Plans starting at: $49.95
Popular Package: EarthLink Fiber 5Gx5G
Download speeds up to: 5 Gbps
Connection Types: Fiber
Plans starting at: $44.99
Popular Package: Fiber 5 Gig
Download speeds up to: 5 Gbps
Connection Types: Fiber & DSL
EarthLink Staff rating
Earthlink is known for great customer service but higher initial prices
Earthlink’s chief difference from most other national ISPs is that Earthlink is a third-party seller. In other words, Earthlink is partnering with other major internet companies who actually provide the technology for your internet service. Your service through Earthlink might come from AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier, Verizon, or Viasat. That means your type of connection through Earthlink can vary from super-fast fiber internet all the way to slower satellite internet. You will know which type of internet connection you are purchasing when you sign up for service. Just as with any other provider, you will have an idea of your approximate speed and performance when you buy. The catch is, you will pay more because Earthlink doesn’t own the networks it uses. Why would you choose a service that costs more? Well, Earthlink is known for very solid customer service in an industry that has historically struggled in that area [1]. And Earthlink offers service in less-populated areas without many other providers. That means there may be some places where Earthlink is one of your top options for internet speed or reliability.PROS
Cons
Top cities with EarthLink availability
Frontier Staff rating
Frontier has great fiber speed and pricing, but DSL will be slower
Frontier has the same split profile as other internet providers that offer both fiber and DSL. Frontier’s fiber internet offerings are outstanding across the board for both performance and pricing. But their DSL internet speed and cost will be mediocre compared to Frontier Fiber. About 42% of customers In Frontier’s coverage area are currently able to choose fiber. With an aggressive fiber buildout plan, Frontier plans to expand its fiber footprint to 10 million locations by 2025 [1]. And those fiber connections will be FTTP, meaning all fiber-optic line, all the way to your home. That’s good news, because the difference between DSL and fiber is night and day. Fiber internet will be much faster and more reliable, and you’ll get much more internet speed for the price you pay.PROS
Cons
Top cities with Frontier availability
EarthLink Pricing
Earthlink will charge you more initially, but prices even out by the second or third year
Many internet service providers will offer you a great promotional price for a year or two, but then raise prices much higher. Earthlink will not offer you initial promotional prices, so their plans may initially give you sticker shock. For initial prices, Earthlink will charge you more for every type of internet service: fiber, fixed wireless, or satellite. But in some cases, over the course of a few years, you may even end up saving a little money with Earthlink. Only a head-to-head comparison of specific providers in your area will tell you, so check out our price plan comparisons using your zip code.Pricing will also vary significantly based on your internet connection type
The biggest difference between Earthlink plans is whether your chosen plan has a data cap. Earthlink Fiber internet won’t have data caps. Earthlink satellite internet and fixed wireless (4G LTE or 5G) will have data caps. If you have a plan with data caps, you may end up having to buy extra data at the end of the month. Because of these unpredictable charges, satellite pricing and fixed wireless pricing for Earthlink are less stable than for their other plans. But here’s an unusual benefit of Earthlink Wireless Home Internet. Most Earthlink plans require a one-year contract, but Earthlink’s Wireless Home Internet plans do not require a contract [2].Frontier Pricing
Frontier will give you a good deal on fiber, but DSL varies widely
Frontier is the 8th-largest internet service provider in the United States, with 2.8 million broadband subscribers [1]. The company has a total of 9.9 million copper passings and 6.8 million fiber passings. At the end of 2023, over 70% of their customers were fiber internet customers [2]. Frontier’s main distinction among fiber internet providers is that you will get faster speeds compared to the competition. For example, Frontier’s first-tier fiber plan costs about $44.99 per month at present, like many of its rivals. But that Frontier plan will give you 100 Mbps download and upload speeds, where many other fiber providers tend to start at 200 Mbps and 300 Mbps. With modem-router rental included and no data caps, Frontier Fiber offers the kind of simple, clear pricing that earns high ratings from us. The only drawback is that Frontier Internet (the name for their DSL plans) does not provide the same kind of bargain. Frontier pricing is just average for DSL in the industry. Plus, the DSL speed you will be able to get at your address will vary depending on infrastructure. (DSL usually ranges from 3-50 Mbps download and 1-3 Mbps upload.) Average DSL pricing in the industry is not a great deal for customers compared to cable and fiber pricing. That’s why Frontier and many other providers are moving away from copper-based service in favor of fiber.EarthLink Reliability and Performance
Earthlink’s performance depends completely on the networks of major partners
One of Earthlink’s claims to fame is having “the largest network,” because Earthlink serves 90% of the United States [1]. The reality is that Earthlink does have a very large coverage area, but Earthlink does not own the networks in those areas. Differences between Earthlink’s partner networks will mean that your internet speed and performance will vary if you sign up with Earthlink. Just like Earthlink’s pricing, the quality of the service they can deliver depends on other providers. Most of the time, this works out fine because Earthlink partners with reputable ISPs. But Earthlink does not have control over your service, and that can be a disadvantage if something goes wrong. If you get Earthlink Fiber, you are probably going to be happy with your speed and reliability. Fiber is known for these advantages. Earthlink satellite or fixed wireless will often be too slow for real-timeactivities such as real-time gaming or videoconferencing. Reliability issues are going to be more likely with Earthlink’s satellite internet or Wireless Home Internet. Both satellite and wireless internet can be affected by weather. Fixed wireless can also slow down at peak times when thenetwork is congested with more traffic. Satellite internet tends to have high latency, which means a slight lag in the transmission of a signal. Latency is not noticeable for many internet activities but may affect real-time data transfer for gaming and videoconferencing.Frontier Reliability and Performance
Frontier Fiber offers speed and reliability, but their DSL lags behind
Just like pricing, performance for Frontier plans is heavily split depending on whether you get fiber or DSL. With Frontier Fiber, you can get multi-gigabit speeds up to 5000 Mbps. That’s right up there with the top few providers in the fiber internet business. And pricing for the 2 Gig and 5 Gig plans is cheaper than comparable offerings from other ISPs. These multi-gigabit speeds will be more than sufficient for very large households with many devices all streaming or gaming simultaneously. Even 500 Mbps is still a lot of speed and will be more than capable of supporting a five- or six-person home and all the devices in it. DSL performance will be unpredictable, but the only constant is that it will not deliver fiber-like performance. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a speed above 25 Mbps download. With that speed, you’ll be able to do most standard internet activities such as streaming and browsing, though you’ll have to watch how many devices are online at once. But if you get a speed that’s 10 Mbps or lower, you may find your service glitching or freezing during heavy-data tasks.EarthLink Equipment, Installation and Bonus Features
Earthlink’s installation fees and equipment fees vary
We can't give a score for any kind of consistent pricing or equipment fees because of Earthlink's 3rd party seller business model. Earthlink’s lower rating from us in this category results from the lack of simple, freely available information on pricing and fees on their website, as well as their higher prices for equipment and installation. This lack of transparency is one of the weaknesses of the telecom industry. We recommend that Earthlink, along with other internet providers, begin to be much more straightforward about which services are available across the United States and how much they cost in each area. Satellite equipment will cost you considerably more if you buy it upfront, which is typical of satellite. Earthlink will offer you the option to rent the equipment if that is more feasible. Satellite equipment will come from Viasat, Earthlink’s satellite internet partner. Because Viasat’s equipment fees are $12.99/month or $299.99 prepaid, consumers should estimate that Earthlink’s fees for Viasat equipment will be similar or slightly higher [3]. Earthlink’s bonus services include Easy Tech for unlimited tech support at $9.95 a month. Earthlink Guardian provides parental monitoring, Earthlink Protect gives security protection, and Earthlink Online Backup will protect you from data loss.Frontier Equipment, Installation and Bonus Features
Installation fees waived with one year of service
Frontier provides your basic modem/router at no charge when you get fiber internet or DSL. For both technology types, standard installation fee is $100, but the fee is waived as long as you keep your service for at least 12 months. So, you basically get free installation unless you cancel before the year is over, in which case you'll pay a pro-rated fee.EarthLink Experience & Support
Earthlink is known above all for superior customer service
When you research Earthlink online, you will see that Earthlink survives on its customer service. The company gets good, solid ratings for customer service, where many ISPs fall far short. That means that if you call Earthlink, odds are that you will be satisfied with what they do for you. There are just a couple of caveats to that recommendation. First, some customers report that their customer service has been routed to Earthlink’s partner providers, which removes the whole point of having Earthlink service if you’re seeking their brand of better customer service. Second, Earthlink acknowledged beginning to “reshore” its service in September 2021, which implicitly reveals that the company had offshored its customer service [4]. Offshoring customer service to foreign countries is not only potentially frustrating for the customer, but worse for U.S. workers. Many internet providers now base their customer service in the United States, and we hope Earthlink will be sure to provide its own customer support from within the country.Frontier Experience & Support
Frontier Fiber shows strong performance in customer satisfaction
Frontier's reviews have improved greatly with increased fiber service, as is reflected in higher rankings in the J.D. Power Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction study [3]. Frontier's sharp rise in the rankings is a promising sign that if you get Frontier Fiber, you will be happy with your choice. In addition, Frontier outranks even strong fiber competitors in the well-regarded national survey known as Net Promoter Score [4].EarthLink FAQ's
Frontier FAQ's
EarthLink Sources
[1] Earthlink.net. "Internet Near Me."
[2] Earthlink.net. "Wireless Home Internet."
[3] Viasat.com. "Disclaimers."
[4]PR Newswire.com. "Earthlink Expands Customer Service Division."
Frontier Sources
[1] Techblog.com. "Fiber is the Future at Frontier."
[2] FierceNetwork.com. "Frontier's Fiber Focus Fuels 1Q Revenue Rebound."
[3] J.D. Power.com. "2023 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study."
[4] FierceTelecom.com. "Frontier Leads Customer Loyalty among Fiber Providers."
EarthLink Internet Plans
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Frontier Internet Plans
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EarthLink Customers Review
Frontier Customers Review