Best Fiber Internet Providers 2024

Fiber internet is faster and more reliable than other internet types, like cable and 5G home internet. But not all fiber internet is the same. Here’s what to look for when picking a plan.

• Network type: The providers that we’ve featured here offer fully fiber networks, which means that the fiber cables go directly to your home. But many fiber providers have mixed networks that include old cable and DSL infrastructure that can slow your speeds and be less reliable.
• Speed: Fiber internet can be very fast, but it depends on what plan you get. Know how many megabits you need to support your household streaming, gaming, browsing, and Zooming before you start looking for a plan.
• Latency: For most people, speed is the most important internet metric. But online gaming and other activities, like video calling, require lower latency.
• Price: Fiber ISPs are not usually among the cheapest internet providers. But that doesn’t mean you should pay an arm and a leg. Compare prices in your area before you commit.
• Contracts: Speaking of prices, be sure to read the fine print. ISPs often include sneaky price increases and fees into their contracts. Also look for modem and Wi-Fi equipment rental fees.
• Discounts and bundles: You can save a lot of money on your monthly bills when you bundle multiple services—like internet and mobile—with the same company. For example, AT&T and Verizon give you up to $25 a month off your internet bill if you have an eligible mobile plan too.

So far, only one company has ever received a 5/5 rating in our speed and reliability metric. That company is Google Fiber, which also tops the list of the fastest internet service providers. What is it that makes Google so much better than the competition?

First of all, Google Fiber concentrates on quality, not quantity. It has only rolled out its service in select cities, but it creates fully fiber-optic networks everywhere it goes without any cable or DSL infrastructure to slow things down.

But Google Fiber isn’t just fast. It’s also incredibly reliable. As Chance Carter, a Google Fiber customer in Provo, Utah, told us, “I’ve never had a problem with it. In fact, it’s the first internet provider I haven’t had an issue with.”

Google’s reliability is rooted in its superior infrastructure but also in its contracts, which don’t have any hard or soft data caps. And even the company’s slowest plans will give users more than enough speed for everyday activities, like streaming, gaming, and attending an online meeting.

As you can see, Google Fiber’s plans start off at $70 a month. That might sound like a lot, but when you compare it to other ISPs gigabit-speed plans, it’s actually among the cheapest. This is especially true because everything is baked into that price—there are no contracts, no pesky start-up fees, and Wi-Fi equipment rental is free.

If you upgrade to the 2 or 5 Gig plans, you’ll get an even better dollar-to-Mbps ratio. Those plans are ideal for big households, extremely online content creators, and apartment buildings or duplexes that want to share a single internet connection.

So, what’s the catch?

The only drawback to Google Fiber is the service’s limited availability. Right now, Google Fiber is only available in 35 cities. That number is expanding, but it is expanding slowly. So, if you’ve been thinking about moving to, um, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, then maybe now is the time!

AT&T operates one of the biggest and fastest fiber internet networks in the country, covering much of the Midwest, South, and West Coast. It also has some of the cheapest prices for 100% fiber-optic internet plans.

Starting at just $55 for a 300Mbps plan, AT&T’s prices are similar to plans from many popular cable providers—like Xfinity and Spectrum—while giving you all the added benefits of a fiber connection, like symmetrical upload speeds. Here’s a closer look at the different fiber plans that AT&T offers.

Those who have a qualifying AT&T Wireless phone plan can get an even better deal than the prices you see above. If you already have (or are willing to switch to) an unlimited AT&T Wireless cell phone plan, you can get a full $20 off your fiber internet bill every month. That would make the AT&T Internet 300 plan just $35 a month, which is probably the best internet deal on the market right now, period.

You don’t have to worry about signing any long-term contracts when you sign up for AT&T Fiber. Nor does the company have any sneaky fees. You just have to pay $10 a month if you want to rent a Wi-Fi gateway from the company, which is a pretty reasonable price as far as equipment rental goes.

So, we know the prices are low, but how does AT&T’s fiber network actually perform?

According to our proprietary data from almost 1,000 individual AT&T Fiber customers’ speed tests, AT&T’s speeds actually live up to what the company advertises. Users are regularly seeing speeds in the 300 to 900Mbps range, which is more than enough to stream 4K TV, grind ranked in the new Apex Legends season, and Zoom into a meeting at work all at the same time.

You don’t need a weather forecaster to tell you which way the wind blows, and you don’t need an economist to tell you everything is expensive these days. So who isn’t looking to save a few bucks on internet? With Metronet, you can grab a fiber internet plan for under $50 a month.

In fact, the ISPs cheapest plan starts at just $34.95 a month, which is unheard of in the fiber internet market. It will only get you download speeds of 150Mbps, but that’s enough for many small families, couples, and students who only have a few devices going at once.

If you need more bandwidth than that, Metronet’s other plans are also absurdly cheap. Check it out.

But before you click Sign Up, let’s take a deeper dive into these prices.

The first thing to note about Metronet’s fiber internet price tags is that they aren’t all inclusive. You will have to pay at least an additional $9.95 a month for equipment rental and technician assistance. You can’t opt out of this fee.

But there’s another cost lurking in the fine print: “The price will increase by $10 per month at the beginning of the thirteenth month of service.” In other words, the great prices you see here only last for one year. After that, they go up by $10 every single year for three years. 

Even after these price increases, Metronet’s prices are not the worst. But many people might find it best to sign up for Metronet fiber for a couple of years to take advantage of lower prices, then switch to another ISP, like Spectrum or T-Mobile 5G.

Whether you’re grinding the ranked ladder in Valorant or just playing Among Us with your friends, Verizon Fios is the best fiber internet for gamers. There are several factors that make Verizon Fios ideal for gaming.

First of all, Verizon’s fiber-optic plans are fast and reliable. Their Fios 500, 300, and 2 Gig plans have symmetrical download and upload speeds, which makes streaming on Twitch or chatting on Discord very smooth. This also makes it easy to stay on top of those massive game updates.

But where Verizon Fios really outshines the competition is with its super low latency. After reviewing tens of thousands of individual speed test results, we found that Verizon Fios has an average latency of just 13.28 ms. That means you won’t be able to blame your internet connection when you miss that shot with MCPR-300 in Warzone.

To top it all off, Verizon’s prices are actually very reasonable. Check it out.

Verizon’s pricing is, thankfully, quite straightforward. You won’t have to sign a contract. The Wi-Fi router and modem rental fee is already included in the advertised prices above. And, if you order online, Verizon will even wave the $99 installation fee.

Why isn’t everyone just using Verizon Fios, you might ask. The answer is simple: It’s only available in a few states in the Northeast. Everyone else will just have to settle for slightly higher latency. (At least you’ll be able to blame your ISP when you’re malding!).

You might not have heard of Quantum Fiber, but you probably have heard of CenturyLink. Well, the fact is, these companies are basically the same. Both are owned by Lumen Technologies and Quantum is just the branding for its fiber internet plans.

Like CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber is available in a lot of western states where other internet options are limited. This includes Nevada, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Nebraska, and Colorado.

Quantum offers market-based prices, so go ahead and use this nifty zip code tool to see if it’s available where you live and to view Quantum prices in your area.

You won’t be surprised to hear that Quantum Fiber has fast download and upload speeds. You can get anywhere from 500Mbps to 3,000Mbps. But what really makes Quantum stand out, besides its availability, is its low prices and contract policies.

Not only are Quantum’s prices fair ($45–$165 per month), but the company also offers a Price for Life guarantee. That means your monthly internet bill won’t increase for as long as you keep your plan. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for your grocery bill.

After diving into user reviews, contract fine print, and our own proprietary data from thousands of customers, we’ve found the very best fiber internet providers. Here’s the long story short:

• Google Fiber: If you want the fastest download and upload speeds, period, then Google Fiber is the way to go. Its prices are great, and its performance is unmatched.
• AT&T Fiber: AT&T’s superfast download speeds, expansive nationwide availability, and awesome discounts make it the ideal fiber internet provider for most customers.
• Metronet: You can get fiber internet service for under $50 a month with Metronet. The company offers the best promotional prices in the industry. Just watch out for price hikes after the first year.
• Verizon Fios: Gamers, influencers, and remote workers who prize crisp, seamless internet connections should check out Verizon Fios. Its speeds are great, but what really sets the company apart are its low latency rates.
• Quantum Fiber: Fiber internet providers are few and far in between, especially in the western United States. Thankfully, there’s Quantum Fiber, which has decent prices and performance and operates in much of the West.

We begin every one of our reviews with a deep research process. We look at every shred of information we can find about different ISPs, from customer reviews and third-party evaluations to contract fine print and our own proprietary performance data.

In the end, we narrow down our picks by focusing on the specific features that we think are most important for internet customers, including:

1. Download and upload speeds
2. Reliability and latency
3. Price
4. Discounts, perks, and fees
5. Contract flexibility
6. Customer service

We hope that we’ve helped you find the best fiber internet provider for your household. Please let us know if we could do anything better by hitting the Contact Us button below.