Is Xfinity Internet Faster Than Verizon FIOS?

Verizon Fios and Xfinity are two main internet and TV provider in most areas of United States. There are other providers like AT&T Verse, Spectrum, Fox, Time Warner but Verizon and Comast are the major players. In this article, I would like to share my experiences with both of their services and list down the good and bad features that I experienced during my service.

Internet and TV Services has become an essential services in every home. So the first thing when you move to a new home, you’ll shop for internet and TV services. Some of the homes come with a cable ready feature where one of the cable provider has installed the cables already and you can do the self installation with a kit that will be sent to you by provider. Verizon’s internet and cable TV service is named as FIOS and Comcast’s service is named as Xfinity.

What’s Good with Verizon FIOS Internet

Verizon FIOS service is through 100% fiber optic network which provides better quality internet, TV and Phone for personal and commercial use. Few years ago, there was a big speed difference between FIOS and Xfinity. But its catching up very well now. FIOS’s internet speed is consistent and you’ll get a better upload speed than Xfinity.

For my FIOS installation, I got the appointment next day after placing my order and their service person arrived on time. Installation took like an hour’s work and everything was up and running.During my service with them, I never had any service interruptions. Verizon FIOS’s upgraded Set-top box and remote is better compared to Xfinity in my experience.

Top Routers for FIOS internet can be found here!

Prices are competitive and when you take a new connection, you often get a better price. FIOS will lock in prices based on your plan and the number of years that you’ll plan to contract. Also if you’re their wireless customer you can get some discount in the plans. There are corporate discounts available for Verizon FIOS so its a good idea to check with your employer.

Negatives in FIOS Service:

FIOS service doesn’t work with most of the third party manufacture’s modem. So its better to rent or buy the FIOS specific Modem. You can either rent it or buy outright from Verizon so there is an additional cost here. After the contract expires, plan price may get increased significantly. I heard if you encounter any service interruptions, it’s time consuming for their service compared to Comcast though I never had to experience it in my tenure with them.

Whats Good in Comcast Xfinity

Xfinity usually provides a better price compared to Verizon FIOS. When I had their service, my apartment was cable ready. So all I had to do was to request a self installation kit and call them to activate once I got the kit with setup instructions. I felt it so easy and saved the installation cost. Unlike FIOS, Comcast services can be activated using your own modem. I had an existing modern which I used with previous provider and I was able to activate it for Comcast services.

Top Routers for Xfinity internet can be found here!

They also add their new set top box for free with limited channels that I found very useful. You will get an email account with Xfinity service and even after cancelling the service, Comcast allows you to use their email service. Xfinity also provides its hotspot services so you can connect to their hotspots and use free Wifi when you’re outside. This is a great feature if you have limited Mobile data plan.

Negatives in Comcast’s Service

Xfinity Services are through cables unlike FIOS so there can be fluctuations in the internet speed. I rarely experienced speed issues but I can feel it sometimes when the services slow down. When many people in the neighborhood uses at the same time, you can feel the speed difference. This would be mostly around prime time like 7-9 PM. Just like FIOS, Comcast also hikes the rate once your service contract expires.

Comcast’s TV set top box was slow and freezes when you operate. Upload Speeds are very low with Xfinity compared to Verizon FIOS. Once I faced a service interruption during winter and it was due to a storm I guess and Internet Services were down for 4 hours around my neighborhood. Other that one off incident, services were good.

Final Thoughts

Both Verizon FIOS and Xfinity are reliable internet and cable services in US. Pricing can vary based on the area where you live and better to compare offers from both providers before taking a connection. I live in North East part of US and found Verizon FIOS services a little bit better especially with upload speeds and the set top box quality. You might find a different experience with either of these providers. Let me know your experiences in comments.