Verizon internet is one of the fastest services in the US right now. It breaks down into Verizon Fios, which is pure fiber optic, high-speed DSL, LTE and 5G internet options – to get the widest coverage of the US. All that places it high on our list of the best internet providers.
With more than 14 million homes currently ready for Fios service, more areas ready for DSL and LTE in 48 states and 5G in 28 areas, it's an option for many people.
But with all that also comes customer service that makes this a very appealing option. Installation can be a quick and easy process and reliability is also good. So while this might not be the cheapest option out there, it has a lot going for it.
Verizon internet: Plans and pricing
Verizon Fios is the high-speed fiber internet that makes this service stand out. It offers very clear tiers that makes picking a suitable service nice and simple.
Go for either the $40 per month 200Mbps, $60 per month 400Mbps or $80 per month 1Gbps (940Mbps). All these prices add on taxes and equipment charges and presume you're going to pay with Auto Pay.
If you can't get that fiber internet in your area then the 5G option might be for you, which still gets you 1Gbps of bandwidth. In real-world use this equates to about 300Mbps of download speeds. Pricing is once again simple with a $50 per month option for those already using a Verizon phone, or $70 per month for those without. Both presume use of Auto Pay but there is no annual contract or hidden fees.
For Verizon DSL you get the fastest connection available in your area up to 15Mbps which is charged at $75 per month plus taxes and equipment and this requires a home phone service too.
Verizon internet: Features
Currently, Verizon offers internet security at an additional cost rather than included with the internet service plans. The internet security suite Verizon offers is powered by McAfee and includes antivirus, antispyware and firewall protection. This suite also includes Verizon Family Protection, which allows you to customize the level of protection per child and includes YouTube filtering.
This family protection tool can also email or send SMS alerts to parents when children attempt to post personal information on social networking sites. The internet security plan can cover from three to nine computers for one low monthly price, and there is a version for Macs as well. Other add-ons include online backup and protection packs.
You can contact customer service via email, phone, chat, Facebook or Twitter. There are numerous FAQs and help topics online, or you can join Verizon's community forum and discuss your services there. However, if you want 24/7 technical support, you have to subscribe to it for a monthly fee.
You can also consult the Ask Verizon automated customer support agent; however, this is essentially a search assist tool. Our attempts to contact Verizon via chat and email were both pleasant, and the agent was helpful in answering our questions.
Verizon internet: Speeds and performance
Verizon Fios has technology capable of downloading up to 940 Mbps at its most powerful. The key here is than many providers give you an "up to" speed whereas Verizon's speeds have been proven to actually be what is advertised or, in some cases, even faster.
According to the Measuring Broadband America report from the FCC, speeds from Verizon have been found to be between six and eleven percent faster than those advertised.
There are no data caps on the fiber Fios service which means you get unlimited allowance at the full speed. So from a house of gamers to a small at-home business running multiple machines and streaming 4K content, nothing will stop you with this connection.
The 5G internet, as mentioned, has a 1Gbps connection but realistically you're going to get closer to 300Mbps. This will change as 5G rolls out further. It also can change based on where you are, but given that Verizon Wireless is top of our best cell phone provider list, you can bet that this is only going to get stronger.
The LTE service, is slower and delivers a speed expectation of 25-50Mbps for downloads. Again this depends on your location and the network capacity in your area but real world speeds average closer to 2-5Mbps.
The DSL internet connection option is stable but speeds are limited by the fact this is running over metal cabling rather than fiber optics. So you get a top speed of 15Mpbs but that all depends on your area and the wiring to your home. In this instance that speed should be fairly realistic a claim though and should also remain constant.
Should you get Verizon internet?
If you want the very fastest internet speeds in your home and don't mind paying a little more to get them, then Verizon internet is a great option. Be sure to check how your area can be connected as this can make a big difference to speeds and any data caps.
With great customer service this is a safe bet that is well worth trying since commitment is minimal. While we prefer Comcast Xfinity overall, Verizon is a strong contender for being one of the best internet services you can currently get. It just isn't that cheap.
