mbps a score between iii and 4. Xfinity's 200 Mbps plan received a iii.50 score for download speed, while Spectrum'southward 400 Mbps plan got a 4.16.

We but considered standardized information points in our scoring organization. More abstract data like consistency of service and brand reputation is withal part of our assay, just we opted to let our writers address them in the context of each review.

Learn more than about our methodology

How cobweb internet works

Fiber optic cyberspace, also known as "fiber internet" or just "fiber," uses thin cables made of glass or plastic fibers to transfer information every bit light signals. Fiber Internet usually refers to an FTTH (Fiber to the abode) connection, which ways that the infrastructure is 100% fiber, all the style to your home. This blazon of net connectedness can back up faster, more reliable download and upload speeds compared to DSL and cable net networks.

Well-nigh gigabit internet providers use a fiber optic network, just not all fiber internet connections are the aforementioned. Depending on where y'all live, y'all may have admission to FTTN, FTTH or FTTC networks. As a relatively new internet technology, cobweb optic service is quickly growing in popularity and availability.

"Cobweb internet" means unlike things to different providers, just when nigh people say "cobweb cyberspace," they hateful "fiber to the premises." Cable and DSL providers may use fiber in some stages of their infrastructure, just unless information technology does all the way to the abode, it doesn't evangelize the speeds fiber is known for.

Here are the types of fiber internet that are commonly bachelor:

FTTN – fiber to the node

Fiber to the node (FTTN) connections use fiber optic cables to comport data to a hub close to your dwelling but are generally DSL internet. This is why your speeds get slower the farther abroad y'all are from a central node considering the copper wires that connect the endpoint to the node cannot carry the signal without data loss. From this point, DSL or coaxial cables carry the data the rest of the way.

FTTN connections can also be referred to every bit "hybrid fiber-coaxial network" or HFC, and are common connection types from cable internet providers. Since this type of connectedness isn't pure fiber, the connectedness is not as reliable or fast when it comes to upload speeds.

FTTC – fiber to the adjourn

Fiber to the curb (FTTC) connections are what we traditionally call up of as "cable internet" where the fiber lines run closer to an finish user and and so the last portion is connected via cable. They practise carry the fiber optic signals further than FTTN connections, unremarkably stopping at the "curb" of your house.

FTTC does still use a DSL or coaxial cablevision to bridge the gap between your home and the street, which tin can leave your connection susceptible to signal interference simply like with FTTN.

FTTP – fiber to the premises

Fiber to the premises (FTTP) connections employ cobweb optic cables all the way to your dwelling house. FTTP offers the best in bandwidth, reliability and speed consistency.

AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier Cobweb and Verizon Fios merits to offer a 100% cobweb network in select areas.

FTTP speeds can reach up to five,000 Mbps, or 5 Gigs. This puts fiber connections far ahead of other internet types, such as DSL that averages under 100 Mbps, or cablevision cyberspace that averages effectually 150 Mbps.

Compare top cobweb optic internet providers

Check to encounter how fiber internet connections differ, compare costs and check to see which providers are available at your domicile:

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Boosted fees and terms may employ. Pricing varies past location and availability. All prices field of study to alter at any fourth dimension. May or may not exist available based on service accost. Speeds may vary. As of 06/10/22.

Fiber internet availability in your surface area

If you observe yourself asking "is there cobweb cyberspace near me"? Wonder no more. Fiber applied science is relatively new, and well-nigh providers are still working to aggrandize their fiber networks to more areas. Providers such as AT&T, CenturyLink, Cox, Borderland, Mediacom, Suddenlink, Verizon and Kinetic past Windstream currently offer residential fiber Wi-Fi connections in select areas. Here are some areas where cobweb net might exist bachelor almost you.

Is a fiber connectedness available at your address?

Find out if fiber internet is available at your abode by checking your address now.

Fiber availability past provider

AT&T

AT&T offers fiber cyberspace across select cities in California, Texas, the Midwest and nearly of the Southeast. AT&T continues to build its fiber internet network in the U.S., so more residents in these regions will soon have access to high-speed fiber internet. Cheque the AT&T cobweb coverage map to see if service is bachelor near y'all.
CenturyLink

CenturyLink fiber internet offers speeds upwards to i,000 Mbps in 11 major metro areas in the U.Due south. CenturyLink gig speeds are available in cities such every bit Denver, CO; Las Vegas, NV; Minneapolis, MN; Omaha, NE; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA and others.
Cox

Cox Gigablast internet is available in well-nigh Cox service areas. Main service areas include Phoenix, AZ; San Diego, CA; New Orleans, LA; Oklahoma City, OK; Omaha, NE; Providence, RI and Virginia Embankment, VA.
Frontier

Frontier Communications offers their fiber service, Frontier Fiber, in select areas of California, Florida, Indiana and Texas.
Google Fiber

Google, one of the first cobweb cyberspace providers, has fiber optic networks in select cities across the U.S. Right at present, Google does not intend to expand fiber cyberspace markets. Yous tin can find Google Fiber in parts of cities such equally Atlanta, GA; Kansas Metropolis, KS; Charlotte, NC; Austin, TX and Salt Lake Urban center, UT. Where bachelor, Google Fiber plans start at $70/mo. and offer speeds ranging from 1,000 to two,000 Mbps.
Optimum

A sectionalization of Altice, Optimum has implemented fiber optic networks in select areas. Optimum primarily serves the greater NYC area.
Verizon Fios

Verizon'southward cobweb optic Idiot box and internet, Verizon Fios, is available in select cities across the East Coast. Verizon offers cobweb connections across New Jersey, throughout Pennsylvania, in select cities in Virginia and in other major metro areas along the declension.
Kinetic by Windstream

Kinetic by Windstream's fiber internet service, Windstream Kinetic Gig Cyberspace, is available across sixteen states. Cities and towns where Windstream fiber net is available include Huron, MO; Concord, NC; Avon, OH and Wake Village, TX.
Xfinity

Xfinity offers the Gigabit program (up to one,000 Mbps) throughout all of its regions. The Gigabit Pro plan (upwardly to 3,000 Mbps), all the same, is not available everywhere, but y'all can currently find information technology in cities such as Fresno, CA; Atlanta, GA; Miami, FL; Chicago, IL; Nashville, TN and more.

What is fiber net good for?

Compared to other internet types, such as cable and DSL, fiber optic cyberspace is perfect for many uses, including some of the more demanding online tasks.

Streaming Tv – Fiber's high speeds and connection quality make it ideal for streaming with trivial to no buffering, even in HD or 4K.
Downloading shows/movies/games – The gigabit speeds bachelor from near fiber internet providers cut download times for large files such as movies or games significantly. For example, you could download a 4 GB show in around 35 seconds with 1,000 Mbps, compared to nearly an hour with typical speeds from a DSL connection.
Gaming online – With cobweb optic cyberspace, information travels up to seventy% the speed of low-cal, making for extremely low lag, which is perfect for gamers.
Video conferencing – Fiber cyberspace has fast upload speeds compared to cablevision and DSL internet, which are needed for video conferencing also as uploading pictures and videos to social media.
Working from domicile – With more people working and learning remotely these days, some internet providers have problem handling all that traffic. With fiber internet'southward increased data capacity, you won't have to worry most your meetings cutting out.

How much speed practice you lot really need?

With AT&T'due south latest fiber program going all the way upward to iv,700 Mbps, it's fair to ask who actually needs that much speed. The average internet speed in the U.Due south. is currently effectually 223 Mbps, according to Ookla's Speedtest data, and streaming services like Netflix simply require about 25 Mbps to stream in 4K.

That'due south a long way from even 1,000 Mbps. That said, some people will discover that fiber speed upgrade worth the price. Here's what you can do with some of the college speed tiers:

1 Gbps: If you have a lot of people in your house who play online games, stream in 4K or are working or learning from domicile, yous might do good from 1,000 Mbps of download and upload speeds. Co-ordinate to Twitch, you just need 2.5 to iv Mbps to play at 720p and thirty frames per second or 3.v to 5 Mbps for 720p at 60 fps. On a i gig programme, yous could broadcast Twitch on 100 screens — and still have one-half your bandwidth left over.
2 Gbps: Going higher up 1,000 Mbps is overkill for most anyone. The one exception might be if yous're uploading large files on more than ane device at a time. For context, a 2,000 Mbps connection would allow you to upload every episode of The Part in Hd — around 100 hours — in a piddling over a minute.
4.7 Gbps: The fastest widely available internet program in the state is from AT&T. It gets you iv,700 Mbps of upload and download speeds — enough to stream video in 4K simultaneously on 188 screens. Information technology's hard to imagine any situation where that amount of bandwidth is required, and should probably only be considered if you plan on uploading and downloading extremely large files on multiple devices at in one case.

Fiber ISPs record the highest customer satisfaction ratings

Overall, cobweb cyberspace providers tend to rate higher in customer satisfaction than cable or internet providers. AT&T and Verizon received the elevation 2 scores overall in 2022 from the American Client Satisfaction Alphabetize (ASCI) — two providers that primarily offer fiber optic service.

Source: ACSI

Fiber vs. Cable vs. DSL

If you live in an expanse with fiber cyberspace, you lot probably also have cable and DSL internet options. What's the difference when matching up fiber vs. cable? Does it matter if you go with cobweb or DSL?

DSL uses your home phone line to connect you to the internet, and it's the slowest of the iii by far. Cablevision internet is more like fiber, just it uses copper coaxial cables instead of fiber's glass and plastic. That means you're more than probable to feel congestion during high-traffic hours, and your top speeds will generally be slower.

The bottom line: If you have admission to fiber, you lot should get information technology. Your internet speeds will exist significantly faster and more reliable than cablevision and DSL, and the price is typically most the same. Unfortunately, fiber net even so simply covers nearly half the expanse that cable does.

Cable – ninety% availability

Cable pros & cons

Speeds between 25 – one,000 Mbps
Most widely bachelor
Not equally fast as fiber
Tin can be expensive

DSL – 88% availability

DSL pros & cons

Consistent speeds
Cheaper than fiber and cable
Slower than cable and fiber
Fewer bundling options with TV

Fiber – 43% availability

Fiber pros & cons

Fastest speeds bachelor
Symmetrical speeds
Well-nigh reliable connectedness
Can be pricier than Cable/DSL

Our final take on cobweb net

Fiber net is popular for its fast, consistent download and upload speeds. While generally not the cheapest cyberspace service bachelor, the speeds and reliability that come with cobweb net can offer more value than y'all'd get with other internet types.

The one significant downside to fiber internet is availability. More than one-half of U.S. residents do not have admission to fiber net service. That said, if fiber internet is available in your area, it'south definitely worth because every bit the speed potential and connexion quality are unmatched.

Fiber internet FAQs

Is cobweb cyberspace available in my area?

Fiber internet is available to virtually 43% of the U.Due south. population. Big metro areas are the nearly common service areas for fiber optic connections. Bodily availability may be limited to certain Goose egg codes or neighborhoods within a city. This is a rapidly-changing mural, however, with fiber providers like AT&T, Borderland and CenturyLink agressively growing their fiber footprint or offering multi-gig speeds in areas that are already cobweb servicable.

Does fiber internet require a phone line?

No. Cobweb cyberspace uses thin glass or plastic wires to transmit information and then no telephone line is required. The exception is FTTN connections that employ a DSL connection from the node to your home.

What is gigabit internet?

Gigabit cyberspace is an internet service that delivers speeds upwardly to 1 gig or ane,000 Mbps. Gigabit internet is typically offered by fiber cyberspace providers, nonetheless, cable internet providers are likewise to provide the service using a hybrid coaxial cable connectedness.

What speeds tin yous go with cobweb?

Speeds can range from 50 to four,700 Mbps depending on the provider and program. With a fiber optic connection, you are likely to experience greater speed consistency, even during "summit" usage times, and speeds that are near or above your programme'southward advertised speeds.

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Written past:

David Anders

Senior Writer, Broadband Content

David joined the Allconnect squad in 2017, specializing in broadband and Television content. His work has been referenced by a variety of sources, including ArcGIS, DIRECTV and more. Equally a Senior Author, David is motivate… Read more

Edited by:

Robin Layton

Editor, Broadband Content

Read bio