9 Reasons To Get Fiber Internet Installed (While It’s Still Free)

9 reasons to get fiber internet

If the cliffnotes are all you need, then skip ahead to learn how you can get fiber internet.

Reason #9: Free Wi-Fi equipment

Most fiber internet providers include a free Wi-Fi router rental when you sign up for service. In comparison, DSL and cable internet providers typically charge $10 to $15 monthly for equipment or require you to use your own.

Here’s a quick list of fiber internet providers offering free fiber routers (sometimes called gateways).

• AT&T
• Brightspeed
• CenturyLink
• Frontier
• Google Fiber
• Optimum
• Quantum Fiber
• Ziply Fiber

There’s no guarantee fiber routers will always be free to borrow, so take advantage while you can.

Reason #8: Straightforward monthly billing

The internet industry has been on a steady march toward simpler billing, and fiber providers are on the front lines. Beyond offering free Wi-Fi equipment, fiber providers often offer free installation, unlimited data (so no overage fees), and no long-term contract requirements (so no early termination fees).

Learn more about why internet bills sometimes end up being higher than advertised prices.

Reason #7: Monthly price guarantees

This one depends greatly on where you live, but sometimes you can get price guarantees when you install fiber. For example, Verizon Fios is offering a four-year price guarantee on 1Gig and 2Gig plans, a three-year price guarantee on 500Mbps plans, and a two-year price guarantee on 300Mbps plans as of November 2024. Meanwhile, Quantum Fiber is offering a Price for Life guarantee on all plans.

Reason #6: Fiber offers faster speeds and lower latency

Economic reasons aside, fiber is simply better internet. It offers faster download speeds and equivalent upload speeds—something even the best cable internet services can’t accomplish. It also has much lower latency, which means a better gaming experience, better live video chat, and much more.

Fast speeds are great, but most internet shoppers care more about paying a great price than having the fastest internet on their street. Lucky for you, fiber internet’s monthly prices are often the same (or better) than DSL and satellite internet.

Here’s a look at monthly prices from the biggest fiber internet providers that offer free installation:

Monthly prices for fiber internet providers that offer free installation

Reason #4: Fiber internet means better access to healthcare

Scientific research by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) have found that broadband access is a “super determinant” of health. That’s a little esoteric, but what does it mean?

If you have good access to the internet, it’s easier to get telehealth services. When you do, your doctors are more likely to catch health problems early when they’re easier to treat. Counties with good access to the internet also have less obesity, less diabetes, and fewer preventable hospitalizations.

People are also more likely to use mental health services if they can access them without leaving home.

Reason #3: Your taxes are already paying for fiber internet

Lawmakers have been sold on fiber for years and have allocated billions of dollars in taxpayer funds to help internet providers build the required infrastructure.

Here’s a snapshot of the funding already in place:

• BEAD (The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program): $42 billion
• RDOF (The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund): $20.4 billion
• The Capital Projects Fund: $9.6 billion
• USDA ReConnect: Grants, loans, and loan-grant combinations

Most of this funding has been spent (or is planned) for fiber internet projects, but not all. Organizations like the Fiber Broadband Association want that to change.

“Because the social return on investment is higher for fiber, directing more of the existing public funds towards fiber deployment will generate greater economic returns compared to investment in other high-speed broadband technologies such as hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC),” according to a research report by the organization. “This prioritization needs to continue if the gains from deploying fiber are to be realized.”

Reason #2: Fiber could increase your household income

Fiber installation could increase the average household’s income by $1,450 in one year, according to the FBA’s research report. That translates to $81 billion nationwide, plus the potential of 380,000 additional jobs.

In the name of full transparency, it’s important to note the study projected this increase only in rural areas. In suburban and urban areas, there was no statistically significant change in household incomes before and after a given community had fiber internet installed.

However, it’s indisputable that fiber internet causes more self-employment and better opportunities for remote work. Research from Ziply Fiber bears that out, and the FBA study found a 22% increase in the availability of remote work after certain areas got fiber for the first time.

Reason #1: Fiber will increase the value of your home

It’s no small feat to add tens of thousands of dollars to the value of your home. But if you can make time for a four-hour fiber installation, you could add an average of $34,000 to the value of your home.

According to last week’s FBA report, deploying fiber nationwide could increase housing values by $1.64 trillion nationwide (compared to 2023 values). Here’s how that may play out in different areas:

• In urban areas: $1.4 trillion, or 17%
• In non-urban areas: $242 billion, or 14%

The study found the average value of a home was $200,000, so if your home is already worth more, you could see a bigger property value increase.

How to find a fiber internet provider near you

With all these reasons to get free fiber installation, why do 62 million homes and businesses still not have it?

Unfortunately, those homes and businesses may not be eligible for fiber internet because local infrastructure isn’t ready yet.

The best way to find out if you can get fiber where you live is to use a zip code tool like the one below. If you get a short list of options that doesn’t include a fiber plan, you can sign up on waiting lists to get notified as soon as fiber is available.

If you don’t know who provides fiber in your area, find out by searching HighSpeedInternet.com. If you’re reading on a desktop or laptop computer, click the magnifying glass at the top right of this page and enter the name of your state. If you’re reading on mobile, tap the three horizontal lines at the top right to get to a search bar.

Disclaimers