Image: Alex Castro / The Verge
Frontier Communications is rolling out 2-gig speeds across its existing fiber-optic network, which currently spans six states, including Texas, Florida, California, Indiana, West Virginia, and Connecticut (via Light Reading). The plan comes with symmetrical 2-gig downloads and uploads for $149.99 / month, along with the free installation of a Wi-Fi 6E-compatible router and extender.
Frontier is offering a free 43-inch Amazon Fire TV and Logitech webcam for the first 1,000 customers who sign up â but itâs not clear if youâll be getting the Omni or 4-Series Fire TV, and itâs just as vague about the Logitech webcam. The company is holding a promotion for its $79.99 / month single gig fiber plan as well, in the form of a $200 Visa Reward Card, Eero Pro 6 router, and a Wi-Fi extender.
A number of communications companies have already started to go beyond the 1Gbps threshold when it comes to fiber. Last month, AT&T announced its rollout of 2-gig and 5-gig plans, priced at $110 / month and $180 / month, respectively. Xfinity also has a 3Gbps plan for a pricey $299.95 / month, and Verizon has a 2-gig $119 / month plan for New York City residents only. Meanwhile, Google Fiberâs $100 / month 2-gig plan still remains the cheapest of the multi-gig family.
In 2020, Frontier filed for bankruptcy and blamed an âunder-investment in fiber deploymentâ as a reason for its financial struggles. According to Ars Technica, most of Frontierâs fiber connections at the time were actually installed by Verizon, as the company purchased Fios operations in California, Texas, and Florida in 2016. The company currently offers service in 25 states and added 45,000 new fiber customers in the last quarter of 2021.
As great as fiber-optic sounds, itâs still just a fantasy for many of us who arenât cornered in specific areas of the US. And while faster fiber is great and all, itâd be nice to have some more cables laid down so more of us can gain access.