Fios vs. Cable: Is Verizon Fios better than Comcast?
84Which is really better?
Lately I've ben getting mailers from both Comcast and Verizon trying to get my business. Since my husband is on extended leave I decided to do a little bit of research myself and figure this one out: Which is a better offer Verizon fios or Comcast cable?
Verizon Fios Triple Play Bundle
- Broadband Internet: Very fast speeds both for downloading (pages and videos) and uploading (your photos, etc.). 5-15mb per second downloads, 2mb uploads.
- Fios TV: 100% digital channels, sound, on demand programming, and DVR options.
- Fios Phone Service: Offers unlimited plans as well as voice over IP service. Since Verizon is already my phone company, I would imagine this wouldn't change much.
Comcast Triple Play
- Comcast High-Speed Internet: Offers powerboost, which is supposed to give you speeds f 12 mb per second. Also includes Virus scanner program from McAffee for free.
- Cable TV: Standard channel lineups plus On Demand service, which lets you watch shows on your own schedule (which I find very attractive).
- Phone Service: Comcast Digital Voice looks like a voice over IP service (VOIP for short), which lets you keep your phone number and make unlimited long distance phone calls.
From first glance, the two seem pretty similar. Comcast has a special for $99.99 for all 3 services for 6 months. Verizon Fios offers theirs starting at $94.99.
From reading reviews of both Comcast and Verizon, the concensus seems that both are fairly similar, but Verizon Fios is quite a bit faster for internet access when it comes to "actual" speed, especially for uploading photos and videos, both of which I'm doing more and more of.
I'm still not sure, but I'm leaning more towards Verizon Fios. A lot of people are saying it's a better service from the reviews I read. Either one is better than my current plan, so I'll probably make the switch soon.
Update: Here I found the best Verizon FiOS deals for new customers and here is a really good speedtest that's really thorough in case you want to know the current speeds.
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Comments
I agree customer service is not great with Verizon (and most other large coporations), however regarding the speed, the slowest fios package in my area is cheaper and faster than comcast: 10 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up. For about $22 more per month you can even get 20Mbps down AND UP, which blows anything else out of the water.
cable beats verizon anyday.
cable beats verizon anyday.
Folks.. ... What you are seeing marketed now with FiOS data rates are just the beginnings of a much bigger push coming soon. The system already has 50/50 mbps data rate capability built in and could be sold right now. (Look for this offer soon). Much, much faster data rate capability are currently being deployed. Keep in mind with fiber all the way to the customer premise there is no shared bandwith or compression.. it's pure light. The cable companies will have to really struggle in the near future to keep up with FiOS.
my area has 10/2 for 99. or 20/5 for $10 more. Comcast business class can't even touch the mid-level for FiOS. I could even get 50/50 if I could afford it.
Comcast Business Class Internet with PowerBoost makes fast even faster. When needed for large files, you can download at speeds up to 16 Mbps and upload at speeds up to 2 Mbps.Comcast for home download speeds up to 8 Mbps and upload speeds up to 1 Mbps. This is a shared network throughout your neighborhood. An example of this, would be the water pressure dropping in the morning do to people waking up and taking showers, so when everyone gets home from work and jumps on the Comcast internet their network slows down, giving you slower download and upload speeds.FiOS is a dedicated network not shared. The fiber from your house to the Verizon Hub is only for your house. The speed form your house to the Verizon central officeComcast cable wins over Verizon in all categories. Verizon has the absolute worst customer service in the history of large corporations. Their customer service transfers you from one unknowing customer service rep to another, never communicating with each other. The Verizon organization is like a nerve system without a central brain!! But, really broadband speed is the major factor in determing service. I have Comcast, my download speeds are 15000kbps, uploads at 1587 kbps. These cable speeds are faster than the lowest price level of Verizon Fios. So bottom line is that Comcast is cheaper, far better cusomter service and faster kbps for the money! You can check your broadband speeds as www.speakeasy.net
I had FiOS first, than switched to Cable (because of a snazzy on-phone offer), and then (about one hour after the cable tech installed everything) immediately disconnected all the Cable gear and re-connected my FiOS equipment. Not only was the Cable equipment old and clearly refurbished, while my FiOS stuff was all new, but the internet on Cable C-R-A-W-L-E-D in terms of speed. The upload speed was around 3500 kbps while with FiOS I averaged 20,000 kbps.
No comparison. FiOS is the best. TV is crystal clearer as well.
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Its Verizon who should be sued for their incessant fios commercials. As a matter of fact, Ive called cablevision asking them to pull all fios commercials off the air. This is the same big bad pots company that wanted to have voip rates increased and one of the companies being sued for wiretapping us. Their fios commercials are misleading because in no way, shape or form is fios internet better than cable. I get 30mbps cable and verizon cant match that. Even if they could, I have serious ethical and privacy issues with them. Anyone interested in democracy should NEVER choose Verizon.
Comcast are the ones with the misleading ads. "bigger fiber network" is a misleading load of crap, because the fiber doesn't go to your home; you still get antique cable technology. In terms of capacity of the hardware being used -- If DSL is a straw, and Cable is a garden hose, then FiOS is the Amazon River.
I work for Verizon Business and Have Comcast at home because I can't get FIOS yet and DSL is too slow, but Comcast internet is no comparison to VZ FIOS. If I'm working at home in the middle of the day I'm alright but as soon as the kids come home my internet connection gets so slow it's ridiculous. If you hate VZ because of customer service I understand. It's a big company and most large service companies have challenges with customer service, but unless you have actually used FIOS you won't know the difference. Just ask the people that have actually switched which one is better?
I currently have BOTH installed in my home. I plan on canceling FIOS. It has a higher top speed for downloading/uploading large files, but the latency sucks. I've done a side by side comparison with my slingbox and the cable wins every time. Same router, same equipment etc. Cable is better but I'm not sure why as it clocks a slower top speed. Hope that helps.
I have comcast and its absolutely terrible. For instance for the past 2 weeks the internet shuts down randomly then reboots but no signal (im running a belkin wireless g enchanced router). I called the comcast customer service and the girl not only spoke to me like i had no clue what a modem looked like but she then said that the router all of a sudden can mess up which is a load of bullshit because the router has been used for a year and this is the first time its doing this. So then after a few days what do i see?? a comcast truck going to every house on my street throughout the day working on the cable boxes. Comcast in New Jersey is a joke, my dad has had their service since the 80s before cablevision and optimum obviously so the monopoly they established in the 80s stuck until now. Fios is indeed better and as for customer service who the hell cares because customer service for Comcast sucks in my area and may be better in the Philly area or else where. So to base the Customer service for YOUR home town is dumb. My uncle has Fios in Scotch Plains and said the customer service is amazing and the speed of internet is beyond imagination.
Comcast sucks!!!
Seems most people posting here fall into three categories: 1) cable customers who can't get FIOS or live in high-speed cable areas, 2) former and/or disgruntled cable customers, or 3) paranoid about big brother and wiretapping. For those of you that are happy with cable, stay with cable. no one is forcing you away from cable. For those of us who have had cable & FIOS... seeing is believing with FIOS! When it comes to customer service, there are bad representatives for every company. And about that wiretapping lawsuit... that was a government operation. Why would Verizon want to hear your personal conversation?
As a single mom and a computer geek, I looked at switching from Comcast to Verizon during a recent move. In Pittsburgh, Comcast has the "Triple Play" available for $99, plus $9.95 to get extended basic channels (with Disney) or $114 after taxes. That's about $35 for each service. Now, Verizon is offering the same bundle to us (they are new to the area) for $159.99 plus a $29.99 install. Even if the internet connection is faster and the TV service is better, is it $60 better? But these Verizon prices force us to sign a 12-mo CONTRACT. Comcast allows us to cancel service at any time, without penalty. After the Comcast 1-year promo, these services will jump from $99 to $139.99, but that's still $20 cheaper than Verizon. And Verizon wants me home for 8 hours babysitting their tech to install it. Comcast can do it in about 1.5 hours! The only disadvantage I see to staying with Comcast is that our phone number looks weird in the phone book because Verizon already owns the local exchanges. Comcast's numbers are foreign to the schools and pizza shops. They always ask me, "Is that a cell number?" I'll deal with the weird landline number to save $60 per month!
I haven't yet dealt with Verizon customer service, but to those of you who believe Comcast has even decent customer service, I would say to slowly put down the crack pipe and think again.
Both are okay - I have FIOS TV, Internet and phone right now. What I miss is my TIVO - it doesn't work with Fios, but it does (did) with Comcast. Don't let anyone tell you works - it does not with Verizon. I know, I could pay a monthly price to have their DVR, but I have a "lifetime" TIVO that worked perfectly well. I don't want to spend a ton of money for TV and equipment.
fios is way better than cable. fios internet with 20 mbps is about 3 times faster than cable. Also the tv service has triple the hd channels, and offers resolution in 1080p, something the cable service cant offer. Also you can now get a free multi room dvr, and a land line phone. Fios doesnt have a crappy voice over ip phone like cable companys use. The price for all 3 services is 94.99 with fios, and if you use verizon for a cell phone, you get a discount off of that as well.
Just had Comcast installed yesterday (which ended my Verizon DSL service) and am already having second thoughts. In addition to the cost of service....the one comparable to my Verizon service will cost me about 119 a month before taxes. In addition, I'll either have to rent a modem at $4 a month or buy one at about $60. Now, I also need to buy a wireless router at about $60-100 (if you have a Mac, you'll need the $100 one). Then you have to install it, both by running the lines and setting up the software. Comcast will have someone come out to do that for you but it will cost $149! They don't tell you most of this when they are selling it to you. My Verizon DSL modem/router was FREE and they SET UP FREE TOO! And, the abnoxious guy at the Comcast office informed me that they "DO NOT support my network" which he repeated many times. So, if you have any problems with it...he told me that I'm on my own! I found that the internet speed with Comcast was much, much slower. So I'm not impressed with that and the rep over the phone had convinced me that it was faster than DSL. I had much more help and better treatment with Verizon than I have had in one day with Comcast. So, tomorrow I think I'll be calling Verizon to get them back. You do need a box for each tv with Comcast, but get three free.
So that's my current take on the decision concerning Verizon or Comcast. My husband says go back to rabbit ears:)
Verizon vs. Comcast? Are we having this discussion? Without a doubt F.I.O.S is better! Sure, the customer service isn't the greatest, but is Comcast great -uhm NO! I've had Comcast, and they did nothing but raise my blood pressure!!! F.I.O.S is great! In my area they've got a 50m (download) package --does Comcast have even a 20 mg? The phone is clear, no clicking like the cable V.O.I.P. A few months ago we had an earthquake; our cell phones did not work, but our house phone did. Oh yeah, and Verizon's Televison is superior. Comcast fiber network? Yeah, ok, maybe four miles from your house. Comcast pushes coaxial cable (which is copper my friends) to your house. On the other hand, Verizon sends Fiber optic cable all the way to your back yard.
Seriously Fibre to the home??? FIOS isnt all what they say it is. Cable companies have fibre as well, even on the street. It just ends at the node before the street starts. Does the extra 500 ft of fibre matter. Not really. FIOS converts that fibre back to coax. TV's dont have fibre inputs. 50mbps is 50mbps. Shared access instead of dedicated.... All network traffic whether FIOS or cable or whatever is shared at some point!!! Whether its on youre street or at a node, switching station etc... Nobody has a straight connection from the company to there house. It all matters who you want to give youre money to. And if you got spped issues learn how to configure your network. Stop running Windows XP on a P3 processor with 256MB ram and expect it to be fast.
FiOS without a doubt is better in my opinion. I have never had to stay on the line for more than 10 minutes to get a customer rep with Verizon. I just upgraded from the 5/2 to the 10/2 plan for only $3 more a month. Cable is better value for those who don't want or need the top speeds, but FiOS is the best if you're going really high speed. FiOS gives you the option of getting blazing speeds like 50 Mb down. You won't ever get that with Comcast. I don't know about FiOS TV though as we are using Dish Network (not really great), but do want to switch to FiOS TV as it is probably better...
i moved to delaware 2 months ago and priced comcast and verizon..both for the triple play. comcast was 159.99 a month after the 3 months for what i wanted...verizon was 104.99 a month for the same thing with faster internet...Iv had comcast since the 80's myself and always have had problem with them cable going out internet going out pricing going up billing mistakes...you name it i had it..now iv had fios for 2 months and i love it you get the same thign from comcast but its so much cheeper with verizon...maybe some of you pay more then me but in my area its cheaper to go with fios.
With the best Fios package
download speeds in real life language 6.25 MB/S or 6400kB/s
upload speeds in real life language 2.5 MB/S or 2560kB/s
C'mon Verizon may have sucky service, but those speeds are SICK
downside paying $139.95/month for internet and phone, with no TV
I am hating my Fios and thinking of switching back to Comcast cable. My major complaint.....there is no on demand free movie library with Fios. Comcast had tons of free movies to watch. Tonight I saw Cool Hand Luke listed on the on demand Fios feature....I would have had to pay $4.99 for it!!! OUTRAGEOUS!
anything is better than dialup really
I work for comcast. alot of people talk about speed with internet. it depends on how your computer is configured, internet security settings, it your house wired properly, meaning RG6 CABLE and are the connections secure and can your computer handle the speed. Comcast has 6 meg down and 1.5 up or (in some areas) 16 meg down with 2 meg up with more on the way. I've been a employee for 10 month but been a comcast customer forever and started working for comcast becuase it has been FLAWLESS (not in everyone case). I have verizon cell phone and love the cusotmer service as well as the coverage. Verizon is putting Fios at the foot of my driveway as I type this. I will start by trying the tv and get back to you. TIP for biz owners . ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP INTERNET CONNECTION. SERVICES GO DOWN NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL THE COMPANY.
Also ..please keep in mind that no matter how close fiber optic gets to your house. Verizon still uses your existing cable to make the connection to you tv. Not sure about internet but on Verizons site it does state that.
If you want to know how fast your internet connection really is, I found this site very handy. You can test your connection to servers nearby or all over the world - from San Fran to London to China - and see what you're really getting in terms of speed.
FYI, I live in South Jersey and I have Comcast. I've measured speeds of up to 14,000+ Kbps download and 1,500 Kbps upload when testing against the nearest server in Newark, DE, and around 5000-8000 Kbps for other servers. As for customer service, Comcast has been good to me (knock on wood). When I had a tech come out to look at my modem and later that day had the same problem, they could pull my account info up and see exactly what had been done and what still needed to be done. Also, the technicians were always on timeand very friendly.
So that's my experience. But as for Comcast vs. Fios it really depends on where you are, as you can see by the posts here claiming each one is superior to the other.
Comcast??? HIHIHI!
If they could bring the fiber to your house, they would! Oh they cannot afford the 20 billion $ Verizon spent on Fios. Just think about it for a sec. If Comcast offered the same services as Verizon Fios (20Mbps Internet speed, free wireless router, Landline phone with backup battery, 268 100% Digital channel lineup + 114 HD Channels), for the same price you are paying now (VZ EXTREME HD Triple Play for 109.99 in Florida VS. COMCAST Digital for 119.99) would you upgrade? I am sure you would!
Comcast is on a copper shared network. Copper was designed for TV. They added Internet and phone to it. It is a shared network, which expains the poor reliabillity and performance of their internet and TV. Keep in mind you are not sharing the network with 24 houses, but up to 300 neighbors. YES IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. (24 is the amount of houses sharing a verizon fios node) Cable companies have fiber networks but they share the signal in your neiborhoods through hundreds of miles copper lines. They can lower your bill, but can they improve your services? NOPE.
do you know that Verison rents comcasts fiber network to trasfer data across the country
What is Verison j.c?
I just switched to FIOS from Bright House what a major difference! I can say..... I really see it in my TV and computer! I am glad I switched and pay just a tad more. I am happy! GO FIOS!
Just got FIOS a few weeks ago. Speeds at 20 down and 5 up. SICK!!! The sky is the limit with this product. Pure light, no compression, no sharing, all dedicated. The HDTV is much better than comcast, cablevision or anything else Ive everseen. My true only complaints is the installation time (8 hours) and the TV guide is cumbersome.
Guess what folks, what type of connection do most people on FIOS have from the box outside to their router? The same exact connection that is on cable-coaxial, which limits ones connection speeds. Also your speed depends on what grade of cable that you have in your house. Another factor on connection speeds is the computer itself. I agree with Verizon customer service being crappy, it is the worst customer service that I have had to deal with and have unfortunately had to call them repeatedly on alot of issues be it TV, Internet or phone or all three. I know more about how to fix certain issues than any one customer rep at verizon. Their TV at this point doesn't compare to Comcast. I thought I had a good bundle plan @ $115 a month, but with taxes and hidden fees it comes out to over $168 a month, ouch not saving much by being enslaved in a contract. I hope Verizon gets better because I can't afford the $179 early termination fee.
Doesn't Comcast have an "uninstall fee" that functions pretty much as an early termination fee? And Verizon Wireless customer service is bad, but not nearly as bad as Comcast.
This seems to be more of a "see who is going to screw you" debate.
the thing about comcast that they dont tell you is in feb when you have to have DIGITAL. They dont supply you with the boxes for tv. Which verizon does. Yes i am a verizon sales rep. Yes everyday i save ppl switching from comcast to verizon i can tell you all right now for comcast int,phone,tv is about 150ish oh and that wouldnt b hd even if it was hd it could only be 780pi with verizon we save ppl on average of 20-70 bucks get true hd with 1080pi and fastest internet speeds you could ever get. Ya im one of the guys in the red jackets coming to your door. So just listen to what i gotta say. I will save you money. Oh btw $150 to cancel ur comcast if ur in a contract. Now look how much we save you each month? Now how long will it take to get that 150 back?
FACT your an idiot. What the hell is 1080pi? Is that like pi? lol No one broadcasts in 1080P. The only way to get 1080P is with Blu-ray. I Should know Ive had a 1080p tv for 3 years. Get your FACTS straight genius.
2 important points that others made and I concur:
1) Comcast is a shared network/speed, while Verizon (FIOS or Internet) is not shared. Your neighborhood activities won't effect your Verizon speed; and
2) I have both Comcast Internet (for work) and Verizon Internet for home use. The quality or consistency of the connection is better with Verizon. Some days Comcast is fast, somedays it is slow.
u can get true HD with fios trust me i sell it bc ive seen it. You get blue ray quality with it go to your neibors with fios you will see for yourself. Call me an idiot but do ur reasearch
Fact,
You say Comcast charges an early term. fee, well Verizon does also. I was told $179 to cancel Verizon. With Verizon you are also using the old copper which limits your speeds and your hardware as well limits these speeds. Verizon would be alot better if one would run fiber inside the house, then it would be more worth having and keeping, plus more reliable. I understand however, that pricing as far as fiber optic cable and hardware goes is expensive, which is a big drawback to going with true fiber optic. Verizon needs to think about thier customer service and making it better, I hate calling customer service and talking to someone that knows less about networking and helping me to correct any issue that I have with Verizon, such as loss of service, than I do. Also on demand needs to improve, prices are rediculus and no free movies worth watching. I'd rether go to the video store and have to return them then get a on demand movie on Verizon. my bill is too high the way it is.
is it true that Fios is fiber to your house but then uses the same old cable lines your cable company has been using for years! Kinda defeats the point of being fiber if in the end you are using the same old coax cable the cable companies have been using since the start of it all.. Kind alike having a sports car with retread tires on it.. So since fios brags about fiber fiber fiber, but in the end uses the same old cable lines in your house, theres your bottle neck......
is it true that Fios is fiber to your house but then uses the same old cable lines your cable company has been using for years! Kinda defeats the point of being fiber if in the end you are using the same old coax cable the cable companies have been using since the start of it all.. Kind alike having a sports car with retread tires on it.. So since fios brags about fiber fiber fiber, but in the end uses the same old cable lines in your house, theres your bottle neck......
FOLKS!!!! I am trying to figure if Verizon should be suited for their unethical business model. They installed my FIOS then without telling me anything and pulled away the copper wire. No the home security system is messed up. I called to request the copper back and got declined. TAKE MY WORDS FOR THIS PLEASE... that "There speed fluctuates from time to time" . The promised speed for your package is not guarrantteed OK. I got stuck with their service for 2 year contract now. Their customer support sucks. I had to wait for 2-3 days just to hear back from them whethear if they are going to put back the copper line. PLEASE DON'T PULL THE COPPER PHONE LINE FROM YOUR HOME OR YOU BE SORRY.
FOLKS!!!! I am trying to figure if Verizon should be sued for their unethical business model. They installed my FIOS then without telling me anything and pulled away the copper wire. Now the home security system is messed up. I called to request the copper line back and got declined. TAKE MY WORDS FOR THIS PLEASE... that "Their speed fluctuates from time to time" . The promised speed for your package is not always guarrantteed OK. I got stuck with their service for 2 year contract now. Their customer support sucks. I had to wait for 2-3 days just to hear back from them whethear if they are going to put back the copper line. PLEASE DON'T PULL THE COPPER PHONE LINE FROM YOUR HOME OR YOU BE SORRY.
unless i scrolled too fast? you're all idiots when it comes to internet speed.
I have basic online cable service, but i also just had verizon install their FiOS to see if the hype is true.
It is not. my cable gave me approx 1.8MEGABYTES/sec.
FiOS? 1.3MEGABYTES/sec.
IS THAT 10X faster??? Hardly. You gotta remember, dear dunces, that BITs are different than BYTES. One is 8 times the other.
The Verizon people (cust serv AND techs) swore it was 10megaBYTES/sec.
WRONG.
A very clever marketing tool, to be sure. And i did my speed test thru a 3rd party.
try http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/
they have no interest who wins. my results show the cable company is definitely faster (in my area of northern NJ)
personally? I hate 'em both, but cable is faster for me. REMEMBER TO DIVIDE THE HYPE BY 8.
Hello all. No need to call anyone stupid or bash an honest report that's been posted (?) -- I'm here to post one as well in an effort to help folks who are wondering which way to go.
I'm in Arlington, VA and have had Comcast cable internet for almost six years. No problems whatsoever, and that's an honest statement, but I'm always wondering if I should make the switch to FIOS based purely on speed. I've enough friends/peers who've made the switch; they run comparative speed tests with me occasionally for grins, and my Comcast speeds always (always) trump theirs. I just ran three of them at the customary sources (search on "internet speed test" and try a few), and here are the DL/UP results with Comcast's basic high-speed internet package (not business):
1) 26590/6919 2) 22330/6160 3) 25600/6402
When I run those by my friends with FIOS they're surprised. Apparently they don't achieve anything near that. It's weird that I have such results... I live in a condo community and know I'm sharing with tons of others. And on the customer service end of things, I can't vouch for or complain about Comcast's service because I NEVER need to call them! That speaks for itself. I also agree with the posts here which mention how many other factors can affect the speed. Run a tight ship, keep your equipment clean and up-to-date, and never believe advertising (ha), that's a surefire way to make a bad decision.
I have built fiber infrastructrures for the cable company since the early 1990's form Continental Cable, Century Cable, Adelphia, and Time Warner as a project manager. Since 2005 I have been involved in building the fiber FIOS infrastructure. Now having both experience in building both Networks, I know for a fact that FIOS is the superior product over cable. Cable's issue is bandwith and the 30 year old copper they have installed outside of home's and businesses. When my company does upgrades for the cable companies all we do is swap out the existing electronic devices on the poles and in your front yards in what we call vaults and pedastals. Technically your not getting anything new. Your still on a shared line depending on what cable company you have, your home is fed in what is called a Node. A Node can have between 150 to 500 homes sharing the same coaxial lines. In my belief it's a dying inferior technology. Your still getting amplified signals over and over again, there's still distortion, cable and electronics deterioration due to the outdoor elements. Don't be fooled by the Cable companies. FIOS is the most advanced thing to come out since the microwave signal.
Fios is so much better. I mean i had fios for already for almost a year and it's working fine. The bill is cheap (except that one time when i used fios on demand and watched too many movies).. O_o.... They also had a week of free hd! that was a suprise to me. I was like wtf......... cool. I was watching this commercial about how people switched from Cable to Fios. I'm happy i switched. Although there is one thing i need to say. I switched from Direct TV to Fios not cable to fios. Plus the signal is so much better. There was this huge blizzard and most of the lights were out and i turned on the tv and there was signal and watched a few shows. Direct TV pissed me off. There was this storm (which wasn't that big) that didn't do anything to the lights cut the signal from Direct TV. I'm like WTF get the signal back. It came back after two days and i'm like oh my god, FINALLY!!! So please be with fios. although for some reason i saw some cool things on comcast
There must be some lame people here.Fios is far superior to cable.
It is like comapring a stage coach to a jet.
Fiber optic is better.
its all on preference i have seen both and they are the same i live in maryland and comcast has already launched there docsis 3.0 which means they offer services upto 54 mbps and just from reading other boards will be able to exceed 100 mbps
This is long and is about a good installation experience, not speed.
I live in south central PA and just switched to a Verizon FIOS bundle (Internet, phone and TV) from Verizon DSL for Internet and Comcast for TV. Frankly, I do so little down or up loading that the DSL speed was sufficient, even though it was half the rated speed (I am near the end of their line), but the FIOS is a lot faster. For anyone thinking about moving to FIOS, I do have some observations you may find helpful.
Indeed, it took the technician most of a full day to install everything, even with my help. First, yes he installed a box that converts the fiber to other cabling. The customer must ensure there is an electrical receptacle near where that box will be installed for the back-up power unit. Also, Verizon must install that box within 25’ of either your home’s electrical panel or a ground stake.
I wanted it installed in a particular place, so I drilled holes through the beams in my basement. If you want to do that, the holes need to be 1” in diameter due to the size of the pre-attached ends on the fiber cable. If you don’t do that, they will just staple wires to the beams (same as Comcast would do with cable wire).
One thing about the battery back-up unit: the battery is customer replaceable. This is not just a couple of “D” cell batteries. It is a sealed lead-acid battery that looks similar to what is in many modern indoor emergency lights. No, not the size of a car battery. Much smaller, but I am told they will last about three years and will cost about $35 to replace. The battery back-up’s only apparent purpose is to ensure you have eight hours phone service in the event of a power outage (remember it will only be good for phones with a corded handle).
The technician installed my box inside where I wanted, and it is actually a single box that includes the fiber conversions unit, the battery and transformer (rather than three separate pieces).
From that box, he ran phone wire back to my outside phone box. In other words, he reused all my old phone wire, even though the inside wiring splits right next to where I had him install the new box. He did not take away any existing copper cable, including what was running to the pole. (In fact, with the way he did this as you can see below, a switch back to both the old phone set-up and the Comcast cable set-up would be very easy.)
He then installed a coax cable splitter in my basement at a place where the incoming cable passed a coax cable going to a 2nd TV. He cut and capped the incoming cable, put a new end on the cable going to my main TV and attached it to the splitter. He then cut the cable for the 2nd TV, put a new end on it and connected it to the splitter. Coax was then run from the fiber conversion box to feed the splitter. Finally, coax was run from the splitter to near my computer for installation to their router. The technician put new ends on all the existing coax and meter tested it to ensure it met specs. If it hadn’t, he would have installed new cable. An Ethernet patch cable was used to connect my computer to the router.
The router not only feeds a signal to your computer, it is also needed to communicate with the TVs to provide the program guides.
Finally, the technician installed a Motorola box near each TV. In my case, just a standard box for the 2nd TV and a HD box (no record function) to my primary TV. With Comcast, I did not rent a box for my 2nd TV, so I missed out on some channels. With FIOS, you have no choice. You have to have some type box for every TV. On the other hand, with the boxes that don’t have a built in recorder, you can only use a VCR to record the program the box is tuned to. On the other hand, if you rent their box that has an internal recorder and lets you tune multiple channels, you would not need a VCR for recording.
The technician set-up and tested the computer and TVs and ensured everything worked well before he left. He left me with a card with his cell phone number. Yes, this took most of a day. As for my “helping” the technician, I knew where I wanted things, helped ensure he had access and sufficient slack in all the existing cables, helped him pull the new cables (easier and quicker for two people). In return, when I had to fish a path through a ceiling to get to my computer, I was able to use some rods he had (they are not supposed to fish through walls) and he worked with me on that.
Based on my experience when I had DSL installed some time ago, I can’t say much for Verizon’s phone customer service. But both in that case and this, the on-site Tech’s were pleasant and did their best to get the job done correctly. In my most recent installation, the technician called to let me know he was near the house and he was in the early part of their arrival time frame. Frankly, I am amazed at the investment Verizon is making to have this system installed at each person’s home.
If you go to FIOS, I hope you find the above useful and have as good an experience as I had with the installation. By the way, after doing all the price and TV channel comparisons between Comcast and Verizon, none of their advertised prices tell the whole story. There are add-ons you may need to buy to get all of what you want, but you can pretty much get the same channels from either of them depending upon the selections you make. My new and old remote controls are different and the TV guide is a little too busy and not as compact with Verizon. Also, I thought the lag time was too much when changing channels with Comcast, but they are better than Verizon – but no major issue. The price with the Verizon bundle seems lower to me, but again it depends upon what you want to have available.
I posted some speed test results a few weeks ago for high-speed cable internet. A neighbor in my condo community recently installed FIOS and I asked her to help me by running some tests herself, so I thought I would come post the comparative results here in case anyone's interested. We both have the most basic (least expensive) package available, and we ran tests at both speakeasy (test1) and pcpitstop (test2). She ran her test this afternoon while most people were still at work, and I ran mine half an hour ago (8 pm) while I assume everybody is "on" on this rainy night:
FIOS - test 1 = 9871 down / 2015 upCABLE - test 1 = 21997 down / 7398 up
FIOS - test 2 = 9893 down / 2010 upCABLE - test 2 = 20296 down / 8001 up
What is UP with those results?? It is always like this, with basic cable being faster than basic FIOS.
Anyway, in her words, "FIOS isn't much different than DSL [what she had before], but I think the television is better than Comcast." Hope that helps.
overall FIOS is much better than comcast... i have the fios triple freedom package....first of all a fios tech comes out and installs everything and with comcast no one comes out and you have to pick up the cable boxs....Fios has so much more hd channels than comcast but comcast says they have the most HD but clearlly they do not..FIOS offers around 105 HD channels as of January 2009 comcast offers around 40...FIOS internet is also much faster than comcast
All this info and only one person gave good advise everyone else gave advise on nothing...............................
KeeKee doesn't know what he/she is talking about. Look at Comcast advertised speeds and you'll see that his cable internet plan is probably not "basic". Also speed tests are reliably poor measures of internet speed. The test is done in under a couple seconds down and up, so the file is absurdly small to measure real speed. If you want to compare speed, download large files 100MB or more and compare the time.
I download a roughly 100MB file daily (a 2-hour music podcast). With DSL, this could take anywhere from 25 minutes to over an hour. (I'm also downloading numerous other podcasts of different sizes at the same time.) A friend of mine who had cable internet (I have no idea if it was "basic" service, but the claim was it was supposed to be 6Mbps down) was able to get download speeds of the same podcast in under 10 minutes on average and at about 5 minutes on a good day. (Granted, this isn't entirely fair, since he is downloading different podcasts than me at the same time, but it's a far better measure than a 3 second "speed test". He clearly wasn't getting 6Mbps down, we just don't know why?) Since switching to FIOS, the podcast downloads in under 2 minutes EVERY DAY. It was actually almost frustrating at first because I still need to keep my ipod plugged in just as long to charge up the battery... so the increased speed did not actually matter!
That said, "basic" means different things to different people. I have another friend who signed up for the basic internet package from Verizon when it became available to him: he gets 5/2Mbps. I signed up for the basic (minimal) package when it first became available to me: I get 10/2Mbps. However, I don't see a current plan for Comcast in Arlington that has a "basic" plan of 20+/8Mbps that KeeKee claims to have. Their basic packages start at 8Mbps or 16 Mbps depending on how you double or triple play.
Comcast..Fios...Comcast..Fios, I'm really sick of hearing people and their annoying problems. I hate Comcast, I hate Comcast. Listen up people,you are not obligated to keep any service that gives you problems. As spoiled Americans, we are under the assumption that nothing is suppose to break. Just about everything man made with have problems sooner or later. Most people I know had Comcast forever and never had a problem. The minute they had a
bad storm and trees knocked out the cable, I HATE COMCAST. The minute Verizon cut Comcast's lines while installing Fios, I HATE COMCAST. Dont forget the landscapers that cut cable lines while riding lawnmovers with headphones on. In this beautiful country, we have a choice when it comes to entertainment. If you don't like one company, so what, shut the F**K up and get service with someone else. People now days just like to complain about everything, live your life and get some trim every once and a while. Comcast, Fios, IT'S JUST TV!!!!!
I've had FiOS for almost a year now... FiOS does blow cable away! Due to Comcast's network architecture, internet speeds used to slow down during peak times in our neighborhood. Not w/ FiOS! I have the 20 Mbps plan.. I could never go back to creaky old Comcast!
Just tesed my DL and UL speeds with speakeasy on my Optimum Cable.
11.5mb/s DOWNLOAD
1.5mb/s UPLOAD
Please note these speeds were done with the closest city. The cities on the other side of the USA were much slower.
I am paying $175/mo for phone internet and tv, which is just too much.
FiOS is going to be installed Feb. 2 and will cost only $95/mo for all 3
I will then test out my connection again with FiOS and post up my speeds.
Comcast has run a monopoly for too many years. Customer service is terrible, and are way too expensive. Comcast cannot touch for 20mb's right now. Comcast is now starting to limit your bandwidth; if you haven't seen that you will.
So long comcast
I had a cable bundle but once FIOS was put in I decided to give it a try. My internet speeds went from about 10Mbs to around 16Mbps. Keep in mind I did also add the 20Mps/5Mps bundle.
Another interesting note is the HD quality also seems to have improved. I'm not an expert or anything but even my wife has noticed the improvement. We had a couple times though when for some reason our signal gets lost on some of the channels. It has improved and we rarely run into this problem anymore.
I personally recommend FIOS but I also know some dont like Verizon (no worries they are not my favorite company either) But the FIOS service is sweet! :)
People keep forgetting one of the primary causes for slow internet performance; latency. If you are a gamer, your major bottleneck will be your LATENCY between you and the game server. The latency between you and the server are caused by the intermitant servers in between.
You can have the largest bandwidth possible, but if it takes 400ms to get a transfer going, the small packets sent back and forth between servers will take so long to reach their destination, be processes, and be responded to, you can end up with delays upwards of a second or more between when you hit the Fire button, and someone actually dies (or more likely doesn't die, turns around, and shoots you in the head, resulting in you cussing and wondering why you suddenly dropped dead for no reason.)
This will also affect regular browsing as web pages are not typically all that large unless they have huge amounts of embedded content. Here is a reference article explaining this concept in more detail:
http://www22.verizon.com/Residential/FiOSInternet/
If you care about just full DL/UL speeds, then FiOS might beat Comcast, depending on your area. However, due to the less complex infrastructure of Comcast, unless the nodes are bogged down with a lot of connections, they will almost always win in shear latency.
Also, given the diversity in people and areas, saying "comcast customer service sux!!!11!1" or the like is akin to saying, "all Arabs want to blow themselves up and hate Americans," or other such stereotypical moronic statements. You have good and bad employees in both situations.
Now, shut up, do your research, and quit bitching if something doesn't go your way.
-Syn
My apologies, I pasted the wrong link
http://philip.greenspun.com/materialism/verizon-fi
This will detail the frameworks better.
-Syn
I am presently a Comcast customer. Nevertheless, I have an appointment next Friday to switch to Verizon Fios. Is this a good move or not? I bought a new laptop which will only be used to surf the web and email. I won't be downloading anythig. Just basic computer use. I am switching because I have had a lot of problems since switching Comcast's HDTV. But after making the appointment to switch to Verizon, my Comcast cable seems to be working properly after a month of service calls. The picture quality with Comcast seems to be fine. If I don't go with Verizon, I will keep Comcast cable and add the Internet service. If I switch to Verison, I will order all three (phone, cable and internet). Please advise.
Verizon customer service for me has been much better than the experiences I have had with comcast, but to be fair, I had comcast 2 years ago, and just got verizon regular dsl in November of 08. My dsl is consistent 6200 to 6500 kbps with up loads over 700kbps. When I had comcast 2 years ago I got between 1500kbps and 5000kbps, and the worst customer service I ever experienced, and I am 46 so I have been around a while. When fios is availble I am getting it if the price stays good.
Verizon upload speeds appear to be higher but is not efficient. Example: Vonage uses 80K upload during a voip phone call. However, when you do a speedtest while on the phone, the 2mbit upload drops to a few hundred bits while cable remains relatively unaffected running the same test. Also, Verizon closes ports 80 and 25. The IP address changes almost daily. These are serious issues for me. Aside from their 'worse service' in the industry, it is clear which one is better.
TIME WARANER HD BOXES DON'T WORK. THE GUIDE IS UNUSABLE. I DON'T UNDERSTANDANE WHY YOUR NOT SAYING ANYTHING IN YOUR ADS.
I've never had fios, but I can tell you that my comcast service is beyond horrible. My connection is never constant. At least once every 10 days I lose my internet and phone service for a period of anywhere from 10 minutes to 24hrs. I've called them repeatedly and I've had service technicians out to the house 4 times and they all pretty much just scratch their head. The cable menu options are painfully slow and they have rather limited HD channels. Oh how I long for the days of time warner!
I don't know if Comcast is faster than Fios but I can tell you that here in Phila., PA, Comcast's headquarters, verizon's customer service and support is superior to Comcast's in every way. 90% of the reps and techs at Comcast are complete idiots and do not know anything. With Verizon (at least here in PA) you actually get reps and techs who are knowledgeable and helpful. I currently have Comcast Internet but as soon as the promotional period is over I'm switching to FIOS.
After ready everyones review I have come to the conclusion to go with your gut feeling. It all depends on your area, neighborhood and where your Verizon CO and Cable office is in relation to your home. If you have a lot of neighbors on cable then speeds will degrade due to usage from others were I thinnk that FIOS will stay higher due to better bandwidth on the poll. But now with this said, if you live in an older neighborhood with older equipment hanging on the polls then you may also have a degraded signal and speed. I have COMCAST now and HATE the DVR. the interent speeds depend on several variables, server usage, bandwidth availability etc. I have had no real major issue with the internet. Customer service has been just ok. We just had FIOS installed underground in the neighborhood and I'm thinking about switching over but I have heard many bad things about FIOS TV with the VOD, HD quality and the remotes. Now the posts I've been ready are about a yr old. Newer equipment and software upgrades may have been done sense then. I don't know and I have not ready anywere about this. So if anyone knows please let me know.
Just my 2 cents
waiting to hear the sales pitch fron verizon tonight - i'll have my sister's contract and see what they spent on verizon triple play -i'm just glad that comcast has comptetion now - when i called comcast and asked for their retention office they were jumping thru hoops to keep me, and maybe i'll will keep them, but is all about the monthly bill - i'm not a computer geek and i know that comcast was a heck of a lot faster then my past dail-up service i had - i'm a boob tube fan and i do not apologize of being one - what i want is a good service and plenlty of programs - i'll say one thing good with comcast is that when i needed service they were johnny on the spot - wish me luck tonight
What about TV picture quality? Does anyone else experience a darker picture with HD? I noticed it with Comcast, but now with FIOS, its really bad (not during "bright" scenes, just the darker ones). If I change the settings on my TV in TV mode, they just get ignored when I switch back to the input from the Motorola set top box Verizon provided. You can't change the brightness on the set top box and Verizon couldn't do anything about it either it (spend 45 minutes on the phone). They said it is my set. Note: I tried it with both the component cables and HDMI with little effect on the brightness (Verizon said to remove the HDMI cables as there is a known problem with them). Anyone else having this problem?
I currently have COMCAST. Its ok! But as far as the picture in HD, the quality is good, clear and BRIGHT for 1080i. I have a 52" Samsung 120hz. I'm just very unhappy with thier DVR and many times I get an error when trying to view VOD. I usually have to power cycle the stupid box. I use to have Direct TV and NEVER had a bit of problem with it. I switched due to pricing and also with cable I can just tap into the cable and run it to another TV without a box. With Direct TV and FIOS you can't do this.
so,ive never seen verizon pullin up on installing 50 million feet of wire to run their service,they use the same lines comcast does,the same way bge gets their equipment used by outside providers,the same cables comcast uses are the same cables verizon uses,its all full of shit,and how fast do you people want your service,wake up and realize no matter how fast your internet or television is,neither one can keep up with each others technology,if the internet is fast ,your computer is slow,if your television is 1080p,your connection is 720p,nothing ever keeps up with the technology of the other,its like trying to find your perfect mate....good luck with that,and until then stop crying cause your neighbor downloaded his file in 2 seconds while you had to wait 3 seconds...idiots!
I just had FiOS TV/Internet installed yesterday. I am surprised by all the people blasting Verizon without even trying it! In terms of picture quality, Verizon blows away Comcast. The HD Channels are very clear and there are more of them. I was amazed at how much sharper the images were. Regarding the internet speeds, keep in mind that Comcast "cheats." Their Speedboost technology provides a burst for about 20 seconds so the bandwidth tests are slightly skued. Verizon internet speeds are more consistent throughout the download. If you like OnDemand and watch a lot of those shows, then I would stay with Comcast. Verizon's OnDemand is highly compressed at the moment, so the quality wasn't that good (Seattle area). I am paying less money than I did with Comcast for better service (tv quality/internet). My suggestion for those on the fence, look at the technical reviews online -there a lot of them and make an opinion that way. I will agree that the tech support at Verizon wasn't very good and the installation process could use some refinement. Verizon is using a lot of contractors to make the installs. The guy who hooked my service up, stated that with cable he could do 15 installs in a day and with Verizon it is usually two if everything goes well. My advice is if you are considering Verizon, to place your order over the phone as opposed to online. When I ordered online I got a 8AM-5PM window. The installer told me that most of the new appointments have two hour windows (8-10AM) and one slot in the afternoon. I was on the fence for a while and I am very happy that I switched.
Mike the Cable Guy. Pull that barbed wire out of your backside.
Jeez.
I just thought I'd mention that comcast just ran a fiber cable from the pole to my house. I was told that they would be doing that for everyone now in my area...it might take awhile though because the only reason they did mine right now is because the old coax was messed up, so instead of repairing it, they just ran the fiber cable. Anyway, now I get a steady 12/3 connection all day long, sometimes a bit higher. Not just from the speed test sites either, that's actually tested with torrents. Now if I could just get them to come and bury the fiber cable that's running through my yard I'd be really happy. I think they are preparing for some major speed increases, but who knows how long that will be, because I know it will take them a long time to run fiber to everyone elses house. I only know of me and one other person that have it right now. I'm glad they're getting on the ball though because Verizon isn't available in my area. My only options are comcast and att...or of course dial-up. Anyway, just thought I'd let ya'll know that better things may be on the way from comcast.
I think we're missing the point here. Which is better FIOS or Cable? The discussions have centered on customer service, pricing, and speeds. If we focus on any one aspect we can clearly support the argument that one company is better than another.
But, if we focus on the technology only, the clear winner is FIOS. Light is faster, less prone, to noise, more reliable, and is a point-to-point connection. Sure it is a new technology, and as such there is a steeper learning curve for installers and technical support (if you know anyone who works for a telephone company ask them what they do, they usually do one type of installation only and have no training outside of that.)
Because the FIOS network is setup in a STAR configuratiuon all connections in theory will have the same speeds. Cable is setup in a loop where the speed of the loop is shared. The more users there are the less speed each connection has during periods of high utilization.
Now for the practical. The days of the typical end user not having to know anything about networking are gone. With all of our lives literally connected all of the time a user has to been at least a little savvy if only to be able to convey symptoms to a technician. There are dozens of good easy to understand books on home networking that will make our lives easier is we just learn the basics.
I am a networking professional, and I have to keep abreast of technology. Additionally I maintain my home network, and the networks of my family members. My job is much easier when I am talking to someone who has at least a little knowledge about their home network. The same is true of a technician who works for a service provider either cable or FIOS, an informed user makes their jobs easier.
Just had FIOS installed after researching the options. Everything, from placing the order online, to scheduling the fiber line to be brought to the house, to having the technicians come out and install the inside lines and set up three tv's, three phones, and one pc -went really well. Also opted to include a wireless phone in the order, and that presented a few problems with porting a number over. But each of the three times I needed to call for support, they were with me in less than 2 or 3 minutes and resolved the problem.
Fios is now offering $94.99 triple play for 2 years 1 year contract. Comcast can not match it. I've been lifelong Comcast customer and have to switch to Fios due to financial reason. We the consumers are the winners here. The more options the better. If the price go up or the service slows down, swith to the other one.
Well DX Chaser....Im sure a well informed consumer makes their jobs easier.
I'm sure.
But what if That well informed consumer was so well informed, he doesn't need to call at all? That would impress me. Not helping them do their jobs..If I pay 150 a month...I want some of their paycheck for helping out....Anyway...I'm with ComCast....I'm switching this month to FiOs...I'll be back with out the long drawn out crap about customer service and all that...The majority seems to say Fios is better....which is what I came here to see. Carry on.
Comcast is way better is every way! i say this cos both Verizon and Comcast actually use Fiber to carry signals near your home, and they both have to convert them to cable to get them into your house. The truth is, your connection and speed depends on how old or new your cables are, and how your home system is set up. and since both Verizon and Comcast end up using the same cables, and get this.. the same Fiber optic network (Verizon actually Rent fiber optic service from Comcast).. so, yes, i do have comcast.. i run multiple applications on my computer and simultaneuosly download and upload files, and comcast has NEVER been known to be slow. i NEVER have to call customer service for my bills or service issues whatsoever.
i'm a bit of a geek and i can tell you, NO NEED to switch to Verizon. i have a wireless N router (no need to advertise) and i get 54Mbps (Yes, Fifty Four), NOTHIG LESS. i have Vonage, and the voice quality is a 100% rain or shine. Tv Quality is clear 1080i, Loads of free On Demand Programs and Movies. Easy to use remote.
i've had terrible experiences with Verizon (Phone), the customer service (if you get them) have NO CLUE what to do, even after being transfered to TEN different agents! this (Verizon) is a company that sues Vonage for rights, and sues AT&T for NOT raising fees.. and guess what, they always lose, its a shame that they never tell the public the real truth, and they're bombarding us with stupid ads!
i don't work for any of these companies, everything i've said about them and my internet connection is true.
I have had experience with FIOS and Comcast in this apartment building, not only in my unit- but my friend's also. He has made the switch to FIOS, and I am about to. I am interested in newer technology- but I'm also a bit concerned that there will be more latency/lag when I'm gaming online. Part of the reason for my switch is that they come door-to-door offering a $100 Visa gift card plus a free install which will be a snap as the previous tenant was a FIOS subscriber, all the equipment is already here. I want to point out that most everyone is saying FIOS is faster, that is ONLY the case if you do not have the $10/month Powerboost upgrade from Comcast which most probably don't. I have it now and can get 29mb down and 8mb up on Speakeasy when testing on a server on this side of the country (Seattle, San Fran, etc). It's perfectly clear why the 20/5 connection from FIOS would be faster than a regular Comcast one, but you're already paying $10 more (compared to the 10/2). So people, don't base your decision of service provider over rhetoric about how close the stupid fiber-optics get to your house, in most cases it's completely irrelevant!! Both Comcast AND Verizon, definitely have an excellent product- for their own reasons.
FIOS is just inherently better than cable due to the light signal being used. Copper cable is a thing of the past now.
Just got all 3 services FIOS bundle yesterday for $59.99/month. Watch your back with all the hidden fee. I just removed unauthorite "security and backup" service $8.99/month. I did not see the bill, so I don't know what else they charge me. I suppose very happy with the deal, but they piss me off with all the back stabing.
Verizon has poor customer service- after 9 years of loyalty- they charged me $8.00 per minute for overseas calls- they would not switch to AT&T my bill was $800.00 - AT&T helped me (they are saints). I got someones home when I wanted customer service/ with kids in the backround/ Verizon invested soo much in Fios that they literally are begging- one of the contracters got arrested in our neighborhood because they hired criminals to dig cable.
They cut my DSL and said they no longer offered it- Vonage is another idiot company- I have a MBA and these guys just repeat like parrots and do nothing to help- I switched to Vonage and Verizon cut me off of DSL because the transfer was wrong as they say-
Comcast rocks and cable is good-
Tab
Watch out for the extra hidden expense of electricity. The Fios "switching station" plus the powerbackup added about $30 to my electric bill.
Ok, lets look at this in real world settings. None of us have a computer even capable of running the speeds Comcast or Verizon offer, with that being said lets look at what really hits home with these 2 companies.
Price: Well the #1 thing on everyones mind is money in these tight economical times. Both of these companies offer competitive rates within a few dollars of each other. Whatelse is there to say about it.
The speeds for the internet are about the same because Comcast released DOCSIS 3.0 which is running in my area for about 50Mbps for free/$25 for 6months and i think its $80 a month without promotion. Verizon is a little cheaper for same the same speed.
TV line-ups are different because each company has to sign agreements with the channels they would like to have for subscribers. Both vary but ultimately the decision in todays day in age is HD. I do know comcasts HD is phenominal and i enjoy it very much. I have heard mixed feelings about both but lets be real. Comcast has been servicing cable for years, Verizon just hit the market. So right now, id say Comcast has the upper hand in the HD catagory.
Phone: Pretty much the same as everything else, except Comcast is cheaper. More bang for the buck. Downside is it is a digital phone service therefor it will not work with Analog (pulse) alarms or phones. When the cable goes out, so does your phone, so Verizon wins the reliability catagory but Comcast wins price.
Last but not least, Customer Service: Hands down, this goes to Comcast. Yes, i hear complaints about it and all that jazz, but, Verizon, 4/5 people have said, customer service is horrible. They actually want you to take a phone outside to your NID and check it there on the customer side? Get real, call comcast with a problem and they will send a tech out to fix it, no questions asked. Yeah, youll go through trouble shooting phases over the phone but its just them trying to get you back online without having to wait. Plus, Comcast most of the time is 1-3 days for service unless its phone which is sameday to next day service, Verizon, not so much.....as much as 2 weeks before repair techs come to you house.
Ultimately, i would say Comcast is the better company, but this is my own opinion and feel free to disagree.
Here are some helpful sites and articles
kevin says:
17 months ago
ok, your wrong.. not to say your dumb or anything, but comcast offers triple play for $99, and fios is $99.99 for all three, and verison's service is horrid, also comcast is 6 mbps, and fios is 5 mbps. therefore comcast is better.