Quantum Fiber vs. Xfinity Internet Providers Compared

Quantum Fiber brings superior internet speeds and reliability at an appealing price

Quantum Fiber is a new, all-fiber brand owned by parent company Lumen Technologies. Lumen is the seventh-largest ISP in the U.S., based on its combined internet service of both all-fiber internet and DSL. In total, Lumen serves about 3 million customers [1]. Quantum Fiber is the all-fiber brand of Lumen. A second DSL-based brand also owned by Lumen is known as CenturyLink. We will review CenturyLink’s DSL service separately, as the two brands are very different in what they offer customers. Quantum Fiber is a very strong choice for internet service that earns good customer satisfaction ratings. If you sign up for Quantum Fiber, you’re going to get lightning-fast speeds and reliable service. Quantum Fiber offers clear, low pricing for gigabit fiber speeds that run up to 8000 Mbps. Fiber speeds will provide you with an internet connection that can handle any use you want from a home internet connection, including heavy streaming and gaming.

Great prices for Quantum Fiber plans up to 960 Mbps

Your prices will be good for Quantum Fiber. The first-tier price for all-fiber service will be $50/month for 500 Mbps. With any of the Quantum Fiber plans, you will get the use of a 360 Wi-Fi router for free. Quantum Fiber has no data caps and no required contracts. That means you won’t run into unexpected data overage charges or early termination fees. We like this simple, affordable pricing for fast fiber speeds. It's one of the best deals you’ll find on fiber internet.

Xfinity stands above the pack for its low initial pricing, but pay attention to the later price hikes and fees

Xfinity is the largest internet service provider in the United States, with 32 million broadband subscribers [1]. Xfinity is a subsidiary of cable giant Comcast. Company size and strength gives Xfinity the ability to offer very low promotional prices to consumers for a year or even two years. Xfinity’s promotional plans begin around $20/month. Here's the kicker: after a year or two, your promotional rate will end. At that point, your rate can go up by anywhere from $25 to $50 per month. And Xfinity pricing varies all over the country and is pretty complex in how it changes from plan to plan. By our evaluation standards, this lack of simplicity in pricing hurts Xfinity’s rating despite its great initial promotional rates. In addition, Xfinity’s lower-tier plans have data caps that apply under certain conditions. The data cap is 1.2 TB (terabytes) per month, which is enough to cover many households’ monthly usage without any trouble. However, the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society analyzed data from OpenVault to show that 14.6% of homes used more than 1 terabyte per month, and 2.4% used over 2 terabytes per month [2]. This data suggests that 1 in every 7 homes would run a risk of exceeding the Xfinity data cap. Comcast/Xfinity claims that it does not throttle internet and slow it down, however, Xfinity will charge you overage fees if you exceed your data cap [3]. Those fees can go up to a maximum of $100/month [4]. Odds are that you won’t exceed your data cap. But if you have lots of real-time gaming or heavy streaming in your household, the extra cost for data overage could really add up. With Xfinity's top tier plans, though, you will get unlimited data.

All-fiber internet from Quantum: the latest and greatest technology

Quantum Fiber uses the newest internet technology available. Their fiber-optic lines send data using light signals instead of electricity, and that’s why fiber is so much faster than any other kind of internet technology. An all-fiber connection will give you symmetrical speeds and enough bandwidth to handle any internet activities you choose. If you get a gigabit fiber plan, you can have up to 10 devices doing heavy streaming or real-time games online, and you will still have smooth performance. In some cases, though, Quantum Fiber advises that it may need to run Fiber-to-the-Curb (FTTC), with the last few feet of line to your house connected with coaxial cable. This is important, because even those few feet of coaxial cable will slow your upload speeds. Most of the time, that will not be the case, and you will get the all-fiber connection known as Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH). But it is important to understand the difference in performance just in case you’re in that small minority that will get an FTTC fiber connection. Even an FTTC connection may still be the fastest internet in your area, though, and a Fiber-to-the-Home connection will definitely be your fastest choice.

Xfinity’s hybrid fiber/coaxial cable supplies gigabit download speeds but slower upload speeds

Though Xfinity has advanced cable technology and good speeds, their network seems to be more prone to outages than users would like [5]. That’s the major reason Xfinity gets a lower rating for performance, in addition to the intrinsic differences between cable speed and all-fiber speed. Xfinity uses technology that is mostly fiber but uses coaxial cable for a short stretch of your internet connection. This type of connection is known as hybrid fiber/coaxial cable, or HFC. An HFC internet connection is better than older cable technologies because it can supply download speeds up to gigabit speeds. HFC will give you faster, more reliable internet service than DSL, satellite internet, or fixed wireless internet. And for streaming in HD, this hybrid fiber- cable internet will certainly be able to support multiple devices. The major difference between HFC and an all-fiber internet connection is upload speeds. Your upload speed will be no faster than 35-50 Mbps. An-all fiber connection, by contrast, will give you the same upload speed as your download speed. Your upload speed will affect activities such as gaming, videoconferencing and large file uploads. The good news is that if you have an upload speed of 35 Mbps, you’re still going to be able to upload pretty quickly. For most average households, 35 Mbps is enough. But if you have four or more people in your household streaming HD, playing games, working from home, and videoconferencing simultaneously, you’re going to want all-fiber internet, or what is often called “fiber to the home” (FTTH). Xfinity does have one all-fiber connectivity option that is full FTTH. If your household’s location is eligible, Xfinity will install an FTTH connection for their Gigabit Pro plan. Gigabit Pro is up there with the fastest fiber plans on the market.

Get free use of a  360 Wi-Fi mesh router or use your own router

If you order a fiber plan from Quantum Fiber, both your equipment and installation fee will be included free of extra charge. Keep in mind that equipment fees and prices do change with various promotions, so make sure you check with your customer support rep on current fees when you call. If you use the free router included with your Quantum Fiber plan, you will get their 360 Wi-Fi system. 360 Wi-Fi is a mesh network, which is much more sophisticated than a single modem/router [2]. You will be able to set up extra Wi-Fi Pods to ensure seamless coverage of your entire space, which is especially helpful if you live in a large home or one with thick walls. You will also have the option to use your own router. The only drawback is that Quantum Fiber tech support cannot give service or information for your personal router the way they can support their own equipment.

Xfinity offers two different gateways and popular Flex 4K streaming TV box

For TV fans, Xfinity internet service brings the added bonus of its free Flex 4K streaming box [6]. This convenient gadget will work much like a Roku box to consolidate your streaming apps, plus give you over 10,000 free movies and shows, free channels, and a voice remote. Xfinity TV customers are not eligible for a free Flex 4K, however. For your modem and router, you will get the xFi Gateway with its multi-gig speed capability, Wi-Fi 6E, parental controls and security protection [7]. Or you can upgrade to the xFi Complete, which includes unlimited data. Both require a rental fee after the promotional period that could be $15-25, which is part of why your price goes up. If you use your own router and modem to avoid the equipment fee, you will have to live with the 1.2 TB data cap. Installation fees will be similar to other providers at around $100 for a technician install and $15  for a self-install ($15).

Quantum Fiber earns high customer satisfaction ratings

Because the split in branding between Quantum Fiber and CenturyLink DSL is still very recent, we have to interpret customer satisfaction rankings that were previously based on the name “CenturyLink” for both brands. Customer satisfaction is much higher for Quantum Fiber than for the DSL provided by CenturyLink. The American Customer Satisfaction Index shows that split in results by dividing “CenturyLink” specifically into fiber and DSL. Fiber (aka, Quantum Fiber) ranks 16 points higher than the DSL service [3]. For Quantum Fiber, these customer satisfaction rankings tell the story clearly. You are likely to have a great internet experience with Quantum Fiber. To avoid confusion, be aware that there is still a certain amount of online cross-marketing between the two companies. Pay attention to the speeds available, whether your internet source labels it “Quantum Fiber” or “CenturyLink.” If the speed is above 200 Mbps, it is a Quantum Fiber product. If the speed is 100 Mbps or below, it is CenturyLink DSL. Overall, we highly recommend Quantum Fiber for its top-of-the-line speeds and reliability, great pricing, and good customer satisfaction ratings.

Xfinity Customer Service shows improvement

Xfinity has not been known for strong customer service over the years. Online reviews continue to mention some problem areas. But Xfinity has been moving up in official rankings, and for that reason, we give them 4 stars for improving their customer experience. Xfinity has customer support on its website, with 24/7 chat for help and 24/7 tech support. An online status center allows you to check for outages and troubleshoot your service. The Xfinity app will make your online customer experience more streamlined. You can also find Xfinity help communities through Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. Customer service rankings have been improving for Xfinity in recent years. In 2022, Xfinity ranked third in three of four regions in the J.D. Power Residential Internet Service Provider Customer Satisfaction Study  [8]. This ranking reflects Xfinity’s recent effort to improve their customer support. Though Xfinity’s customer support ratings from other sources are not always as high, overall, signs are getting better that you will be satisfied with your customer experience.