AT&T provides fiber-optic Internet service in 25 states.
Verizon provides fiber Internet service in 25 states.
Xfinity provides fast 10G Internet service in all states.
With the increased use of the Internet, including video streaming and gaming, plus families and groups of multiple users, the need for the higher bandwidth has increased, too. As the speeds of Internet connections evolved from Kbps (kilobits per second) to Mbps (megabits per second), a magic number has been formed – 1,000 Mbps, that is, 1 Gbps (gigabit per second). As more and more fiber optic cables were installed, speeds of 1 Gbps and up became more available. Today, among others, it is normal to see 1 Gbps Internet plan.
Also called Gig-speed or Gigabit-speed internet, Gigabit Internet is a connection that provides you with a maximum connection speed of 1 Gbps, 1,000 Mbps, or 1 million Kbps. To show it as an example, with 1 Gigabit connection you can download 3 GB file for 24-25 seconds.
One Gigabit is one Gigabit. But, there can be a difference in the technology used to deliver the Internet to your home. That difference is in fiber optic connection versus other types of connection like cable. What makes the difference are download and upload speeds. Fiber optic connections allow for symmetrical download and upload speeds which means they are the same. With connections like cable that is not the case. While cable 1 Gig can offer you that as your download speed, the upload speed is much slower, anywhere between 20 and 100 Mbps. Before you sign up with your Internet provider, check if the download and upload speeds are symmetrical (equal) or asymmetrical (not equal). At the end, if you are not doing anything that requires a lot of upload work, you may not care about this.
This is plain simple, as long as 1 Gig is available at your address. Finding fiber internet provider has become easier as all of them offer you to enter your address and check the service availability in your area. Select one of the providers from the list, and check the 1 Gig plan availability in seconds.
In addition, some of these fiber internet providers offer you to bundle internet service with other like TV or mobile. This opens an opportunity for additional savings which may be a key to helping you make your final decision about your internet provider.
AT&T offers a discount if you use their fiber internet and select mobile services. With Verizon, you can combine internet, TV, and mobile for an additional discount. Same is with Xfinity as they have special offers if you combine internet, mobile, and/or TV.
► Check AT&T Fiber Internet Availability
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Fiber broadband (also called Fiber internet) is an internet service delivered over fiber optic cable. This is different from traditional cable internet, which transmits information by sending data over copper wires. Fiber has the potential to transmit data at faster speeds than DSL or cable-based internet.