The 4 Best Fiber Internet Service Providers for Business of 2019

Best overall service: Verizon Fios Business

Another big advantage of fiber internet that we haven’t yet mentioned is symmetrical download and upload speeds—meaning, if you’re downloading at 100 Mbps, you’re uploading at nearly or exactly 100 Mbps. If your business’s internet needs stop at web-surfing and emailing, this is no big deal. However, if you’re spending hours transferring large files or enduring choppy video conferencing, you’ll be wondering where this glorious symmetry has been all of your life.

Not only are the upload and download speeds for Verizon Fios fiber internet 100% guaranteed, but its upload speeds have also tested even faster by a few points (with the exception of the 940 Mbps plan, which rates “only” 880 Mbps for uploads). For a business moving heavy amounts of data, running cloud-based applications, and accommodating bandwidth for a dozen or more employees, Verizon would be a workhorse; for a smaller shop looking to grow, it might be worth the extra bucks for business continuity as you scale.

Verizon services come with a two-year contract, but you can opt for a no-contract plan if you want to date Verizon before making that big commitment for an extra $5–$15 per month (depending on your plan).

There is, however, a minor downside to Verizon Fios Business internet: it’s not the cheapest service out there. But its above-average customer service reputation and reasonable bundling packages (add a digital phone line for $5; TV service for $10) are tempting incentives to pry open the company wallet.²

The not-so-minor downside to Verizon: its Fios service is currently available in only 21 states in the northeastern part of the country—you’re out of luck, flyover-staters and West-Coasters. Verizon is expanding its fiber-optic network, but at the moment, you’ll want to confirm its availability before you set your sights on this provider.

But if your business is in the (geographical) position to get it, we recommend you get it. Verizon Fios Business internet is a verified powerhouse that’s built to grow, with reliable customer support to back it up. This quick, quality service is tough to beat, even if it costs a little more.

Best for small shops: AT&T Business

Now for the disadvantage of fiber internet: it’s not available everywhere. The rollout of new fiber-optic infrastructures is expensive and slow; depending on where you’re located, you could be waiting a while for the sweet speeds we’ve been dangling in front of you here (sorry).

Fortunately, some companies are filling in the regional fiber network gaps. Whereas Verizon is concentrated in the Northeast, AT&T Business covers the Midwest and the Southeast, as well as a good chunk of the West Coast. Also, some of AT&T’s business plans are slightly less pricey than Verizon’s, while their customer service ratings are nearly on par.³

For small shops, AT&T’s Business Internet 100 plan (speeds up to 100 Mbps) works well for web usage, sharing files, and allowing Wi-Fi access for employees and customers at $50 a month, and the more substantial Internet 300 plan (300 Mbps) offers thrice the speed and capacity for $20 more. If your business is growing quickly, AT&T’s Internet 1000 tier (1,000 Mbps, or 1 Gbps) can handle as many web-active employees and fat files as you can throw at it for $90 a month.

If you’re trying to keep a relatively tiny team productive and bustling, AT&T Business’s lower-level DSL plans will do the trick for fewer bucks. Also, consider AT&T’s bundling options, which offer what the others don’t—access to the world’s largest phone service provider (AT&T, of course) and the leading satellite TV service provider (DIRECTV, owned by AT&T).

Best full-service fiber: CenturyLink Fiber

The much-hyped nationwide expansion of Google Fiber may have ground to a quiet halt in 2017, but the threat of competition did at least motivate legacy telecom giants to move up their own fiber timelines—most notably, CenturyLink in the Midwest and western US. The company has run fiber lines into Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah, areas other fiber internet providers haven’t thoroughly covered yet.

CenturyLink Business fiber plans come in download/upload-symmetrical packages of 50 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 500 Mbps, and 1,000 Mbps (1 gigabit), though you’ll have to call for pricing—and that’s after checking for fiber availability in your business’s zip code. On that front, CenturyLink doesn’t exactly make things easy for a business owner who just wants to browse internet options.

What CenturyLink Business does disclose about its fiber plans, however, is worth a look: its Fiber + Enterprise packages come with 20 cloud-based application licenses for the Microsoft Office 365 Business Essential suite, as well as web presence features (including domain name registration or transfer, and 10 GB web hosting) and cloud data backup. If you want to add VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phone service, CenturyLink will set up an interface that works with your existing analog phone system or install a SIP (session initiation protocol) trunk to integrate all of your office’s digital data needs.

Or even its own residential services: information on CenturyLink home fiber internet plans is readily available and comes with surprising “price for life” monthly bills (at least at this point in its promotional cycle). CenturyLink Business fiber plans likely don’t come with a “forever” rate, but the company could be more forthcoming so we didn’t have to take our best guess.

Best budget deal: Frontier Business

If it seems like we keep coming back to fiber availability, it’s because we keep coming back to fiber availability—aside from pricing and customer-service ratings, it’s the biggest differentiating factor between these metro ethernet ISPs. Which is good news on at least one front for Frontier Fios business internet: it’s among the most inexpensive.

Unfortunately, even though the company has recently purchased gigabit internet fiber lines from Verizon (the stipulation for “Fios” in the name), it’s not as widely available as the other providers profiled here, as it’s limited to portions of California, Florida, Indiana, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. As for Frontier’s Fios for business customer-service numbers . . . well, they’re not pretty. Let’s focus on the positive first.

Next up the plan chain, Fios 50/50 comes in at $89.98 a month, topping out with Fios 75/75 at $114.98. Frustratingly, not every one of them is available even within Frontier’s own service areas.

Wherever you are, you’ll want to research business.frontier.com closely.

Frontier’s contracts are relatively short at 12 months, and installation is included free with those contracts. But their phone and TV combos aren’t quite as attractively priced as other ISP’s bundles. Also, the company’s 24/7 tech support promise is outweighed by dismal across-the-board customer satisfaction ratings that make Comcast look like the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Frontier’s contracts are relatively short at 12 months, and installation is included free with those contracts.

Frontier Business internet is definitely a mixed bag, which can be expected of a growing company, but their lowball pricing on symmetrical fiber internet speeds should be enough to make any small business take notice. Just proceed with caution.

Best cable runner-up: Comcast Business

If you’re not lucky enough to have business fiber internet in your neighborhood, Comcast Business offers a promising, fast alternative—and it’s likely to be available in your area. No, not the residential cable company—that’s Xfinity . . . which used to be Comcast, hence some confusion. The coaxial-cable residential TV and internet side of Comcast was split off as Xfinity in 2010; today, Comcast Business is a cable internet service for professionals. As with their home high-speed services, Comcast’s business reach is wide, with a fiber infrastructure that spans 39 states.

If you’re located outside of a fiber coverage area we’ve mentioned so far, Comcast Business high-speed cable internet is probably nearby—but this doesn’t mean you’d be “stuck with” an inferior service. To the contrary, Comcast’s customer service ratings are nearly as impressive as Verizon’s (remember, this is the business side; Comcast’s legendarily negative consumer ratings stem from their residential side, now branded as Xfinity).

Comcast also guarantees that their internet connectivity will be up and running 99.998% of the time, a reassuring stat for any small business that depends on reliable internet service.

Offers and services that further strengthen Comcast’s “built for business” case: free installation; a 30-day, money-back guarantee trial period; 24/7 local support; no data caps or throttling; and included Wi-Fi services to cover both employees and customers. In the minus column, there’s a $200 early termination fee should you decide to bail on Comcast Business’s two-year contract, and their packages aren’t exactly priced competitively.

What to consider when choosing a fiber provider

How much speed is needed?

Not sure of the best numbers for your business? Here’s what to know.

To bundle or not to bundle?

In most cases, your business is going to need phone service—sometimes TV as well. Bundling these with your gigabit internet service can simplify the billing process and cut down on costs. Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, and Frontier all offer internet, phone, and TV bundles—some better than others.

If customers will be spending any idle time at your business (waiting room, restaurant, bar, etc.), TV service is almost a must. Likewise, some businesses can’t get by without a phone line, even in 2018. However, if your operation is the smallest definition of “small business” (you and maybe one other person) conducting transactions strictly online, don’t bother with a bundle, no matter how cheap they come.

What if fiber internet isn’t available in my area?

When will fiber arrive in your area? The short answer: “Eventually.” The real answer: “Not soon enough.” Fiber-optic lines are the future, but they still have to navigate the local politics of infrastructure and the provider’s realities of cost—they’re expensive to build out and demand has to be there (which it is, and there’s more every year).⁴

If you’re currently running, or starting up, a small business and fiber internet isn’t yet available in your neighborhood, look into coaxial cable or DSL broadband internet, and avoid signing any lengthy contracts. Some high-speed connections are fast and stable enough to sustain a small business, but you don’t want to be locked into it when fiber internet does finally arrive.

The Takeaway: Verizon Fios is a business beast—if you can get it

Fortunately, there are at least a couple of viable fiber alternatives across the country, even though the potentially market-transforming fiber singularity of full continental coverage is still a few years away.

Disclaimers

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don’t guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.

Sources

1. BroadbandNow, “Fiber-Optic Internet in the United States”
2. J.D. Power, “U.S. Business Wireline Satisfaction Study 2017”
3. J.D. Power, “U.S. Business Wireline Satisfaction Study 2016”
4. Broadband Communities, “Broadband Forecasts for 2017”