Consolidated Communications Staff Review
Consolidated Communications offers DSL and some fiber in select areas
Consolidated Communications is a mid-size national internet provider that offers service in 23 states [1]. Consolidated Communications offers both DSL internet and fiber internet. The company also offers fiber in 8 states under the name “Fidium Fiber.” We have reviewed Fidium Fiber separately on this site, as their pricing and plans are quite different from the fiber offerings under the Consolidated Communications brand. Consolidated Communications will give you fast, reliable internet with their all-fiber connections. Their DSL service will be much slower and will cost far more for the speed you get. This is standard for all companies that offer both DSL and fiber. Our recommendation: fiber will be a good bet. If your only option is DSL, you might also want to consider different providers, including fixed wireless options.Pros
Fiber internet provides fast, reliable connections DSL reaches areas with no other wired internet option No data caps or contracts
Cons
Fiber is still limited to select areas DSL prices are high for the comparatively low speeds you get Available speeds vary widely by location
Pricing
Fiber pricing offers better value than DSL
DSL is the oldest internet technology still in wide use today. There isn’t really such a thing as a “good deal” on DSL, because unfortunately, the speeds are very slow compared to other technologies such as fiber and cable internet. Consolidated Communications does offer something unusual in its DSL pricing: speed tiers. Many other DSL providers offer their DSL at one monthly price, no matter what your speeds are. By contrast, your DSL plan from Consolidated Communications may run you anywhere from $52/month for speeds up to !0 Mbps to $72/month for speeds up to 50 Mbps. Those speeds are really slow by today’s standards. They do not even meet the FCC’s benchmark of 100 Mbps download speed for high-speed internet. What’s more, those prices are the promotional prices for the first year. After they expire, the prices will spike by $30-50 per month. This is nobody’s ideal of a great internet price in 2024. However, if you are living in a rural area, this still may be your best option. Consolidated Communications gives much better value with pricing for its fiber internet service. The monthly basic fee is still not the cheapest fiber internet you will find on the market, at $60 for up to 250 Mbps ($90 after the first 12 months). But at 250 Mbps, you will get 25 times the internet download speed you would get from their DSL plan, for only a few dollars more each month.Reliability and Performance
Fiber internet offers lightning-fast symmetrical speeds, DSL lags far behind
Consolidated Communications can provide gigabit internet speed through its fiber plans. All 100% fiber connections will give you symmetrical upload and download speeds. If your download speed is 200 Mbps, your upload speed will also be 200 Mbps. A quick reminder: I Gigabit per second is 1000 megabits per second. The slowest DSL plan from Consolidated is 10 Mbps. In other words, your DSL download speed would be 100 times slower than your maximum fiber download speed. The upload speed picture is even more stark. While a fiber gigabit plan would give you 1000 Mbps upload speed, DSL could sometimes give you only 1-3 Mbps upload speed. What does this mean for your digital life? With only 10 Mbps download/1 Mbps upload, you will have trouble with HD streaming or online gaming, especially if there are multiple devices on your network. You also may find slow DSL glitchy for large file uploads or video conferencing. If Consolidated Communications only offers DSL in your town, there may be better news on the way. The ISP is committed to a rapid fiber buildout and update of its DSL networks. From 2021 – 2023, the company built an average of 300,000 new fiber passings per year [2]. The planned goal is to cover 70% of the footprint with all-fiber networks by 2026 [3]. This would be a dramatic change, as only about half of their current service area has access to fiber.Equipment, Installation and Bonus Features
Fiber includes free equipment, DSL has an extra fee
Fiber customers continue to get the better deal from Consolidated Communications with the free equipment that is included in their plan. Though the FCC Broadband Label shows a Whole-Home Wi-Fi fee of about $12, that fee shows as “waived” [4]. There is also no installation or activation fee for fiber internet. Activation for DSL plans will incur a one-time charge of $99. DSL plans also have a $12 per month rental fee for your Wi-Fi gateway. You may use your own router if it is compatible with the network.Customer Experience & Support
Consolidated Communications shows average performance for customer satisfaction
Fiber customers of Consolidated Communications are quite happy with their service. DSL customers complain of slow speeds and occasional outages. This split is the characteristic split for all ISPs that provide both DSL. Customer satisfaction will improve as the fiber buildout expands. Consolidated Communications offers 24/7 tech support by phone and internet [5]. Customer service by telephone for billing and accounts is available Monday through Saturday during regular business hours.FAQ's
Yes, Consolidated Communications is expanding their all-fiber network. Their goal is to make fiber available to 70% of their footprint by the end of 2026.
A Wi-Fi router is often provided for your use at no extra charge with fiber internet plans. DSL plans charge an extra $12/month for the use of a gateway.
No, there are no required contracts for any Consolidated Communications internet plans.
There are no data caps for either fiber or DSL plans from Consolidated Communications.
Consolidated Communications has roots that go all the way back to 1894. In that year, a company was founded under the name Mattoon Telephone Company that later became the Illinois Consolidated Telephone Company. The company acquired its current name in 1984.
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