Verizon Wifi Pros and Cons: Which of their Three Internet Products is best?

WiFi, short for Wireless Fidelity, is a major part of our lives. In the past fifteen years more and more homes have been welcomed into the wide reaching arms of the joys of wifi and all that it can do. Connect computers, phones, Smartwatches, TVs, and even fridges to your wifi network so you can surf the web and stay updated with the times. What’s crazy is that in 2022 it was reported that 91.2% of homes in the US have had “some form” of internet subscription. 

Nowadays you’ll find there are seemingly endless options for your home internet and wifi needs, including companies you know like Verizon.

Verizon is a part of the communally named “big three” which describes the three major networks in the country: AT&T, T-Mobile, and of course, Verizon. Verizon has long since claimed that it is “America’s most reliable network” and they have been dipping their toes into the home internet game ever since August 2004.

They’ve had close to 20 years to work on and improve their home internet options to keep up with the ever-expanding world of connectivity. So how do they shape up? And what home internet options can you look forward to in your area? Today we’re going to discuss all of the Verizon Wifi pros and cons so you can make your own list to figure out if it’s right for you.

The topics we’ll be covering:

• Fios Home Internet vs 5G Home Internet vs LTE Home Internet
• Verizon’s Coverage
• All Verizon Wifi Plans
• Verizon Wifi Pros and Cons

Fios Home Internet vs 5G Home Internet vs LTE Home Internet

There are three primary internet products Verizon makes: 

• Fios Home Internet
• 5G Home Internet
• LTE Home Internet

Fios Home Internet

Fios, which stands for Fiber Optic Service, is Verizon's brand name for their ultra fast broadband service by their fiber-optic network. According to their website, “Verizon is one of the only internet service providers to offer nearly matching download and upload speeds on most plans…” and this home internet option is their most appealing as it’s generally the most reliable.

• Good to Know: Broadband is when users can access the internet at significantly higher speeds than those using dial-up. Older ages will remember that famous dial-up sound when you’d try to connect one remote machine to another. Instead nowadays you hear nothing but the sweet sounds of silence.

Verizon’s Fios Home Internet reaches speeds anywhere from 300 Mbps to 940/880 Mbps with certain plans. 

If you have a household that runs many different devices all the time, then their Fios Home Internet plans would be the ones to look at if you’re looking for high speed connection among all of your devices consistently.

*However the one downside to Fios Home Internet is that it’s only available in the Northeast. To see if you are qualified for Fios Home Internet check your availability here.

5G Home Internet

Originally launched in 2018, Verizon’s 5G Home Internet has grown more and more over the years, and in 2022 Verizon released their 5G Ultra Wideband network, making it available in a little over 900 cities which is a vast improvement compared to their Fios Home Internet plans. Their 5G Home Internet is Verizon’s attempt at expanding a glimpse at their incredible speeds to not just the Northeast but all over the country.

The 5G Home Internet is a part of their wireless broadband connection which uses radio signals instead of wires to connect you to the internet at your home.

Speeds may vary depending on your location, greater network connection, and which of the two plans you choose- (we will go over each 5G Home Internet plan later on). 

Now it is also good to know that you should check your availability to see if their 5G Home Internet is available for your current address. There’s a good chance if you live near a city or are in a suburban area you’ll have greater luck in being qualified for their 5G Home Internet services. Those in more urban spaces might have better luck through Verizon’s LTE Home Internet plan. And even if you have a 5G compatible phone and are consistently connected to 5G networks, Verizon’s 5G Home Internet plans might still not be available for you because of proximity to their cell towers.

Verizon wants their 5G Home Internet users to experience 5G speeds at all times if possible and even though you might be connected via your phone to 5G speeds, your home might not be the optimal place for their 5G Home Internet plans, so checking your availability is paramount before buying.

LTE Home Internet

Verizon’s LTE Home Internet plans are for those who don’t qualify for their Fios or 5G plans. The LTE Home Internet is their home broadband that connects to Verizon’s 4G LTE wireless coverage from all over the country. 

Just like the 5G Home Internet plan, Verizon’s LTE Home Internet will use radio signals to connect to one of their 4G LTE cell towers to provide your home with internet. 

As for speeds, you’ll get the slower end of the deal with their LTE Home Internet coverage with typical download speeds of 25-50 Mbps and upload speeds of 4-5 Mbps. The good thing about their LTE plans is that there are no data usage caps. 

Verizon’s Coverage

Any potential customer will want to know what Verizon’s coverage looks like, especially if you’re looking at their 5G and LTE internet plans.

Here’s a screengrab of Verizon’s Coverage Map showing their coverage over the US. The red spots are detailing where their 5G Ultra Wideband network is covered:

You can see the map in its entirety and disclaimers through the Verizon Coverage Map tab.

The development for 5G infrastructure is booming in major cities and heavily populated cities. Why? Well, it’s more cost-efficient for big wireless companies to expand their 5G network to places with the most people, but there is a slow but steadily moving process to get 5G access to homes and people everywhere.

Though for those not in the Northeast and 5G specific areas, Verizon’s 4G LTE coverage spans most of the country so you’ll be happy to note that even if you aren’t compatible with their “higher” wifi plans- the LTE Home Internet service is still a good option.

All Verizon Wifi Plans

You now know that Verizon offers three internet products and each of those products come with their own separate plans to choose from which leaves you with lots of options and lots to mull over, so let’s dive into each plan for each product so you can see which one might work best for you.

Fios Home Internet Plans

¹There is a $99 setup fee for the 300 and 500 Mbps plans. If you order the 1 Gig and the 2 Gig Plans online then the $99 set up charge is waived.

For their Fios Home Internet plans you won’t ever have to worry about contracts or any sudden hidden fees. With their price guarantees you can expect the same consistent payments for whichever plan you choose.

5G Home Internet Plans

Just like Fios Home Internet plans, you won’t have to worry about contracts, hidden fees, and sudden price hikes thanks to the yearly guarantees. And if you decide to look at the 5G Home Plan Plus you’ll get access to their Whole-Home WiFi which includes a “WiFi Health Check” via the Verizon app and an optional WiFi extender- (terms apply).

LTE Home Internet Plans

Although your speeds may be slower, the two LTE Home Internet plans come with the 

same perks as the 5G Home Internet plans which is nice. 

Verizon Wifi Pros and Cons

Just like any other service provider, you’re bound to run into a few pros and cons, and these can be a good indicator to whether you send it and sign up. So let’s go through a few Verizon Wifi pros and cons for you to help you decide.

Pros:

• No Data Caps
• Bundle and Save
• No Contracts

No Data Caps

A data cap is when the service provider will put a limit on your monthly or yearly allotment of data you can use. For example, if you’re paying for a 50GB plan, you might be “capped out” at 50GBs and will have to pay a higher rate for more data until your next billing cycle or in some cases, have your data turned off.

With Verizon Wifi and Home Internet products you won’t have to worry about data caps. You can use your data with no fear of paying for more or getting it switched off in the middle of usage. 

Bundle and Save

For all those “bundle and save” fans out there, the ones that like those deals of “get this plan and add this one at a discounted rate” Verizon has discounted prices for all of their Wifi and Home Internet plans. Save when you bundle your Verizon Unlimited Postpaid plan with 5G Ultra Wideband on any of the Home Internet plans. And non-Verizon phone members will get a small discount if you use Auto Pay as well.

No Contracts

Contracts are slowly but surely becoming a thing of the past and Verizon is taking the “no contract” approach with their Home Internet products seriously. There’s no service contracts and no early termination fees so you can use any of Verizon’s Home Internet plans with no worries ahead. And with their select yearly price guarantee(s) you can know what your bill will look like each month without having to factor in any extra additional costs.

Cons:

• No Guaranteed Speeds
• Data Deprioritization
• Limited Availability

No Guaranteed Speeds

For Verizon’s 5G Home Internet plans there are no average guaranteed speeds. Of course there are estimates of what you could get but because you’re getting your wifi from their mobile network you won’t have a nailed down speed match for any of their 5G plans. The same goes for their LTE Home Internet plans, when you sign up through a wireless broadband wifi plan, there can come the downsides of fluctuating speeds depending on your area or network congestion.

Data Deprioritization

Data deprioritization is when your data speeds are temporarily slowed down due to a number of factors including but not limited to network congestion, high traffic areas, and an overage of consumerism. In the case of Verizon Wifi, Verizon Home Internet customers will be prioritized second to mobile customers, so for our wireless customers- (those who are on their 5G or LTE plans), you may experience slower speeds in certain times because either mobile customers are being prioritized and/or network congestion.

Limited Availability

Not everyone in the country can get access to Verizon Home Internet, and even less can get access to their Fios Home Internet and 5G Home Internet plans. If you aren’t in an eligible area and/or aren’t compatible you won’t get the option to sign up for their Fios and 5G plans. There is limited availability for some just based on your location, which can be a real bummer if you have all the means to pay for a plan but you can’t get it due to your location.

Verizon Wifi and Home Internet has a wide variety of plans for you to choose from. For our gamers and frequent wifi connoisseurs we’d recommend looking into the Fios plans, for those “in-between” customers, the 5G plans work just as needed, and light wifi users will be fine with the LTE plans. Remember to make sure to check your compatibility and if you need a heavy wifi bandwidth but aren’t eligible for Fios or 5G, you may want to look for something that’s better for your area’s coverage.

If you want to compare and contrast Verizon to over 1,200 other phone plans so you know you’re getting the service that’s right for you, then make sure to check out the REALLY compare page which allows you to look at pricing, coverage, what phone plans are available, current deals and steals, and how you can make the most of your potential phone bill.