This post is a sponsored opportunity from Verizon Fios. However, all content and opinions expressed here are my own.
Verizon Fios should be among your top choices for an Internet service provider if you are thinking about cutting the cord from cable TV.
Picking out your favorite streaming services is pretty easy once you get the hang of it.
Getting a reliable and fairly-priced Internet connection can be a bigger obstacle. That’s especially true when it comes to setting up cable-free entertainment in your home. Just about every week, readers write to ask me about their possible choices for Internet.
My suggestion?
See if Verizon Fios is available in your area, and switch to an Internet-only plan. Using a fiber-optic connection for streaming is one of the best ways to watch movies in 4K HDR, and satisfy the Internet-needy devices in a household.
So here are four reasons why I suggest trying out Verizon Fios when it comes time to cut the cord and kiss your cable subscription good-bye.
1. Escaping the Bundle
Verizon Fios offers a couple of great Internet-only packages that make the transition to streaming pretty easy.
Verizon offers Fios Gigabit connection with speeds up to 940/880 Mbps for $79.99 per month (with Autopay plus taxes and other fees). This deal includes a rent-free router for three years, and Netflix’s Premium Plan is on them for a year.
Fios also offers a 300Mbps download/upload plan for $59.99 per month (with Autopay plus taxes and other fees). Verizon will pay for your Netflix Premium Plan subscription for six months. The price on this plan is guaranteed for two years.
Cable TV subscribers often complain about finding a reliable, fairly-priced Internet connection, especially if they are paying the full price of a bundled plan of TV, phone and Internet. Fios offers remarkable deals for standalone Internet plans.
So you don’t need to break the bank just to get a reliable Internet connection for watching Netflix, gaming, and cruising around the web.
2. Verizon pays for Netflix
Netflix is a staple of a cord cutting setup. People often subscribe to Netflix as an alternative to cable TV.
The Netflix Premium Plan allows 4K HDR streaming where available on TVs and devices with 4K HDR support.
That Netflix plan usually costs $15.99 per month as a standalone subscription. So having Verizon pay for Netflix for six months or a year is a tremendous value.
Even if you already subscribe to Netflix, Verizon Fios will pay for your subscription for a limited time.
3. Ideal for Multiple Device Households
Here’s another common question that I get: What kind of Internet speed do I need for a few TVs, a gaming console, smart phones, tablets and smart speakers?
Verizon Fios is a 100 percent fiber-optic network. So not only will you get exceptional speed, you’re also going to have a more reliable connection to your devices. You can easily download a game on your Xbox One console in one room, while a couple of other people are streaming a movie in another.
And you’re still going to have enough bandwidth for computers, smart phones and tablets that are connected to your WiFi.
4. Streaming in 4K HDR & Bandwidth to Spare
You will definitely want to make the most out of streaming apps that offer 4K HDR picture resolution if you have a TV that supports it. For HD quality, Netflix suggests 5.0 Megabits per second. For 4K UHD streaming, Netflix recommends 25 Megabits per second.
If you are streaming Netflix with Fios, you’re going to have plenty of bandwidth to stream in 4K throughout your home.
Where is Fios Internet available?
Verizon Fios is currently available in 9 metro areas in the U.S., including Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Providence, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington D.C.
Check out the Fios Gigabit Internet offer, or the Fios 300/300 Mbps plan to see if it’s available in your area.
Founder and Editor of The Cord Cutting Report. Before launching the site in 2016, he worked for more than two decades as a staff writer or correspondent for a number of daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe. His enthusiasm for tech began with the Atari 2600. Follow @james_kimble
Hello! I’m a huge fan of your blog AND pretty happy with Verizon, but my problem is that they’re ignoring one of the biggest markets in my state which is my hometown.
I wouldn’t even reply to say so, but since you candidly and properly Ted that this was a sponsored st, someone at VZ will be looking.
Folks, LOWELL MASS needs your services. we understand that it’s a ton of infrastructure costs to run all that fiber through the streets of over 100,000 people, but instead of abjectly ignoring the entire city–a city which VZ has a large corporate office in, for the record– how about phasing in the outskirts adjacent to your existing fiber, and building it out over time? After the outskirts, focus on the arteries and then spread slowly down the neighborhood ways.
I would be interested in hearing from Verizon here.
–a current VZW customer, a fan, and a potential FiOs customer in Lowell mass.