Ziply Fiber Review: More Than Just the Fastest ISP
The fastest speeds, reasonable pricing and favorable service terms -- Ziply Fiber has just about all you could ask for from a home internet provider.
Why You Can Trust CNET
Ziply Fiber home internet rating
How we calculated our rating
- Straightforward, competitive pricing
- No data caps, contracts or credit checks
- Dedication to fiber expansion, even in rural areas
- Lots of room to grow fiber service
Ziply Fiber has been making a name for itself since taking over Northwest operations from Frontier Communications in 2020. After a couple of years of service, the ISP stands out for its low introductory rates, transparent pricing, reasonable service terms and impressive speeds. The provider recently became the fastest ISP nationwide, unleashing a ridiculously fast 50-gigabit plan across its entire four-state fiber footprint.
Not everyone needs multigig internet speeds, especially not 50Gbps. In order to meet the speed and budget needs of nearly any household, Ziply Fiber also offers speed tiers of 100Mbps, 300Mbps, 1Gbps, 2Gbps and 10Gbps.
Ziply Internet -- its DSL service -- is also worth checking out in rural areas. Speeds and reliability can vary widely by location, so the overall value of Ziply Internet will largely depend on your address. With either service, you're still getting unlimited data and inexpensive Wi-Fi service without being locked into a contract, making Ziply worthy of consideration for homes in the Pacific Northwest.
Locating local internet providers
Ziply Fiber internet pricing and speed details
Ziply Fiber customers will have six different speed tier options with symmetrical download and upload speeds, a significant advantage of fiber internet service compared with other internet types, such as cable.
Ziply Internet (DSL) customers only have one plan option, which comes with the fastest max speeds available at your address, up to 115 megabits per second down and 7Mbps up. One plan option may seem limiting, but that's common among DSL providers.
Locating local internet providers
Ziply Fiber internet plans
| Plan | Promo rate | Standard rate | Max speeds | Contract | Data cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber 100/100 | $20 | $40 | 100Mbps download, 100 upload | None | None |
| Ziply Internet (DSL) | $50 | $60 | 115Mbps download, 7 Mbps upload | None | None |
| Fiber 300/300 | $40 | $60 | 300Mbps download, 300Mbps upload | None | None |
| Fiber Gig | $60 | $80 | 1,000Mbps download, 1,000Mbps upload | None | None |
| Fiber 2 Gig | $80 | $120 | 2,000Mbps download, 2,000Mbps upload | None | None |
| Fiber 5 Gig | $120 | $120 | 5,000Mbps download, 5,000Mbps upload | None | None |
| Fiber 10 Gig | $300 | $300 | 10,000Mbps download, 10,000Mbps upload | None | None |
| Fiber 50 Gig | $900 | $900 | 50,000Mbps download, 50,000Mbps upload | None | None |
Pricing on most Ziply Fiber plans goes up a bit after 12 months of service. Even after the increase, Ziply Fiber plans are still competitively priced.
Ziply Internet customers will see a $10 increase in their bill after 12 months of service, which brings the cost in line with other DSL providers such as AT&T and CenturyLink.
Low-speed tiers get a much-needed boost, again
Ziply Fiber voluntarily upgraded the first two speed tiers in August of 2021 from 30 and 100Mbps to 50 and 200Mbps, respectively, while maintaining the same low pricing. Less than two years later, Ziply did it again, raising those speeds to 100 and 300Mbps.
If you're a light internet user -- or just fed up with the single-digit upload speeds that often come with cable, DSL, satellite and other modes of internet -- then Ziply's entry-level fiber plan might be a good fit. Speeds of 100Mbps over a fiber connection could be enough speed for light streaming and browsing on two, maybe three devices, but I wouldn't rely on it for much more than that.
The mid-speed tier (300/300) is also slower than I'd hope to see from a fiber provider, but the upgrade from 200Mbps to 300Mbps goes a long way to make this plan more practical. Speeds of 300Mbps can handle HD streaming, online gaming and working from home on multiple devices at once, so the plan may be more than suitable for your household. It is worth noting, however, that other fiber providers offer significantly faster speeds with their midtier plans. AT&T, Frontier Communications and Verizon Fios offer speeds in the 400-to-500Mbps range with their middle speed tiers, though the pricing may be slightly higher.
To get the best bang for your buck, I recommend skipping the first two plans and going straight for the gig. Ziply Fiber's gigabit plan is lower priced than most fiber or cable providers at $60 per month ($80 after 12 months), and it offers significantly greater value than the 100/100 and 300/300 plans.
Ziply targets fiber for 80% of its service area
While Ziply Fiber's lower speed tiers are below many fiber ISPs, the company's dedication to fiber expansion could serve as an example for other providers to follow.
At the time of acquisition, around 30% of the networks received from Frontier Communications consisted of fiber-optic lines. Since then, Ziply Fiber has aggressively expanded its fiber footprint to more than 50% of coverage areas. A Ziply Fiber spokesperson told CNET that the company plans to reach 80% fiber coverage in coming years.
For example, in mid-April, Ziply Fiber announced 17 fiber projects to upgrade over 39,000 locations, covering 10 cities in Washington and seven in Oregon. The company recently announced it had run fiber service to its 100th community, Yakima, Washington.
If and when the company reaches 80% fiber coverage, it will have brought fiber connections to more than 1.5 million residents in the Northwest that did not otherwise have one under Frontier, including many residents of rural areas. Ziply Fiber expansions have thus far included small towns such as Tekoa, Washington, and Troy, Montana, both with populations of under 1,000, and more prominent cities throughout the Northwest.
Fiber expansion lightens the load on DSL networks
The arrival of fiber-optic service is exciting news for those who can get it, but it can also be somewhat of a blessing in disguise for Ziply Internet (DSL) customers who can't.
A Ziply Fiber spokesperson tells CNET that "every customer who moves off of the copper network improves the capacity, reliability and exhibited speed for those who remain, so our goal is to move as many people as possible to fiber as quickly as possible to improve service for everyone."
In other words, fiber expansion is a win-win for Ziply customers, though perhaps some more than others. Either way, Ziply Fiber seems genuinely invested in improving service for everyone in its service area, and I like that.
Ziply Fiber Wi-Fi, fees and service terms are as good as any
Ziply Fiber fees and service terms largely favor the customer. Wi-Fi equipment fees are lower than most providers and come with whole-home connectivity, while unlimited data and no contract requirements eliminate the risk of surprise hidden costs.
Equipment lease includes whole-home Wi-Fi
At $10 per month, Ziply's equipment lease fee is already on par with or lower than most providers, but few providers include whole-home Wi-Fi service with the equipment fee.
Ziply Fiber's equipment rental currently includes a free upgrade to whole-home Wi-Fi at no extra cost. In addition to the router, Ziply Fiber Whole Home Wi-Fi service comes with customized Wi-Fi installation and configuration and up to three Wi-Fi extenders.
I should add that the $10 fee for equipment lease and whole-home Wi-Fi appears to be a limited-time offer -- the regular rate is $20 per month. Even at $20, Ziply Fiber's whole-home Wi-Fi service is a good deal, as most providers will charge you $5 or more in addition to the router rental per Wi-Fi extender, if they even offer them at all.
Ziply Fiber service terms and fees won't add to your bill
Most DSL and fiber-optic internet providers do not have data caps or contracts, and Ziply Fiber is no different. Additionally, and perhaps separate from other providers, the ISP does not require a credit check for service. Customers can comfortably anticipate their initial costs and monthly pricing with no data caps, contracts, or credit checks.
Installation is included at no extra cost for new customers, as is the first month of service.
All that said, most providers will offer unlimited data, contract-free service, free installation and some promotional offers like gift cards or streaming services. Still, there's a lot to like about an internet provider that offers relatively straightforward pricing without arbitrary contracts or data caps -- Ziply Fiber delivers that.
Ziply Fiber vs. cable internet competitors
I've compared Ziply Fiber to other DSL and fiber-optic providers thus far, but it's unlikely that you'll find those providers in the same service areas as Ziply Fiber. What's more likely is that you'll have the option of Ziply Fiber and cable internet from Spectrum, Xfinity or others.
A good rule of thumb is that cable is better than DSL and fiber is better than cable. So if Ziply Fiber service is available in your area, I'd consider it over cable. Still, if Ziply Internet (DSL) is my only option, I'd likely look at cable first, depending on what DSL speeds are available.
Ziply Fiber can deliver gig download speeds, as can most major cable internet providers, but the fiber-optic connection comes with the advantage of symmetrical upload and download speeds. As a result, you'll get a better connection for working and learning from home with Ziply Fiber versus a cable connection. Fiber-optic service also has better reliability and connection quality than cable.
As for pricing, Ziply Fiber plans are priced lower than most cable providers. Xfinity does offer a 75Mbps plan for around $25 per month, but the equipment fee is higher than Ziply Fiber's, and customers may be required to sign a one-year contract to get the lowest price. On the other hand, Spectrum has a lower equipment fee than Ziply Fiber, along with unlimited data and contract-free service, but starting prices are much higher at $50 per month.
In short, Ziply Fiber will likely present cheaper plan options, faster upload speeds and better reliability than cable internet.
Customer complaints indicate possible growing pains
Ziply Fiber isn't included in customer satisfaction reports from the ACSI or J.D. Power yet, so I turned to the Better Business Bureau for insight into what actual customers think of the service so far.
As of this writing, there are over 500 customer complaints regarding Ziply Fiber service filed with the BBB, mostly centered around billing issues. The complaints came in shortly after Ziply Fiber transferred service from Frontier Communications, leading to the BBB recognizing a "pattern of complaints from consumers regarding billing and customer service issues" on July 17, 2020, less than 90 days after Ziply Fiber took over operations. Billing and customer service issues are to be expected with a significant service transfer.
The BBB gives Ziply Fiber a "B-" rating and attributes the rating to the customer service issues detailed above and the "length of time business has been operating." Similar to how short history can negatively affect a credit score, it seems that Ziply Fiber's short time in business impacts its BBB rating.
Customer complaints and an average BBB score are unfortunate, but I would attribute them more to service transfer issues and the short time in business more than anything else. Considering the company's low, transparent pricing, favorable service terms and rapid fiber expansion, I would expect customer satisfaction to improve quickly. Still, it's something we'll continue to keep an eye on.
Summing it all up
Ziply Fiber has low pricing but slower fiber speeds to match unless you go with gig service. If 100 or 300Mbps is enough for your home, I'd take advantage of that low pricing, but gig service will be the best option for everyone else.
As for Ziply Internet, the DSL service, the value of your plan will depend on the actual speeds available at your location. Your DSL service could improve as Ziply's fiber footprint expands, but the best outcome of all would be for fiber to make its way to your address and eliminate the need for DSL altogether. Here's hoping Ziply keeps making progress.
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