Frontier Communications is one of the United States’s largest internet providers and has a number of deals and promotions. Here is what you need to know
Frontier Communications is one of the biggest internet providers in the United States, with internet plans available from Connecticut to California in 25 different states.
It offers general good value plans and the best features of all plans include no data caps and protection for your privacy.
Frontier internet fiber-optic service reaches 19 of the 25 states the company works on, but availability is limited to metro areas. That means that everywhere else where Frontier is available, as in the majority of Connecticut, will have access to Frontier Internet, but DSL.
But before discussing the pros and cons of Frontier wifi services, Fiber services and DSL-based services, let us take a look at the company’s plans, prices and best features.
Frontier’s plans and deals
Frontier internet prices in fiber-optic plans start at $440 per month for up to 50 Mbps. But when it comes to DSL-based services, available in all 25 states where the company offers internet plans, the starting monthly price drops to $40 for up to 9Mbps.
All Frontier’s plans come with unlimited data, which is a big advantage for rural areas that often have to deal with rather restricted satellite internet usage.
Here are the fiber-optic plans and the others internet-plans.
Fiber-optic plans
Plan Max Speeds Promo rate – first year
FiberOptic 50Mbps 50Mbps download, 50Mbps upload $40
FiberOptic 500Mbps 500Mbps download, 500Mbps upload $50
FiberOptic Gig Service 940Mbps download, 880Mbps upload $75
Other Internet plans
Plan Max Speeds Starting monthly price
Frontier Basic Internet 9Mbps download, 1Mbps upload $40
Frontier Preferred Internet 25Mbps download, 1Mbps upload $45
Frontier Premium Internet 115Mbps download, 3Mbps upload $55
No equipment fee
All Frontier’s plans include the equipment fee in the price for the first 12 months of service. Once you don’t have to deal with an equipment fee, you are able to buy your own cable modem. It will ensure that you can upgrade to the speeds you get through your service providers.
No data cap
Data cap has fallen into disuse in most internet plans offered today. That is because a data usage limit in an internet plan seems unthinkable at a time when we use streaming and live broadcasting all day long.
Frontier Communication also does not limit its customers’ services or charge them after a certain amount of usage.
Although that is pretty common nowadays, that is a big advantage for rural areas that often have to deal with rather restricted satellite internet usage.
Other fees
Although there is no equipment fee, you can expect an $85 activation fee in your first month’s bill if you choose any Frontier Internet plan. But if you are in an area that has fiber-optic and choose this type of service, you can get rid of the fee by ordering the service online.
All Frontier internet plans have unlimited data and are contract-free. That means that customers also don’t have to worry about an early termination fee or data overage fees.
Nevertheless, you can expect a $10 cancellation fee when the service is canceled.
Protection and privacy
Frontier also offers the Frontier Secure, a service that provides protection for your privacy while using the internet.
Frontier Secure gives customers access to a cloud for all its usernames, credit information or passwords for example that can be accessed with one master password.
What about discounts?
If you live without phone service because you are not able to afford one, you might be eligible for Lifeline, a government assistance program. Frontier offers discounts for citizens through Lifeline, but services and availability vary by state, so you should contact Frontier’s Customer Service if there is any doubt about the program.
Frontier also offers a discount on internet service in other two programs: Healthcare Connect Fund and Telecommunications Program. These are specifically for health-care professionals serving rural areas or residents of rural areas. To apply, you should first create an account with the Universal Service Administrative Co. All forms for download are available on usac.org/rural-health-care.
Where Frontier’s reach
Frontier Communications is one of the leading internet providers in the United States, with internet plans available from Connecticut to California, in 25 states.
But when it comes to fiber-optic services, which are the best deals and we will see why in a minute, they are available in 19 of the 25 states and limited to metro areas.
That means that everywhere else where Frontier is available, as in the majority of Connecticut, will have access to Frontier Internet, but they are all DSL-based services.
Here is why you should consider the differences between fiber-optic and DSL when choosing an internet service.
Why choose fiber-optic if available?
The difference of having a fiber-optic service is quite significant when compared to other services. That’s because if you choose to have fiber optics you will have access to better speeds, both upload and download, and service.
For example: fiber-optic can reach gigabit speeds up to 940 Mbps. It also delivers much faster upload speeds, up to 880 Mbps. Meanwhile, cable or DSL internet upload speeds rarely reach more than 30 Mbps.
As we saw above, starting prices are a little higher for these services. Still, the internet you will have access to will be superior.
Why DSL might be a problem
While fiber-optic uses ultra-thin glass strands to carry light, DSL uses copper phone lines to transmit data. That means that, since light can travel really quickly, fiber-optic connections can have gigabit speeds that go 100 times faster than DSL.
One we live in an era of streaming, it’s most likely that you and your family can enjoy watching online movies and online gaming without worrying about speed with a fiber-optic service.
Although slow speeds are normal with DSL-based services for all the reasons we already saw, they seem more common with Frontier’s plans.
Outages seem to be an issue with Frontier service. The website downdetector.com for example has thousands of outage reports from all over the country for Frontier in a matter of months. Some customers reported that the service was out for days without any indication of when they should expect the service to return.
Also it seems to be a sparse availability of speeds over 25Mbps.
Frontier internet vs other company’s internet
We already know that fiber-optic is a much better deal, but if you live in an area that only has DSL services you should strongly consider Frontier’s services.
The company offers lower pricing and faster max download speeds compared to most of the other major DSL providers. CenturyLink for example offers a plan with a starting price at R$49 that has a similar speed to Frontier Internet, that is cheaper. But be aware that the faster max download offered by Frontier is only available to around 10% of customers.
When it comes to fiber-optic services, Frontier also does not seem to stand out when compared to other companies. AT&T and Verizon Fios for example have a lower starting price than Frontier with a higher starting speed.
Frontier’s pros and cons
As we have seen, the Internet plans offered by Frontier reach a number of states across the United States and can be financially worthwhile for those still dependent on DSL services.
Here’s a rundown of what you should consider when it comes to the company’s pricing and services.
One of Frontier’s highlights is not taking you by surprise when it comes to fees. All internet plans do not require a contract and include the equipment fee in the first year. They also have no data cap, which is interesting for those in rural areas.
This is actually another important feature of the company: Frontier serves many rural areas across the United States, as well as small cities and suburbs.
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), today Frontier fiber-optic service is available to around a third of addresses eligible for Frontier internet.
Although fiber-optic services are only available in part of the states where Frontier operates, the company is aware that it needs to increase its capacity in the near future and seems to be paying attention to the expansion of fiber optics.
Frontier fiber-optic was available only in some parts of Florida, Texas, Indiana and California until very recently. Now, the service is available in areas of 15 additional states, including for example New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Connecticut. That is to say that the fiber-optic availability is expanding.
Customers are not always satisfied with Frontier’s services. As we saw, the website downdetector.com has thousands of outage reports from all over the country for Frontier in a matter of months. Some customers reported that internet services were out for days without any indication of when they should expect the services to return, which you should have in mind.
Also the American Customer Satisfaction Index ranked Frontier lowest among major internet providers in 2019 and 2020.