Our Frontier internet review
Frontier’s DSL internet has you covered in terms of availability if you live in a rural area without cable or fiber internet access. But if you can get Frontier’s fiber, go with that instead. You can get a serious boost in speed for the same price you pay for DSL or cable internet.
Pros
- Affordable fiber plans
- Wide DSL availability in rural areas
Cons
- Limited fiber availability
Jump to: Plans and pricing | Speed and data caps | Fees | Installation, equipment, and contracts | Customer ratings | Frontier vs. the competition | Bottom line | FAQ
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Compare Frontier internet plans and pricing
Package | Price | Speed | Type | View on Frontier site |
---|---|---|---|---|
Frontier Fiber 200 | $29.99/mo.¶ | Up to 200Mbps | Fiber | Shop Plans |
Frontier Fiber 500 | $44.99/mo.✝ | Up to 500Mbps | Fiber | Shop Plans |
Frontier Fiber 1 Gig | $69.99/mo.‡ | Up to 1,000Mbps | Fiber | Shop Plans |
Frontier Fiber 2 Gig | $99.99/mo.# | Up to 2,000Mbps | Fiber | Shop Plans |
Frontier Fiber 5 Gig | $129.99/mo.** | Up to 5,000Mbps | Fiber | Shop Plans |
Frontier Fiber 7 Gig | $299.99/mo.§ | Up to 7,000Mbps | Fiber | Shop Plans |
Frontier Internet (DSL) | $64.99/mo.* | Call for details | DSL | Shop Plans |
¶w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Max wired speed 200/200 Mbps. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charges apply.
✝ w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Max wired speed 500/500 Mbps. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charges apply. In select areas where available.
‡ w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Max wired speed 1000/1000 Mbps. Location dependent. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charges apply. In select areas where available.
#w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Max wired speed 2000/2000 Mbps. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charges apply. In select areas where available.
**w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Max wired speed 5000/5000. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charges apply. In select areas where available.
§ w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Max wired speed 7000/7000. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charges apply.
* w/ Auto Pay and Paperless Bill per month. One-time charges apply.
Find out if Frontier is available in your area.
Frontier speeds: What’s best for you?
You don’t need a lot of speed to stream video, stream music, or play games online. But all that streaming can add up when multiple people download all that data simultaneously. The 500 Mbps plan is great for homes with around four people; it gives you enough room to stream, surf, and download game updates without disrupting everyone’s day. Speeds over 500 Mbps are ideal for running a business from home and livestreaming.
How fast are your Frontier speeds?
Click below for a quick speed test and find out.
Download speed
000 Mbps
Upload speed
000 Mbps
Latency (ping)
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Jitter
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Use our How Much Speed Do I Need? tool to see your household’s ideal internet speed before investing in a high-speed Frontier plan.
Frontier data caps
Frontier does not enforce data caps, so no worries there.
Our favorite plan:
The Fiber 500 plan is cheap and offers plenty of speed for a family of four. It’s an excellent deal compared to Spectrum’s Internet Premier plan offered at $15 more and doesn’t have symmetrical speeds.
We suggest Frontier’s fiber over DSL and cable internet if you can get it—fiber is more reliable and has symmetrical speeds. Frontier expects to reach 10 million homes with fiber by the end of 2025.
Frontier also provides DSL internet if you can’t get fiber where you live.
Frontier ongoing deals and promotions + bundles
Frontier internet fees
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Frontier’s paper bill fee is somewhat new to the list, so be sure to get your bill digitally if you want to save $36 each year. Also, try to avoid paying your bill through an authorized agent—human interaction requires an added fee. Frontier also offers self-install for some fiber plans.
Frontier internet installation, equipment, and contracts
Frontier fiber expert installation is free and offers a self-install option on some fiber plans. Expert installation for DSL plans is $100.
Frontier equipment
You get an Amazon eero mesh Wi-Fi router when you sign up for DSL internet. The Fiber 1 Gig plan comes with the Amazon eero Pro 6 and you get the Ultrafast Wi-Fi 6E router if you choose the Fiber 2 Gig plan. The Fiber 5 Gig plan comes with an Archer AXE300 Wi-Fi router.
Frontier internet contracts
Frontier does not have contracts. Instead, you must sign an agreement for up to 12 months if you select a plan with a rewards card. An early termination fee applies if you cancel your service before the agreement period ends.
Frontier internet customer ratings
Overall | Reliability | Customer Service | Speed | Price | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Frontier customer satisfaction rating | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.4 |
National provider average rating | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
* Rating based on a five (5) point system used in our customer satisfaction survey. Higher is better.
In our latest customer satisfaction survey, Frontier ranks twelfth out of 15 internet providers for overall satisfaction, placing it slightly lower than the national average. It ranks best in price satisfaction, taking the seventh spot behind fiber rivals AT&T, Verizon, and CenturyLink, who also don’t have surprising price hikes after 12 months. However, its weakest link is speed, possibly due to its DSL internet speed issues.
How Frontier compares to the competition
Provider | Plan price range | Speeds (range) | User rating* | Order online |
---|---|---|---|---|
Frontier | $29.99–$299.99/mo.† | Up to 200–7,000 Mbps (for fiber) | 3.5 | View Plans |
Spectrum | $25–$70/mo.‡ for 12 mos. | Up to 300–1,000 Mbps (wireless speeds may vary) | 3.7 | View Plans |
Xfinity | $30.00–$120.00/mo.§##| | 75–2,000 Mbps | 3.9 | View Plans |
Optimum | $40.00–$280.00/mo.¶ | Up to 300–8,000 Mbps | 3.3 | View Plans |
CenturyLink | $50.00–$75.00/mo.** | Up to 140–940 Mbps | 3.6 |
See disclaimers.
For the most part, Frontier DSL competes with Xfinity, Spectrum, and Optimum cable internet. Frontier has five million fiber connections as of May 2022, so the chances of finding Frontier’s fiber-to-the-home service are slim for now. Fiber internet is just scarce in general, so DSL and cable internet may be your only landline options.
If we compare gigabit plans, CenturyLink has the same starting price as Xfinity, but Xfinity offers the most bang for your buck with its Gigabit Xtra plan at $80.00 per month for up to 1,200 Mbps.
But keep possible price hikes in mind. Optimum’s gigabit plan is cheaper than Spectrum’s at first but costs $25 more once the promotional period ends. Meanwhile, Frontier’s gigabit plan idles at a flat $69.99 per month, but isn’t guaranteed outside of month to month.
Read our full reviews of Frontier vs. its main internet competitors
Is Frontier internet right for you?
Frontier is your go-to, contract-free DSL internet provider in rural areas. It mainly competes with CenturyLink in this space and serves as an alternative if cable internet from Spectrum, Xfinity, or Optimum doesn’t reach your home. The price is on par with other DSL providers—even slightly cheaper than AT&T’s DSL service.
Frontier’s fiber is a different story. The prices are great and don’t automatically increase after the promotional period ends, however it’s hard to find right now. Frontier promises better availability soon as it swaps out telephone lines with fiber connections. So get fiber if you can, especially if you crave Frontier’s fast 2,000 Mbps speeds.
FAQ about Frontier
What is Frontier Communications?
What are the best routers for Frontier internet?
Why does Frontier now have a printed bill fee?
Methodology
Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.
Sources
- Frontier Communications, “Frontier Becomes the First and Only Major ISP to Deliver Network-Wide 2 Gig Fiber Service,” February 22, 2022. Accessed May 17, 2022.
- Frontier Communications, “Frontier Communications Accelerates Fiber Build Out to Reach 10 Million Locations by End of 2025,” August 05, 2021. Accessed May 17, 2022.
- Frontier Communications, “Frontier Billing: Frequently Asked Questions.” Accessed May 17, 2022.
- Frontier Communications, “Understand My Bill: Taxes and Surcharges.” Accessed May 17, 2022.
- Frontier Communications, “Frontier First Quarter 2022 Results,” May 6, 2022. Accessed May 18, 2022.
Disclaimers
* Rating based on a five (5) point system used in our customer satisfaction survey. Higher is better..
† w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill per month. Max speeds are wired. Location dependent. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charge on disconnect applies. In select areas where available.
‡ Spectrum
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Offer based on eligibility requirements. Standard rates apply after promo period. Additional charge for installation. Speeds based on wired connection. Actual speeds (including wireless) vary and are not guaranteed. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change. Not available in all areas. Restrictions apply.
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Limited time offer; subject to change; new residential customers only (no Spectrum services within past 30 days) and in good standing with Spectrum. Taxes and fees extra in select states. SPECTRUM INTERNET: Standard rates apply after promo period. Additional charge for installation. Speeds based on wired connection. Actual speeds (including wireless) vary and are not guaranteed. Gig capable modem required for Gig speed. For a list of Gig capable modems, visit spectrum.net/modem. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change. Not available in all areas. Restrictions apply.
§ Connect plan: For 12 months. No term contract. Taxes and equipment not included. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount. Regional price differences may apply.
##Connect More and Gigabit Extra plans: For 24 months. No term contract. Taxes not included. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount. Regional price differences may apply.
|Fast, Superfast, and Gigabit plans: For 24 months. No term contract. Taxes and equipment not included. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount.
¶Optimum disclaimers
- w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Terms apply.
- For 1 yr. w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Max auto renews after 6 months at then prevailing rate (currently $15.99/mo). Price sbjct to change. Terms apply.
- w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection up to 940 Mbps. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Max auto renews after 12 months at then prevailing rate (currently $16.99/mo). Price sbjct to change. Terms apply.
- w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Max auto renews after 12 months at then prevailing rate (currently $16.99/mo). Price sbjct to change. Terms apply.
- w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Max auto renews after 12 months at then prevailing rate (currently $16.99/mo). Price sbjct to change. Terms apply.
- w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Max auto renews after 12 months at then prevailing rate (currently $16.99/mo). Price sbjct to change. Terms apply.
** CenturyLink
- Paperless billing or prepay required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Get the fastest internet speed available at your location (max speed is up to 140 Mbps).
- Limited availability. Service and rate in select locations only. Paperless billing required. Taxes and fees apply.
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