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Verizon Fios vs Optimum – Overview
Choosing an ISP (internet service provider) can be challenging especially if you have a couple of reliable options available in your area.
For instance, if you reside in the Northeastern part of the U.S, you will most likely consider Altice Optimum or Verizon FiOS as your ISP.
Both companies offer broadband internet to some big cities on that side of the country, and if you live in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut, you might be spoilt for choice.
Altice Optimum and Verizon FiOS offer unlimited data, quick download speeds, competitive prices, and zero contracts.
However, there are a couple of features that differentiate both of them. So, let’s take a look at these similarities and differences.
Where Can You Get Altice Optimum and Verizon FiOS?
Optimum Internet is available in Duchess and Westchester Counties in New York State and two boroughs, Brooklyn and the Bronx in New York City.
It’s also available in large portions of New Jersey, a healthy section of Long Island, and some parts of Connecticut.
On the other hand, Verizon FiOS is available in numerous major cities in the Northeast, such as Albany, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Syracuse, Virginia, and Washington, DC, among others.
The U.S states covered by Verizon FiOS include New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
As illustrated above, there is some crossover between Optimum and FiOS, mainly in the New York metropolitan area.
How Do Speed and Prices for Altice Optimum and Verizon FiOS Compare?
Optimum and Verizon FiOS Internet offer good deals, especially for their intro packages.
So yes, you will get slightly better speeds with the Optimum 300 plan compared to the Verizon FiOS Home Internet 200 plan.
However, a catch here puts these two companies on level terms. Verizon FiOS is a fiber connection, whereas Optimum is a cable connection for the most part.
Let’s look at the table below to see the differences between speeds and pricing in detail.
| FiOS Internet Pricing and Plans | Price | Max Download Speed | Max Upload Speed | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internet 300/300 | $24.99/Mo | 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | Fiber |
| Internet 500/500 | $44.99/Mo | 500 Mbps | 500 Mbps | Fiber |
| 1 Gig Fiber Connection | $64.99/Mo | 940 Mbps | 880 Mbps | Fiber |
| Optimum Internet Pricing and Plans | Price | Max Download Speed | Max Upload Speed | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optimum 300 | $40.00/Mo | 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | Cable |
| Optimum 500 | 60.00/Mo | 500 Mbps | 500 Mbps | Cable |
| Optimum 1 Gig | 70.00/Mo | 940 Mbps | 1 G Mbpsig | Cable |
| Fiber Internet 300 | $40.00/Mo | 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | Fiber |
| Fiber Internet 500 | 60.00/Mo | 500 Mbps | 500 Mbps | Fiber |
| Fiber Internet 5 Gig | 180.00.00/Mo | 940 Mbps | 940 Mbps | Fiber |
Are There Monthly Charges for Optimum and Verizon FiOS Equipment?
Optimum
Optimum includes the setup for greater whole-home WiFi Coverage. You get 1 free gateway per household. 1 WiFi extender if suggested by the Optimum Technician.
And although the public Wi-Fi is separate from your one, it has raised security fears among clients.
This is why buying your 3rd party router when you have an Optimum internet plan is vital. It will save you money in the long run.
Optimum even provides information on compatible routers and modem-router combos on their website.
Verizon
Verizon’s Whole-home Wi-Fi includes one router and Wi-Fi extender rental as part of signing up. A Wi-Fi extender is provided after installation if recommended by FIOS Tech. The self-install service includes one router as part of signing up
Verizon also offers you the option to purchase the gateway device on their website. Still, you might find a better deal if you shop for a 3rd party modem router combo that is compatible with Verizon Fios.
If you decide to purchase a 3rd party router, you will have to ask Verizon to activate your ONT (Optical Network Terminal) box so that you can run an Ethernet cable to your router.
However, this can be a bit tricky if your ONT is situated far from where your router is. But it will be worth it if you want to use one of the newer fancy routers.
You can find more information on this on the Verizon FiOS website.
What’s The Customer Service Rating for Optimum and Verizon FiOS?
Both Optimum and Verizon FiOS score above average when it comes to customer service.
This is because they serve smaller areas, giving more personalized services than other large ISPs such as AT&T. However, they’ve both had some PR nightmares due to client complaints.
In the 2023 ACSI (American Consumer Satisfaction Index), Optimum Internet scored 58, which is one point above the benchmark.
In contrast, Verizon FiOS shared the second spot at 74 , with AT&T attaining an impressive score of 80, which is above the benchmark.
Final Thought on Verizon Fios vs Optimum Comparison
To sum it all up, if you have a choice between Optimum and FiOS, it’s a bit hard to choose because both are impressive.
However, Verizon FiOS is the undisputed winner from a reliability and symmetrical upload and download speeds perspective.
And despite the compelling savings you get from Optimum, Verizon FiOS has a better client satisfaction rating.
Verizon Fios vs Optimum – Author’s Experience
I had to switch from Verizon to Optimum Online because Verizon does not provide the service to the area I moved to (Wayne, New Jersey). I constantly had issues with the wifi coverage in my new large home.
So much so that my office would barely receive wifi signals (at or below 10 Mbps download speed at any given time. Just imagine how I looked during my Zoom meetings).
Keeping my office door open would not make more than a few Mbps difference either.
But I signed up for the “200Mbps” plan!
After several calls to Optimum Online customer service, I got them to send someone to look at my connection speed. The solutions techs offered to the problem were:
“something is interrupting your connection”,
“you should hire an electrician to get your connection hard-wired (rj45)” etc.
They were wrong…
They went so far as to attempt to bill me for the last technician they dispatched to my house (you’ve read it right; they billed me extra for the technicians they sent who never solved the problem).
How do I solve the problem?
I returned Optimum equipment (modem and router) and purchased a Netgear and Google Mesh Wifi system.
Suddenly, nothing interrupted my coverage as my wifi speed now reads 150+ Mbps in my office and not less than 140Mbps for all the other rooms (first floor, second floor, basement, deck, and front yard).
Living in a large house and having to choose Optimum as my ISP was less than ideal in my own experience. It cost me $350 because coupling a Netgear modem with a Google Mesh Wifi system was not cheap.
However, if you live in a house less than 2000 sqft, a modem router combo compatible with Optimum should solve your connection problem.