Optimum vs. Verizon Fios: Which Internet Provider Is a Better Match for Your Home?
If you live in the Northeast, chances are you've come across Optimum and Verizon Fios. So which internet provider is better? CNET has the details.
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Is Optimum or Verizon Fios better?
Optimum and Verizon Fios overlap coverage in the Northeast. So, if you live in that area and are unsure of which internet service provider is better for your home, we have all the details you need.
Of the two, CNET picks Verizon Fios as the better ISP. It offers slightly wider coverage than Optimum (approximately 9% of the country compared to just under 7%), has higher customer satisfaction marks, better perks and a reliable 100% fiber network. On the other hand, Optimum only offers fiber connections for certain markets. While Optimum does feature more competitive pricing across its plans, those prices increase by $15 year over year. You'll see a much longer price lock with Verizon Fios.
Optimum, an Altice USA brand known primarily to our friends in the northeastern part of the country, is becoming more familiar to folks in the southern and western portions of the US. The cable provider formerly known as Suddenlink is now Optimum and although cable internet offerings comprise most of its network, Optimum is growing its fiber internet network in new locations. Just recently, Optimum reached over 50,000 customers across its fiber footprint in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. In April 2024, residents of West Orange, New Jersey gained access to Optimum's fiber-optic network featuring symmetrical speeds of up to 8 gigabits.
Locating local internet providers
For now, whether you're in the midst of choosing between Optimum and Verizon Fios or are simply curious as to how these internet providers measure up, a closer look at the plans, pricing and terms of service of both providers gives us a closer look at cable and fiber internet trends.
Optimum
Good speeds, great prices
Our take - Out of the gate, Optimum's services feature competitive introductory pricing, fast speeds and decent perks. Along with those positives, you get unlimited data, no contracts and no equipment fees. Additionally, Optimum offers a contract buyout if you purchase an Optimum plan while being an active customer with a competing internet service provider, covering up to $100. What's not to like?
Verizon Fios
Fiber internet service kept simple
Our take - Verizon Fios is a 100% fiber internet service, which means you get symmetrical download and upload speeds. That's good, especially if you spend more time working from home and videoconferencing. Fiber internet's high performance and speedy uploads let you accomplish those things better than cable internet, where upload speeds are typically much slower.
Comparing Optimum Internet and Verizon Fios coverage and availability
According to the latest data from the Federal Communications Commission, Optimum is available to nearly 7% of the country and Verizon Fios is offered to just shy of 9% of US households. You may be looking into these two ISPs and wondering about their differences. Let's take a look.
Locating local internet providers
The FCC Broadband Map shows Optimum (purple) and Verizon Fios (red) overlapping coverage in the Northeast.
Verizon Fios spans across nine of the following states:
Verizon Fios focuses its coverage on several major metro areas in the Northeast. Those cities include Albany, New York; Baltimore; Boston; Buffalo, New York; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Richmond, Virginia; Syracuse, New York; and Washington, D.C.
Optimum Internet is available to two boroughs in the New York City market -- Brooklyn and the Bronx. It is also available to most of Long Island and a healthy section of northern New Jersey, Dutchess and Westchester counties in New York and portions of Connecticut.
Also, as I mentioned at the start, Suddenlink is now Optimum, so you'll now be able to find Optimum service in the following 21 states:
| Arkansas | New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Arizona | New Mexico |
| California | New York |
| Connecticut | North Carolina |
| Idaho | Ohio |
| Kansas | Oklahoma |
| Kentucky | Pennslyvania |
| Louisiana | Texas |
| Mississippi | Virginia |
| Missouri | West Virginia |
| Nevada |
Optimum vs. Verizon Fios: Comparing plans and prices
On its site, Verizon Fios boasts that "unlike Optimum's cable network, the fast internet of Verizon Fios runs on a 100% fiber-optic network." On the flip side, Optimum brags, "If you are being mindful of your budget, Optimum is the better choice." Let's start sorting through it by looking at their available plans and price points.
Optimum fiber internet plans
| Plan | Monthly price | Max speeds | Fees and service details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber 300 | $40 for 12 months, $55 after | 300Mbps down, 300Mbps up | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts | |
| Fiber 1 Gig | $60 for 12 months, $75 after | 1,000Mbps down, 1,000Mbps up | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts | |
| Fiber 2 Gig | $80 for 12 months, $95 after | 2,000Mbps down, 2,000Mbps up | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts | |
| Fiber 5 Gig | $100 for 12 months, $115 after | 5,000Mbps down, 5,000Mbps up | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts | |
| Fiber 8 Gig | $280 for 12 months, $295 after | 8,000Mbps down, 8,000Mbps up | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts |
Optimum cable internet plans
| Plan | Monthly price | Max speeds | Fees and service details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300Mbps | $40 for 12 months, $55 after | 300Mbps down, 20Mbps up | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts | |
| 1 Gig | $60 for 12 months, $75 after | 1,000Mbps down, 35Mbps up | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts |
Verizon Fios plans and pricing
| Plan | Monthly price | Max speeds | Fees and service details | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fios 300 | $50 | 300Mbps download, 300Mbps upload | Free equipment, no contracts or data caps | ||
| Fios 500 | $75 | 500Mbps download, 500Mbps upload | Free equipment, no contracts or data caps | ||
| Fios 1 Gig | $90 | 940Mbps download, 880Mbps upload | Free equipment, no contracts or data caps | ||
| Fios 2 Gig | $110 | 2,300Mbps download, 1,500Mbps upload | Free equipment, no contracts or data caps |
Let's start with Optimum. As with many ISPs, the number of plans available will vary based on location and address. In select regions, Optimum's Fiber 2 Gig plan will run customers $75 a month in the first year, while Optimum's Fiber 5 Gig will cost you $100 per month, which is a great value at just under 2 cents per Mbps. Optimum also offers an 8 Gig plan for $280 monthly, at around 4 cents per Mbps.
What stands out is the highly competitive pricing. Taken across all seven plans, the cost per Mbps of Optimum's starting monthly prices is a very affordable 6 cents per Mbps. Even more impressive? The cost per Mbps for the Optimum 5 Gig plan is just 2 cents. Keep in mind that these promotional prices increase by $15 for every year you stay with Optimum, bringing the cost per Mbps across seven plans up to 7 cents per Mbps after one year. Plus, Optimum offers faster speeds and more variety than Verizon Fios -- though those multi-gig tiers average $100 plus a month.
Other drawbacks? First, you can see how cable upload speeds don't compare to fiber internet. You only get 20Mbps of upload speed with Optimum 300 and 35Mbps for the 1 Gig plan. What does that mean in the real world? Well, Zoom recommends you have at least 2Mbps upload speeds for a single screen, so if you've got a household with two or three people needing to do some form of videoconferencing, things could get tight quickly. Fiber won't run into that problem.
Second, those super zippy multi-gigabit plans are not available to all locations. Don't expect to see those ultra-fast speeds across the whole Optimum footprint. If you have questions about how much speed you should be paying for, head over to our internet speed guide for a quick rundown. In many cases, those multi-gig speeds can be too much speed for some households -- but homes with gamers, remote workers, streamers or students may need those quick speeds.
Moving on to Verizon Fios, it keeps things similar across all the areas it serves. The four plans you see are the four plans offered, although most markets will only have the choice of the gigabit tier being the top-end plan. Verizon Fios offers a two to four-year price lock. In other words, unlike Optimum, those plans don't have a promo price that changes to a regular rate after 12 months.
When looking across Verizon Fios' available plans, the cost per Mbps is just below 12 cents, which is more expensive than Optimum's 6 cents per Mbps for its cable and fiber plans.
Who wins this round?
It depends. Optimum has better prices, but you're not guaranteed a fiber internet connection. On the other hand, Verizon Fios has a 100% fiber connection, which means you get symmetrical upload speeds, which also brings a particular worth. Also, Verizon Fios promises a two to four-year price lock on its plans depending on what tier you choose, so in the long run, Verizon Fios may be the better long-term investment for fiber internet.
On that note, Optimum obviously sees the value of fiber internet as an Altice spokesperson shared with CNET via email that Optimum Fiber is currently available to over 2.9 million households, and Optimum's goal is that "fiber deployment continues at a rapid pace." It's not yet widely available, but Optimum is pushing further down that road to reach 6.5 million homes by 2025.
Verizon Fios vs. Optimum: Additional fees and add-on expenses
Verizon Fios and Optimum typically waive your setup if you order service online, so we've got a draw there. Neither ISP enforces data caps, so you don't need to fear any looming overage fees for your data usage. That's a win for customers of both services. Third, neither Verizon Fios nor Optimum require you to sign a contract, so there's no threat of steep early termination fees.
Lastly, you won't have to account for an additional monthly equipment fee with either provider and if you have your own equipment you can easily opt out. Previously, Verizon Fios charged customers an additional $15 a month to rent their router. Optimum was a bit cheaper, with its monthly equipment fee ringing in at $10 monthly. That's all moot in 2024 since both have kicked that fee to the curb. Optimum includes a Wi-Fi 6 gateway or Wi-Fi 6E gateway with your plan, plus one free extender if you need it (additional extenders cost an extra $3 monthly). A pretty good deal. Verizon Fios offers a Fios Quantum Gateway.
Both providers typically waive installation costs, but Verizon may charge $99 and Optimum $100 for professional installation.
Optimum vs. Verizon Fios: Which has the better perks and promos?
Perhaps because they compete in the country's largest metro market, Optimum and Verizon aren't shy about courting customers.
On the Optimum front, if you bundle your home internet with Optimum Mobile or a TV plan you can receive a $200 to $400 gift card.
Optimum also offers a 60-day money-back guarantee and a contract buyout. If you go to Optimum with a bill from a competing provider -- let's say you recently moved to an Optimum-serviceable address and you're coming from another region where you had a contract with your ISP -- it will give you credit to cover the early termination fee you incurred, up to a maximum amount of $100.
Verizon Fios has some similar deals and offers to sway you its way. First, like Optimum, it extends an early termination fee offer. With Verizon, you'll get a bill credit of up to $500 if you switch from your current provider and are charged a termination fee for breaking the contract. Second, Verizon also boasts a 30-day, money-back guarantee offer. Third, customers who sign up for select 5G mobile plans will get $25 off their monthly bill.
As for perks, new Verizon Fios customers will get a Vix Premium + Play for 12 months for all plans. Customers of the 1-gig plan and faster plans have the option of either an Xbox Gaming Bundle or a free Netflix and Max subscription for 12 months. Lastly, all Fios customers get the option of choosing a bundle to add-on for $10 extra a month. The options include a Netflix and Max (with ads), a Disney Plus/Hulu bundle, an Apple One bundle, a Walmart Plus membership and YouTube Premium -- among even more Verizon perks.
Verizon Fios vs. Optimum on customer satisfaction
Optimum has a long way to go to match the Verizon Fios customer satisfaction track record. Let's start with the 2024 American Customer Satisfaction Index for ISPs. Verizon Fios landed near the top of the chart with 77 out of 100. Unfortunately for Optimum, the ACSI survey had much harsher news for its company. Optimum's fiber service scored 66 out of 100, five points below the industry average and 11 points behind Verizon Fios. Its cable service did even slightly worse, earning 63 points.
Over at the 2024 J.D. Power US Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study, Optimum's results weren't much better. The company earned a disappointing score of 471 on a 1,000-point scale for wired internet service, well below the East region average of 528. To add insult to injury, it landed second to the bottom of the list, just above Breezeline.
Meanwhile, Verizon Fios also ranked high in this satisfaction survey, earning 575 out of 1,000. This was tops in the East region.
Which is better: Verizon Fios or Optimum Internet?
If you have a choice between Verizon Fios and Optimum, it's tough not to go with Verizon Fios. First, a 100% fiber network will beat cable internet every time, from reliability to symmetrical download and upload speeds. Despite the compelling savings you'll get with Optimum, Verizon's consistently strong customer satisfaction ratings are enough to put it over the top.
Optimum vs. Verizon Fios FAQs
Is Optimum cheaper than Verizon Fios?
Optimum is initially cheaper than Verizon Fios. Optimum plans can run about $10 per month cheaper than a similar speed tier with Verizon Fios, but those prices will increase by $15 each year. Verizon Fios plans may be less expensive in the long run, as new customers get a price-lock guarantee of two to four years, depending on which speed tier you choose.
Which provider offers the fastest plan, Optimum or Verizon Fios?
If you only consider the plans available to all customers across the country, it's a tie. Optimum and Verizon Fios each offer 1 gigabit tiers to all customers within their footprints. If you consider the fastest plan either provider offers to any portion of its customer base, the winner is Optimum. It boasts an 8Gbps tier available in parts of Long Island and Connecticut. Verizon Fios, on the other hand, tops out at 2Gbps, which you can get throughout the New York City market.
Do Optimum and Verizon Fios offer fiber internet?
Yes. Both providers offer their customers fiber internet plans featuring symmetrical download and upload speeds. 100% of all Verizon Fios plans are fiber internet, whereas a decent percentage of Optimum offerings are cable internet, which features equivalent download speeds but much lower upload speeds. According to the latest data from the FCC, Optimum's fiber network is still growing, offering just over 2% of unit coverage in the US. On the bright side, it's made strides in expanding its fiber network. Optimum recently reached over 50,000 customers across its fiber footprint in the Northeast.
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