Windstream is one of the best rural internet providers , bringing high-speed connections to places likely underserved by cable or by other fiber internet providers. Our take - Ziply Fiber recently rolled out a ridiculously fast gig plan across its entire Northwest footprint in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, making it the fastest internet provider nationwide.

As streaming, online gaming, work from home, and remote schooling have become more commonplace, faster internet speeds are in high demand. Still, 50Gbps is more than the average household will need. For everyone else, Ziply Fiber offers a range of other speed tiers from to 10,Mbps.

Your internet speeds, reliability and overall experience don't depend solely on the internet provider you choose. The technology it uses to run service to your home makes a big difference as well. If I could recommend any internet connection type above all the rest, that'd be fiber.

My fiber internet speeds, upload and download , are fast and consistent, even during peak usage times or inclement weather. The standard monthly rate of fiber internet services, while not the cheapest service among internet providers in my area , is still a great value considering the speeds I get.

Fiber internet is the best type of service for most homes, but there's more to choosing a provider and plan than the connection type. Here are some tips to keep in mind when shopping for fiber internet service. You won't find fiber internet to be available in nearly as many homes as cable, DSL, satellite or even 5G internet.

Availability is scarce in suburban and rural areas, and can vary from one neighborhood to the next in most cities. It's possible fiber internet is just not available at your home or the address you're moving to.

Fiber internet has the fastest upload and download speed potential of any type of internet. Many of the top providers offer speed tiers up to 2,Mbps 2Gbps , 5Gbps and higher.

While the blazing fast speeds are tempting, they're likely to be more speed than your home needs. Check out our guide to finding the right internet speed for help selecting a fiber plan that best meets your needs.

If you're looking for cheap internet, fiber may not be your best option. It's true that fiber internet plans are often the best value, but you may find cheaper options from cable or 5G providers.

Cable internet providers including Cox, Mediacom, Xfinity and others have lower-priced plans in many areas. Few fiber providers offer a TV service, meaning you may not be able to bundle internet and TV together with the same provider if you choose a fiber internet service.

In the days of streaming and cord-cutting, that may not be a deal-breaker for you, but it's something to keep in mind when shopping for both services. Testing an internet provider the same way CNET tests other products and services is, at best, impractical.

Instead, we rely on extensive research of each provider to develop our reviews and recommendations. When comparing fiber internet providers, availability, speeds and overall value are at the center of our evaluations.

We also examine added fees, data caps, contract requirements, customer satisfaction reports and other factors that could affect your quality of service or customer experience.

We refer to the Federal Communications Commission at FCC. gov for availability data and the type of network a provider uses. We then research a provider's speeds, pricing and service terms through a variety of channels such as the provider's website and our own historical data.

When possible, we contact the provider directly to confirm pricing and speed details. Finally, to develop a more well-rounded perspective of the provider, we consider customer satisfaction reports from the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.

Power, as well as customer reviews and complaints from sources such as the Better Business Bureau, downdetector. com and even Reddit. Before writing our reviews and compiling best lists, we research anything and everything the typical shopper would want to know prior to signing up for home internet service.

Read our piece on how we review internet providers to learn more about our review process. If fiber internet service is available in your area, it's probably worth getting, especially if any of the providers listed above is an option.

Google Fiber, Frontier Fiber, Windstream, CenturyLink and Ziply Fiber round out the list of ideal options while providers like EarthLink, Optimum and others are worth a look, too, if available in your area. What is fiber internet?

Fiber-optic internet sends internet signals via thin glass wires either straight to the home, aka FTTH, or to a node just outside the home, aka FTTN. The technology allows higher bandwidth and faster data transmission than any other connection type, and has the unique capability of delivering symmetrical or near-symmetrical download and upload speeds.

Fiber internet uses a different type of modem than DSL or the DOCSIS equipment used for cable. In fact, fiber technically doesn't use a modem at all, but an optical network terminal that performs the same function. What is the fastest fiber internet?

Ziply Fiber has the fastest speed tier of any major fiber internet provider with max speeds of 50,Mbps, or 50Gbps. Many other fiber providers top out at 5Gbps, 2Gbps or 1Gbps.

Is fiber internet worth the money? While there are cheaper plans available with cable or 5G internet service in select areas, fiber service is likely to come with better speed and connection quality for the price.

Is fiber the best internet connection type? Fiber-optic internet offers speeds and reliability that other internet connection types simply cannot, and you can get it for around the same monthly price as cable internet or DSL service.

Will 5G replace fiber-optic internet? Not likely. While the potential of 5G home internet is promising, it doesn't currently offer the speed or reliability that comes with a fiber-optic connection. That said, the wireless delivery method and rapidly expanding availability make 5G home internet a viable alternative to fiber internet in areas where fiber connections are not yet available.

When will fiber be available near me? If fiber hasn't reached your address yet, I'm sorry to say you'll just have to be patient, as providers are actively expanding their fiber networks across the US.

You're more likely to see fiber come to your neighborhood if you live in a city or densely populated area, but providers like Windstream and CenturyLink show that fiber access in suburban and rural areas is also obtainable.

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Best Fiber Internet Providers of Fiber-optic internet is the best choice for speed and reliability. Written by David Anders. CNET staff -- not advertisers, partners or business interests -- determine how we review the products and services we cover.

If you buy through our links, we may get paid. Reviews ethics statement. David Anders Senior Writer. David Anders is a senior writer for CNET covering broadband providers, smart home devices and security products. Prior to joining CNET, David built his industry expertise writing for the broadband marketplace Allconnect.

In his 5 plus years covering broadband, David's work has been referenced by a variety of sources including ArcGIS, DIRECTV and more. David is from and currently resides in the Charlotte area with his wife, son and two cats. Expertise Broadband providers, Home internet, Security Cameras.

See full bio. Why You Can Trust CNET. Enter your address to view internet providers available near you Why do we ask for your address? Fiber-optic internet is a complex technology that allows the transmission of information in the form of light rather than electricity.

Optical fibers are tiny — about microns in diameter, or slightly larger than a human hair. Many of these fibers are bundled together to form cables not to be confused with coaxial cables, which are made of copper.

Once these super-fast pulses of light reach their destination, they are converted into electrical output that your devices can understand and use. This is performed by a special piece of equipment called the optical network terminal , which then sends the signal through an Ethernet connection to the end user.

Though many people think of fiber-optic as a new technology, it actually dates back to the s, when it was first used in telecommunications. In , fiber-optic cables were laid beneath the ocean, connecting the U. to Europe.

Over the years, more and more lines were laid under the sea, so today a huge network of fiber-optic cables stretches around the entire globe. Growing fiber networks, with their high-speed capabilities and reliable transmission of data, have allowed for dramatic progress in the telecom field — in fact, some say fiber-optic technology is what made the Information Age possible.

Only recently has it become more cost-effective to install fiber lines than copper ones. So, as the technology keeps improving, fiber-optic networks are expanding rapidly across cities and directly to homes. It uses light, delivered through the fiber glass core.

Internet technologies have evolved dramatically over time, from dial-up connections to broadband technologies like DSL and cable. Dial-up, which is far less common than it was 20 years ago, utilizes existing telephone lines, which are usually made of copper. Dial-up uses the audible frequency of the landline, which is why you hear a series of beeps and noises when it connects.

Speeds for cable internet can vary widely, anywhere up to Mbps for downloading and up to 50 Mbps for uploading, on average. High-speed internet connections transmit data at different speeds.

In addition to being faster, fiber is widely considered to be more reliable, thanks to fewer outages and electrical interferences. The everyday connection speed you experience can be limited by the use of wireless technology, which tends to lose signal strength meaning reduced bandwidth as compared to the wired connection that enters your router.

Fiber internet is a great choice for high-bandwidth households or businesses where multiple users want to stream video, play online games, back up data, or send and receive large files at the same time. A fiber-connected home or business can deliver an exceptional experience across all devices and internet-connected systems, from home security to smart thermostats, ovens, refrigerators and other appliances.

Fiber Internet from CenturyLink, for instance, lets you download a full-length 4K or HD movie in seconds. As an example, this is how long it would take, on average, to download a large media file 6. CenturyLink is continually expanding its fiber-optic network across the country.

Check availability today and see if you can get Fiber service. View all Fiber Internet topics. Top Tools. Internet Speed Test. Sign In. My Appointments. Sign In to Email. Did you find the help you were looking for today? Support topics. Home Phone. About Lumen About CenturyLink Careers Investor Relations Newsroom Legal Privacy Notice Tariffs Customers with Disabilities Site Map Cookie Settings CenturyLink in Your Area CenturyLink.

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