Frontier Internet Review

Frontier, as the name implies, seeks out rural and remote areas that are under-served by other broadband internet providers. In many cases, these remote locations may previously have had only satellite or mobile data for their internet connection. Such connections can be difficult to stream videos on.

Pros

• Provides high-speed service to rural areas
• Transparent pricing
• No early termination fees for internet service
• No contracts required for most internet services
• Download and upload speeds are the same

Cons

• Available internet speeds in your area may be lower than expected
• Many customers have complaints about support and service

Service

Frontier provides service to many rural areas of the United States that didn't previously have access to high-speed internet, including some that, before Frontier arrived, only received internet through satellite and mobile connections.

Customers don't have any data caps or other usage limits on their Frontier internet. The upload and download speeds vary significantly by location. Major metropolitan areas have fiber lines that reach up to 1,000 Mbps, while remote areas may only support 1 Mbps over DSL.

Signing up for Frontier isn't as easy as it could be. Oddly, Frontier has designed its website in such a way that you have to talk to someone via live chat or telephone in order to sign up for Frontier internet service. There's no easy sign-up button available on the website.

Frontier customers receive 8 email inboxes hosted by Yahoo each of which offers 1 terabyte of storage. That should cover the needs of most families, even those which plan to make heavy use of this service.

The download and upload speeds available through Frontier's plans match each other, which is an unusual feature in internet plans. With most internet plans from other providers, the upload speed is much lower than the download speed, which can make uploading files and streaming your webcam difficult. This isn't an issue with Frontier, since its plans give you access to uploads that are as fast as your downloads.

FiOS internet connections start at 50 Mbps and go up to 1,000 Mbps. The broadband DSL connections start at 1 Mbps and go up to 115 Mbps.

Customer Service

Like many internet service providers, Frontier doesn't get high marks when it comes to customer service. Complaints range from poor download speeds to long hold times, and some customers report an overall poor experience during customer-service interactions.

You have several resources for getting customer support for your Frontier account. A self-service help center has articles and videos to guide you with basic inquiries. A support wizard offers more extensive assistance for technical troubleshooting.

You can submit a trouble ticket through the website and check on its status to see when someone starts working on your problem. You can also use live chat, call Frontier, or schedule a time for Frontier to call you back.

Availability

Frontier is available in 29 states, primarily those with rural areas that are under-served by other broadband internet providers. They have high-speed DSL and fiber plans available, with connection speeds that range from 1 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps.

The availability of the different connection types and services is based on your location. Most of the higher speed connections are near major cities and metropolitan areas.

Price

Like many internet service providers, the pricing can change drastically between locations. We can use these prices as examples of the service costs associated with Frontier internet, but you'll have to check with Frontier yourself for exact pricing in your specific region.

The company's broadband internet services have speeds from 6 Mbps to 115 Mbps and cost anywhere from $20 per month to $60 per month. FiOS internet starts at $40 per month at 50 Mbps and goes up to $200 per month for 1 Gbps. Both download and upload speeds are the same for each plan.

FiOS plans and any bundles typically require a 24-month contract. Your price gets locked during this period. Available bundles include television and phone services.

In most cases, Frontier is very straightforward with its fee structure. You don't have to worry about early termination fees with most of the internet plans that they offer. You may receive a free Wi-Fi router, although this depends on the ISP's current promotions. If it's not included, then you pay $10 per month for it.

The installation fee is $75 and you pay a $3.99 per month internet infrastructure fee with select plans. Equipment shipping and handling fees are also added to your bill.

Frontier doesn't have a data cap, so there are no overage fees to worry about.

Sign-up incentives include discounted rates, free Amazon Echo devices, and a $100 Visa gift card.

Contracts

You're not required to sign up for an annual contract with most of Frontier's internet-only plans. However, if you take advantage of any bundle packages, that will put you on a 24-month price-locked contract.

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel your internet service, you'll pay a $9.99 broadband processing fee. Bundles have early termination fees of up to $400, depending on when you cancel and the services in your bundle. Internet-only plans are not subject to this fee.

Summary

Frontier offers a wide range of internet services designed to bring high-speed broadband to rural locations. Everything from satellite to FiOS is covered by this company, and in many locations it's the only internet provider in the market. The pricing is relatively straightforward and you don't have to deal with data caps, but the customer service can be lacking.