Metronet vs. Xfinity Internet Providers Compared

Metronet offers fiber internet's superior performance with competitive pricing and rapid expansion In 2024, Metronet earned recognition as PCMag's "Fastest ISP in the United States" for both 2023 and 2024 [1]. In a significant development, a joint venture between T-Mobile and KKR completed the acquisition of Metronet in July 2025, with residential fiber customers now served under the T-Mobile Fiber brand while Metronet continues to manage network buildouts and infrastructure [2]. The company currently delivers multi-gigabit internet service to more than 3 million homes and businesses across 300+ communities in 19 states [3]. Metronet's coverage spans three major regions: a large portion of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, the South and Southwest (including Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado), and Florida in the Southeast. With an ambitious expansion plan targeting 6.5 million homes passed by the end of 2030, Metronet is adding fiber availability to underserved markets at an unprecedented pace [4].

All Metronet connections utilize 100% fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) technology, delivering symmetrical upload and download speeds that cable and DSL providers cannot match. Metronet strategically builds in areas that lack another fiber provider, bringing high-speed options to communities previously limited to slower connection types.

States with Metronet service: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Major cities include Colorado Springs, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Lexington, Norfolk, Tallahassee, Dayton, Aurora (IL), Lansing, and Rochester (MN), with over 300 total communities served. In 2025 alone, Metronet announced fiber expansion plans in 32 new cities. Following the T-Mobile/KKR joint venture completed in July 2025, Metronet residential customers transitioned to T-Mobile Fiber branding for retail services, while Metronet focuses on network engineering, design, deployment, and installation [5]. The company maintains its commercial services business independently.

Metronet's prices start competitively with gradual increases and transparent rate structures Metronet offers fiber internet plans ranging from 500 Mbps to 2 Gbps, with promotional pricing that increases in stages rather than dramatic jumps after the first year [6]. With the entry-level plan, you’re paying roughly $0.09 per Mbps, which is a good competitive rate. Plans also include optional price locks that guarantee rates for up to 24 months. Current Metronet pricing:

• 500 Mbps: $44.95/mo for 12 months without price lock, or $60/mo with 24-month price lock
• 1 Gig: $49.95/mo for 12 months, $59.95/mo (month 13), $69.95/mo (month 25), then $89.95/mo regular rate; or $70/mo with 24-month price lock
• 2 Gig: $69.95/mo for 12 months, increasing to $119.95/mo regular rate; or $80/mo with price lock

Mandatory and optional fees: All plans include a mandatory $12.95/mo TechAssure fee that covers service calls, technician visits, and all repairs to Metronet-owned equipment and wiring both inside and outside your home. While this adds to the monthly cost, it eliminates surprise charges for technical support or equipment fixes. Installation typically costs $75, but is frequently waived during promotional periods [7]. New customers often receive the first month of service free. Metronet does not charge equipment rental fees, with an eero Pro 6E wireless router included with all plans up to 2 Gig at no additional cost. Customers must return equipment upon cancellation or face a non-return fee of up to $150. Optional add-ons: WholeHome WiFi powered by eero mesh network technology costs $9.95/mo and extends coverage throughout larger homes. The eeroPlus premium service — which includes ad blocking, parental controls, and additional security features — is available for $1/mo for the first six months with 2 Gig purchase (normally $9/mo). Metronet also offers a $25 account credit when customers enroll in ACH autopay. Unlike many internet providers, Metronet has no contracts, no data caps, and no early termination fees.

Xfinity stands above the pack for its low initial pricing, but pay attention to the later price hikes and fees

Xfinity is the largest internet service provider in the United States, with 32 million broadband subscribers [1]. Xfinity is a subsidiary of cable giant Comcast. Company size and strength gives Xfinity the ability to offer very low promotional prices to consumers for a year or even two years. Xfinity’s promotional plans begin around $40/month. Here's the kicker: after a year or two, your promotional rate will end. At that point, your rate can go up by anywhere from $25 to $50 per month. And Xfinity pricing varies all over the country and is pretty complex in how it changes from plan to plan. By our evaluation standards, this lack of simplicity in pricing hurts Xfinity’s rating despite its great initial promotional rates. In addition, Xfinity’s lower-tier plans have data caps that apply under certain conditions. The data cap is 1.2 TB (terabytes) per month, which is enough to cover many households’ monthly usage without any trouble. However, the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society analyzed data from OpenVault to show that 14.6% of homes used more than 1 terabyte per month, and 2.4% used over 2 terabytes per month [2]. This data suggests that 1 in every 7 homes would run a risk of exceeding the Xfinity data cap. Comcast/Xfinity claims that it does not throttle internet and slow it down, however, Xfinity will charge you overage fees if you exceed your data cap [3]. Those fees can go up to a maximum of $100/month [4]. Odds are that you won’t exceed your data cap. But if you have lots of real-time gaming or heavy streaming in your household, the extra cost for data overage could really add up. With Xfinity's top tier plans, though, you will get unlimited data.

All-fiber technology delivers consistently fast symmetrical speeds Metronet's 100% fiber-optic network provides a significant performance advantage over cable and DSL connections. The company earned PCMag's "Fastest ISP in the United States" designation for both 2023 and 2024, reflecting independently verified speed test results. Fiber advantages Because Metronet runs fiber directly to customer homes without using coaxial cable or copper phone lines for the final connection, customers receive dedicated bandwidth that isn't shared with neighbors. This gives symmetrical speeds where upload performance equals download speed, which is a critical feature for remote work, video conferencing, content creation, live streaming, and uploading large files to cloud storage. Real-world speed tests from Metronet customers consistently show performance that meets or exceeds advertised rates. Users report receiving 520-540 Mbps on 500 Mbps plans and over 900 Mbps on 1 Gig plans. Symmetrical speeds mean a 1 Gig plan provides 1,000 Mbps upload alongside 1,000 Mbps download, while cable internet typically offers only 30-35 Mbps upload even on gigabit download plans. Fiber connections maintain consistent performance during peak usage hours when cable networks often experience slowdowns from neighborhood congestion. The technology also remains unaffected by weather conditions that can disrupt satellite or fixed wireless services. Additionally, fiber-optic cables are significantly more difficult to tap or intercept than traditional copper wiring, providing better security advantages. Future-ready infrastructure As emerging technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and AI-powered applications demand greater bandwidth, Metronet's fiber infrastructure can accommodate these needs. Metronet reports 99.9% uptime reliability across its network. Customer reviews highlight strong consistency, with users noting reliable performance for demanding applications including competitive gaming (ping under 15ms), 4K streaming on multiple devices, and professional video conferencing.

Xfinity’s hybrid fiber/coaxial cable supplies gigabit download speeds but slower upload speeds

Though Xfinity has advanced cable technology and good speeds, their network seems to be more prone to outages than users would like [5]. That’s the major reason Xfinity gets a lower rating for performance, in addition to the intrinsic differences between cable speed and all-fiber speed. Xfinity uses technology that is mostly fiber but uses coaxial cable for a short stretch of your internet connection. This type of connection is known as hybrid fiber/coaxial cable, or HFC. An HFC internet connection is better than older cable technologies because it can supply download speeds up to gigabit speeds. HFC will give you faster, more reliable internet service than DSL, satellite internet, or fixed wireless internet. And for streaming in HD, this hybrid fiber- cable internet will certainly be able to support multiple devices. The major difference between HFC and an all-fiber internet connection is upload speeds. Your upload speed will be no faster than 35-50 Mbps. An-all fiber connection, by contrast, will give you the same upload speed as your download speed. Your upload speed will affect activities such as gaming, videoconferencing and large file uploads. The good news is that if you have an upload speed of 35 Mbps, you’re still going to be able to upload pretty quickly. For most average households, 35 Mbps is enough. But if you have four or more people in your household streaming HD, playing games, working from home, and videoconferencing simultaneously, you’re going to want all-fiber internet, or what is often called “fiber to the home” (FTTH). Xfinity does have one all-fiber connectivity option that is full FTTH. If your household’s location is eligible, Xfinity will install an FTTH connection for their Gigabit Pro plan. Gigabit Pro is up there with the fastest fiber plans on the market.

Free router included with most plans, straightforward installation process Metronet includes a free eero Pro 6E wireless router with all internet plans up to 2 Gig at no monthly rental charge. This eliminates the equipment fees that many ISPs charge, though customers have to return the router when canceling service or face a non-return equipment fee of up to $150. The included eero Pro 6E is a WiFi 6E router that provides strong wireless coverage for most homes. Customers can optionally add Metronet's WholeHome WiFi service ($9.95/mo), which uses eero mesh networking technology to create a smart mesh network that eliminates dead zones in larger homes [8]. The mesh system automatically routes devices to the strongest signal and hands off connections as you move through your house. Tech-savvy customers on any plan can opt to use their own router instead of the provided eero. Installation Standard professional installation costs $75, though this fee is frequently waived during promotional periods. The installation process typically takes a few hours and requires an adult 18 or older to be present. Installation timelines vary, with some customers reporting quick turnaround within days, while others in new buildout areas may wait 2-4 weeks depending on infrastructure readiness [9]. The technician will run fiber directly to your home, install the optical network terminal (ONT), connect the WiFi router, and test the connection.  Metronet's mandatory TechAssure fee ($12.95/mo) covers all future service calls, equipment repairs, and technical support at no additional charge. This means if your router fails, your connection experiences issues, or you need a technician visit, there are no surprise charges — the monthly fee covers these services.

Xfinity offers two different gateways and popular Flex 4K streaming TV box

For TV fans, Xfinity internet service brings the added bonus of its free Flex 4K streaming box [6]. This convenient gadget will work much like a Roku box to consolidate your streaming apps, plus give you over 10,000 free movies and shows, free channels, and a voice remote. Xfinity TV customers are not eligible for a free Flex 4K, however. For your modem and router, you will get the xFi Gateway with its multi-gig speed capability, Wi-Fi 6E, parental controls and security protection [7]. Or you can upgrade to the xFi Complete, which includes unlimited data. Both require a rental fee after the promotional period that could be $15-25, which is part of why your price goes up. If you use your own router and modem to avoid the equipment fee, you will have to live with the 1.2 TB data cap. Installation fees will be similar to other providers at around $100 for a technician install and $15  for a self-install ($15).

Metronet earns above-average ratings with strong marks for speed and reliability Metronet does not appear in major national customer satisfaction surveys like J.D. Power or the American Customer Satisfaction Index due to its regional footprint. However, multiple independent surveys and review platforms provide insight into customer experiences. According to CableTV.com's Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey, 77% of respondents reported being fully or highly satisfied with Metronet's internet service, placing the company sixth overall among ISPs [10]. Customer satisfaction with specific aspects showed 79% approval for internet speed and 79% for reliability — scores that trailed top performers like Google Fiber and Verizon Fios by only a small margin while significantly outperforming cable providers. Metronet offers multiple support channels including 24/7 phone lines, live chat, text messaging to customer support numbers, website FAQs, and video tutorials [11]. What customers say Customer reviews consistently praise installation technicians as friendly, professional, and thorough [12]. If additional fiber construction is needed in your neighborhood, timelines may extend, but Metronet provides updates throughout the process. Reviews consistently highlight fast symmetrical speeds, reliable fiber performance, and professional installation technicians who are thorough and courteous. Many customers report smooth streaming on multiple devices, excellent gaming performance with low latency (under 15ms ping), and the ability to video conference while others in the household stream 4K content. The lack of data caps and contracts receives positive mentions, as does pricing that remains more stable than cable competitors after promotional periods. Installation delays do frustrate some customers, particularly in newly expanding markets where infrastructure work causes rescheduled appointments. The mandatory $12.95/mo TechAssure fee, while comprehensive in coverage, annoys customers who view it as a hidden charge not clearly disclosed upfront [13]. Some customers report occasional service outages, though experiences vary significantly by market. Response times for customer service receive mixed reviews. Some customers praise quick resolution of issues in under 10 minutes, while others report long wait times and difficulty reaching representatives during outages. Customer service satisfaction scored 72% in CableTV.com's survey, which is lower than technical performance ratings but still competitive for the industry. Overall assessment Fiber internet providers generally achieve higher customer satisfaction than cable or DSL competitors because the technology is newer, more reliable, and less prone to congestion-related slowdowns [14]. Metronet follows this pattern — customers who experience smooth installation and service typically express high satisfaction with performance. The company's generally transparent pricing structure and lack of data caps contribute to positive experiences, though communication about fees and installation timelines could improve based on customer feedback.

Xfinity Customer Service shows improvement

Xfinity has not been known for strong customer service over the years. Online reviews continue to mention some problem areas. But Xfinity has been moving up in official rankings, and for that reason, we give them 4 stars for improving their customer experience. Xfinity has customer support on its website, with 24/7 chat for help and 24/7 tech support. An online status center allows you to check for outages and troubleshoot your service. The Xfinity app will make your online customer experience more streamlined. You can also find Xfinity help communities through Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. Customer service rankings have been improving for Xfinity in recent years. In 2022, Xfinity ranked third in three of four regions in the J.D. Power Residential Internet Service Provider Customer Satisfaction Study  [8]. This ranking reflects Xfinity’s recent effort to improve their customer support. Though Xfinity’s customer support ratings from other sources are not always as high, overall, signs are getting better that you will be satisfied with your customer experience.