Frontier Internet Service Review
Blazing fast speeds, service under $50, and no data caps.
Frontier has some great advantages. There are no data caps, you can get DSL service with no contract, and Frontier offers a two-year price-lock guarantee. Frontier is best known for their DSL, but now has great Fiber Internet options, TV, Phone, and can be bundled with Dish TV (satellite).
- Frontier is the fourth-largest DSL internet internet provider in the United States, with a coverage area that spans 29 states
- In addition to DSL, Frontier offers a selection of fiber and TV
- Frontier’s plans are all data cap-free
- Customers can bundle their internet with DISH TV and phone service
- Frontier runs frequent promotions with free modem and installation
The chart below outlines the three main service options Frontier offers – DSL, Fiber, and bundles.
| Internet Plan | Price | Download Speeds | Connection Type | Plan Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier High Speed Internet | $27.99 - $44.99 | 6–115 Mbps | DSL |  |
| FIOS Fiber Internet | $29.99 - $74.99 | 50 Mbps – 1 Gbps | Fiber | |
| Vantage Fiber Bundles | $64.99 - $84.99 | 50 - 200 Mbps | Fiber | |
Frontier Communications, as the name implies, is steadily covering areas around rural America. Known mostly for DSL, Frontier has been expanding its reach since 2009 by purchasing phone lines from other major internet service providers, and has acquired fiber optic components for even faster speeds. In many rural areas, Frontier owns all the available phone lines and consumers have few internet service provider (ISP) options unless they opt for more expensive satellite internet access.
Although Frontier provides top rated DSL over the years, they’re not without their share of customer complaints. Many subscribers report problems with inconsistent service or not receiving the advertised speed. With all of this in mind, we investigated what Frontier has to offer and compared it to other services to see how it stacks up in a quantifiable comparison. Overall Frontier can be a great option.
Pros
- DSL plans available in 29 states mostly rural areas
- Affordable Fiber Optic
- Price Guarantee and Month-to-Month Options
Cons
- Fiber plans are not widely available
- Fiber plans require a 2-year contract
- Customer Service Complaints
Frontier internet prices and plans
Frontier gives you a ton of different speed options—although the super-fast ones might not be available in your area.
Frontier does well by rural residents by offering DSL in areas where dial-up is more common. For the most part, DSL service is Frontier’s most valuable residential ISP product since it is generally the fastest connection option available in many areas. Frontier’s DSL is much faster than dial-up and is at a very reasonable rate – especially when compared to cable.
Frontier DSL Internet Plans
| Internet Plan | Price | Download Speeds | Plan Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Internet | $27.99 | 6 Mbps | |
| Frontier Preferred Internet | $34.99 | 25 Mbps | |
| Frontier Premium Internet | $44.99 | 115 Mbps | |
Frontier Fiber Internet
Fiber internet is the fastest type of internet short of 5G. Connections travel over cables containing thin optical fibers, so your internet literally travels at “the speed of light.” Frontier continues to grow its fiber network in the U.S. Plans top out at an incredibly fast 1 Gbps.
Frontier’s broadband plans are much more widely available than its fiber plans. Frontier’s highest speed plans in only a select few areas (and they won’t be rural). You’re not going to find be able to get a fiber plan for your summer home in the country or for your mountain cabin.
Frontier FiOS Fiber Internet Plans
| Internet Plan | Price | Download Speeds | Plan Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| FiOS 50/50 | $29.99 | 6 Mbps | |
| FiOS 500/500 | $39.99 | 25 Mbps | |
| FiOS Gig Service | $74.99 | 115 Mbps | |
Frontier Vantage Plans
Frontier Vantage is their premium brand that offers new video, broadband, and voice products from this growing carrier. Vantage TV, Vantage Internet, and Vantage Voice branding joins a growing number of service providers who are implementing premium branding strategies. For example Verizon launched its FiOS brand over a decade ago. AT&T uses U-verse and Comcast uses Xfinity. It’s simply a way of packaging their services for a premium.
Frontier Vantage is generally a bundle of their FIOS, TV, and Voice. It’s a very good service, and if offered in your area you can get great premium service for a good price. Top-tier internet speed packages are expensive, so shop around.
Frontier Vantage Fiber Internet Plans
| Internet Plan | Price | Download Speeds | Plan Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double Play Bundle Vantage Fiber 50/50 | $64.99 | 50 Mbps | |
| Double Play Bundle Vantage Fiber 200/200 | $74.99 | 200 Mbps | |
| Triple Play Bundle Vantage Fiber 200/200 | $84.99 | 200 Mbps | |
Frontier Fios vs Verizon Fios: What’s the difference?
The term “FiOS” comes from Verizon’s original fiber network. Frontier describes the name is an acronym for “Fiber Optic Service”. Frontier purchased extensive Verizon FiOS wireline networks in 2016 and retained the “FiOS” branding.
Frontier TV Options: Vantage, Fios, and DISH
- Vantage TV
- Vantage TV is a digital IPTV service that pairs with Frontier’s DSL Internet plans. It offers 560+ channels including digital HD, direct Netflix access, and a total-home DVR.
- FiOS TV
- FiOS TV is the TV option Frontier offers for fiber Internet customers. It is effectively the same as Vantage TV, albeit with the addition of extra HD channels and the sort of snappy performance that only a true FTTH (Fiber to the Home) fiber connection can provide.
- DISH satellite TV
- DISH pairs with either service as a bundle option for customers who prefer satellite TV. While it has fewer channels overall (190–330+), it’s a great budget option and has more than enough sports and premium programming to match Vantage’s rating for most households.
Service and Extras
When you need assistance, Frontier has telephone, email and chat to help. Frontier’s indirect support options include online FAQs, tutorials and user tools.
Extra tools that come with a Frontier subscription include eight email accounts with 5GB of email storage each, internet and email security software, parental controls, and call waiting services. Frontier also offers backup services and personal device protection. Other services include phone and TV, which you also bundle. Most of this company’s services are available in all 28 of the states it covers.
The fastest Frontier fiber plans, Simply FiOS 1G/1G and Vantage Fiber Simply 1G/1G, are expensive and wouldn’t be our first choice for a gigabit plan. But if you want the fastest internet possible, then those 1 Gbps speeds will certainly do the trick.
Frontier Internet Data Caps
A big selling point for Frontier is that it doesn’t put any data caps on its plans. Many internet providers offering DSL, and sometimes Fiber, will limit your Internet usage and charge extra when you’ve reached your data “cap”. Or, they will give you a lower speed once you’ve hit a certain limit. Many satellite providers do this as well, but Frontier will not which is a huge selling point.
For rural areas that don’t offer cable it’s nice to have the option of great speeds through a DSL provider like Frontier. Frontier is a trusted brand, with many options, so if you contact them don’t hesitate to discuss more than standard packages.
