Fidium Fiber vs. Verizon Internet Providers Compared

Fidium Fiber offers good pricing and fast fiber.

Fidium Fiber launched as a residential fiber brand in late 2021 under parent company Consolidated Communications. In September 2025, Consolidated Communications completed a major transformation by uniting all its residential, business, and wholesale operations under the single Fidium brand [1,2], effectively retiring the Consolidated Communications name for customer-facing services. Fidium now represents all the company's fiber-based solutions nationwide and serves more than 75 percent of its broadband customers [2,3]. Available in more than 700 communities [2,3], Fidium currently operates in 8 states: California, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Vermont [1]. The company offers competitive pricing across all plans, with their lowest-priced residential plan starting at 100 Mbps and maximum speeds reaching 2000 Mbps. A Wi-Fi 6 gateway rental is included with monthly fees, and Fidium requires no contracts or data caps. The company has invested approximately $1.7 billion in fiber infrastructure since 2020 and earned recognition as one of the nation's top 10 fiber networks by route miles [2,3]. The company is on track to reach more than 80 percent of its footprint with fiber within the next few years [1,2]. This expansion strategy continues to prioritize underserved communities, particularly in rural areas where high-speed internet options have historically been limited, differentiating Fidium from providers that focus primarily on dense urban markets. The unified Fidium brand now encompasses three service lines: Fidium Fiber for residential customers, Fidium Business for commercial clients, and Fidium Wholesale for carrier and infrastructure providers. Searchlight Capital acquired the company in late 2024 and is undergoing a leadership transition, with current COO Gaurav Juneja set to become CEO in early 2026 [4].

Fidium Fiber’s pricing is simple, transparent, and matches other best deals.

Fidium Fiber offers competitive prices across the board, with no hidden fees. Understanding Fidium Fiber's pricing structure reveals significant advantages over traditional cable internet providers, who typically use promotional pricing that increases substantially after 12-24 months. The entry-level plan, currently starting at $30/month, offers 100 Mbps download and upload speeds. For families on tight budgets, this is one of the most affordable first-tier plan prices you'll find in the fiber industry. With those symmetrical speeds, you will get very good internet performance for activities like video conferencing. Fidium Fiber's 1 Gig plan, at $55 per month, translates to approximately 5.5 cents per Mbps—among the most competitive rates in the fiber industry. By comparison, entry-level fiber from providers like AT&T or Verizon typically ranges from 10-15 cents per Mbps. Best of all, you will get transparent, straightforward pricing from Fidium Fiber that is much easier to understand than the complex pricing of many other internet service providers (ISPs). Fidium Fiber requires no contracts, no bundling, and no data caps. That means you won't face bills with unexpected overage charges or early termination fees. This customer-friendly policy contrasts sharply with many traditional providers who lock customers into annual agreements with substantial penalty fees. You also won't have the usual $100 installation cost for new internet, as Fidium Fiber offers free professional installation. Fidium Fiber will include the use of a modem/router with your monthly plan price.

Verizon Fios offers great prices for cutting-edge, all-fiber internet with no hidden fees

Verizon Fios offers three all-fiber internet plans in most of its service areas. The first-tier begins at $34.99/month for up to 300 Mbps. Those fiber speeds are symmetrical, which means that upload and download speeds are equal. No other internet technology offers equal speeds. So you will get a lot more speed for your money with fiber than with any other type of internet connection. Verizon Fios gives you stable prices from the beginning, not introductory prices that will jump up much higher after a year. Here at CompareInternet.com, we give our best ratings to providers whose prices are not only low, but also clear and consistent for customers. Verizon Fios ranks at the top of the industry for its simplicity of pricing. Another major plus of Verizon Fios is that their plans don’t impose data caps. Even with a large household of internet users streaming in HD or gaming, you won’t have to worry about your data usage. Finally, Verizon will give you the option to bundle your cell phone service and your TV. You can get very low combined deals by bundling that can save you a lot of money compared to typical cell phone plan pricing. Many customers do choose to bundle because Verizon phone service is known for its high-quality signals.

Fidium Fiber brings the speed and reliability of fiber to new service areas.

Fidium Fiber offers symmetrical speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 2000 Mbps, depending on your plan. That's great news if you live in a town that hasn't had fiber internet before. According to Federal Communications Commission data, Fidium Fiber currently reaches approximately 1.56 million fiber passings across more than 700 communities in eight states. The company plans to expand to 2 million passings by the end of 2027, with coverage concentrated in the Northeast—particularly Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Secondary markets include Illinois, Minnesota, and Texas, while California, Pennsylvania, and other states have more limited availability. You can call our experts at 1-833-438-0953 to quickly discover if Fidium is available in your area. Fidium Fiber's symmetrical speed delivery represents a fundamental advantage over cable internet technology. The practical implications become apparent in real-world usage scenarios: home-based professionals uploading large files, families sharing content on social media, and households using cloud storage services experience dramatically improved performance with Fidium Fiber compared to cable alternatives. Network latency, a critical factor for gaming and video conferencing, benefits significantly from fiber-optic technology. Fidium Fiber connections typically deliver latency measurements under 10 milliseconds to nearby servers, compared to 15-30 milliseconds common with cable internet connections. This reduced latency creates noticeable improvements in online gaming responsiveness and video call quality. The dedicated nature of fiber connections provides another performance advantage. Cable internet systems share bandwidth among multiple households in a service area, potentially causing speed reductions during peak usage times. Fidium Fiber's infrastructure design maintains consistent speeds regardless of neighborhood usage patterns, ensuring reliable performance throughout the day. Peak hour performance stability makes Fidium Fiber particularly valuable for households with multiple users and devices. Some Fidium Fiber customers have said that they are not getting their promised speeds, but others report being very satisfied [7]. If you have any doubts, you can test your actual speed here to see what kind of performance your current internet connection is giving you.

Verizon Fios performance is best-of-the-best with all-fiber speeds, but make sure you’re getting Fios

It’s really hard to beat all-fiber internet. If you’re getting a Verizon Fios plan, you’re going to have enough bandwidth for practically everything you need to do in your home. Fiber speeds are so fast that numerous people could be streaming or gaming at once in your home, and your connection would not slow down or glitch. Bandwidth is just not an issue for most households once you get internet speeds up past 200 Mbps. You will avoid ISP throttling and any of the other speed issues that happen with slower internet technologies. There’s just one issue to be aware of. Only 50% of Verizon’s wired network is Verizon Fios [3]. The rest is Verizon Internet, which is DSL-based. As you probably know, there is a vast difference between the speeds you get with all-fiber internet vs. DSL internet. Verizon also offers fixed wireless internet plans under LTE and 5G. And while all these plans can still give you high-speed internet, none of them will give you the premium performance of Verizon Fios. So when you’re signing up for Verizon Fios, make sure you look for the Fios all-fiber brand name. If only Verizon DSL or fixed wireless is available in your area, those can also be good options depending on what else is around. But you’ll want to check out your complete list of internet choices by entering your zip code here on our website.

Free installation, free equipment loan with Fidium Fiber internet plans.

Several fiber ISPs will offer you good promotional prices and no contracts. They may even offer no data caps, as Fidium Fiber does. But very few ISPs also offer free installation for all their plans. The free installation for Fidium Fiber is a nice touch, meaning you don't have to invest upfront to get Fidium Fiber. Fidium Fiber's installation process demonstrates the company's commitment to professional service and customer convenience. The free professional installation (typically a $199 value) includes a comprehensive setup of fiber-optic infrastructure, extending from the street connection to a complete in-home network configuration. Professional technicians handle all aspects of the installation, including running fiber-optic cables to the optimal location within your home, installing the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) that converts light signals to electrical data, and configuring the Wi-Fi 6 Gateway for optimal coverage throughout your residence. Fidium Fiber will provide you with free use of a Wi-Fi 6 Gateway and a whole-home Attune Wi-Fi app, allowing you to control all your devices. The Wi-Fi 6 Gateway may have equipment rental fees depending on the plan (typically around $10/month for lower-tier plans, with some higher-speed plans including equipment at no additional cost). The gateway represents current-generation wireless technology that provides improved performance for homes with multiple connected devices, offering enhanced capacity for various connections, reduced latency, and better performance in environments with numerous smart home devices, tablets, smartphones, and computers. The Attune Wi-Fi app provides comprehensive network management capabilities that go beyond basic router administration. If you have smart home devices, the app will be especially useful. Users can monitor data usage patterns, set parental controls for specific devices, prioritize bandwidth for critical applications, and troubleshoot connection issues without requiring technical expertise. It's also convenient to have a network management app when you want to adjust your settings without logging into your router. Installation flexibility includes evening and weekend appointment availability, recognizing that many customers prefer installation times that don't interfere with work schedules. The commitment to next-day installation availability in many areas reflects Fidium Fiber's focus on customer convenience and quick service activation. For customers who prefer to use their existing networking equipment, Fidium Fiber accommodates personal router preferences while ensuring the fiber connection delivers optimal performance.

Verizon Fios includes a free router with your monthly plan fee

Fios offers what we consider the best possible equipment option: no extra equipment fee. Your router is included with the basic charge for your plan [4]. You get a simpler, more predictable price because your equipment is included in your monthly fee. The other benefit of getting a router directly from your ISP is that their tech support will be better able to help you if you ever need troubleshooting. Verizon charges a $99 installation fee, but the fee may be waived with some promotions. You can also self-install Verizon Fios if there is already a Fios Optical Network Terminal in your home from previous Fios service.

Reviews are high for Fidium Fiber’s customer service and operations.

Fidium has grown substantially from its initial customer base of approximately 123,000 fiber broadband customers at the end of 2022 [8]. With about 1.56 million current fiber passings and plans to reach about 2 million by the end of 2027 [10], the company has demonstrated significant scaling capabilities in its buildout efforts. The customer service landscape has matured considerably since launch. Fidium has earned one of the industry's highest Net Promoter Scores [1,2], indicating the company has successfully addressed many of the operational growing pains typical of new fiber providers. Early customer complaints about installation delays, communication issues, and service inconsistencies have been resolved as the company refined its processes and expanded its workforce. The local technician model continues to differentiate Fidium from national providers, offering more personalized service and a deeper knowledge of regional infrastructure challenges. Customer service quality has become more consistent across markets as the company has standardized operations and increased staffing levels to meet growing demand. Beyond the continued absence of data caps and contracts, Fidium has expanded its customer-focused approach across all service lines. The company's operational improvements have resulted in more reliable installation schedules, improved communication with customers, and more consistent delivery of promised speeds, addressing the specific pain points that characterized early customer feedback. With funding opportunities through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program [10], Fidium is positioned to accelerate its rural expansion strategy while maintaining the service quality improvements that have driven its high customer satisfaction ratings.

Verizon Fios ranks first in customer satisfaction

In the Eastern region of the United States, Verizon tops the J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey for residential internet providers. Not only that, but Verizon has ranked first in that survey for nine years, far outscoring the competition [2]. This is especially impressive because that ranking includes Verizon’s DSL service as well as Fios. Usually, DSL providers rank much lower in customer satisfaction. Yet even with a network that includes DSL, Verizon is clearly doing customer service very well. Verizon has all the usual perks of customer service from a large internet provider: phone help, tech support, and a mobile app called My Fios to manage all aspects of your account. If you are lucky enough to be in the coverage area for Verizon Fios, you are going to be very happy with your hyperspeed internet connection, its low price, and with strong customer support from Verizon.