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Trey Paul Senior Editor
Trey Paul is a CNET senior editor covering broadband. His 20+ years of experience as a writer and editor include time at CNET's sister site, Allconnect, and working with clients like Yahoo!, Google, The New York Times and Choice Hotels. An avid movie fan, Trey's career also includes being a film and TV critic while pursuing a degree in New York.
Expertise Home internet and broadband, including plans, providers, internet speeds and connection types. Movies and film studies. Credentials
- Master's degree in Cinema Studies from NYU and interviews with Conan O'Brien, Stan Lee and some of his biggest Star Trek childhood idols
Our expert staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and evaluates our top picks. The order in which our top picks are presented may be impacted by partnerships, and we may get a commission if you buy through our links.
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Fastest multi-gigabit internet plan
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Best multi-gig internet plan for perks
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Best 2-gigabit internet plan
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Internet speeds have gotten considerably faster in recent years, and customers are clearly interested in the new high-speed tiers. According to OpenVault's most recent report on US broadband usage, taken early this year, gigabit internet adoption increased by 20% from last year, which makes it the second most popular internet tier.
Our craving for high-speed internet will only increase: The Fiber Broadband Association believes that by the end of this decade, a four-person household will require over 2,100 megabits per second (or just over 2 gigabits) in download speed.
You may be thinking, "It's not 2030 yet!" True, making that big of an upgrade is probably overkill for many. But internet service providers aren't waiting to offer multi-gigabit packages to their customers. Within the last two years, we've been introduced to new multi-gig internet plans from AT&T, Frontier, Optimum, Verizon Fios and Ziply Fiber, to name a few. Other ISPs, including Comcast's Xfinity and Google Fiber, already had multi-gig offerings of their own.
This list will focus on the best multi-gig internet offerings from major ISPs. However, I want to note that smaller regional providers also have competitive plans. For instance, Midco offers South Dakota residents symmetrical speeds of 2Gbps and 5Gbps plans. Minnesota's USI boasts a 10-gig fiber plan. The citizens of Chattanooga, Tennessee, have access to one of the country's fastest residential plans, a 25Gbps tier from the city-owned fiber broadband of EPB. With that in mind, let's look at some of the best 2-gigabit and multi-gig internet plans available from national providers.
Speed range
100 - 50,000 Mbps
Price range
$20 - $900 per month
Our take - Plans with max speeds of 2, 5 or even 10Gbps are becoming more common. But 50Gbps? That's unheard of, at least until Ziply Fiber launched said speeds across its entire fiber footprint.
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Speed range
100 - 50,000 Mbps
Price range
$20 - $900 per month
Our take - While the prize for the fastest AT&T plan goes to AT&T Fiber's 5-gig tier for $250 per month, you can get all the same perks for $100 less monthly with the provider's 2Gbps option. Specifically, you get AT&T ActiveArmor (free internet security), a $150 rewards card and access to AT&T hotspots nationwide. While your cost per Mbps (7 cents) may not be as low as AT&T Fiber 5000 (5 cents), it still carries a significant value for a lower monthly charge.
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Our take - This is your best, most affordable option to enter the multi-gig-verse. Google Fiber's 2 Gig plan features a 2Gbps download and 1Gbps upload speed for a flat rate of $100 monthly. That works out to just 5 cents per Mbps and is cheaper than other providers' 2Gbps offering. (Note: AT&T Fiber's 2 gig plan features symmetrical download and upload speeds but costs more at $150 monthly.)
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Other 2-gigabit internet and multi-gig plans to consider
While the three options we listed above rose to the top of our list, they aren't available in all markets. Additional speedy plans, offered by other ISPs, might get your attention, but they have one or two caveats that kept them from our winner's circle.
- AT&T Fiber 5 Gig: AT&T once had the top spot in this list with its top-tier fiber internet offering. It was introduced at $180 a month for symmetrical 5Gbps speeds. Now, it lists for $250 monthly. That's still a staggeringly low cost of 5 cents per Mbps. But currently, that can be beaten by Frontier Fiber and Ziply Fiber.
- Frontier Fiber 2 Gig and 5 Gig: Impressively, Frontier has rolled these plans out to all fiber households within its footprint, which means about 4 million customers across 29 states. While AT&T's multi-gigabit plans are available to more people (7 million), it's not yet available in all AT&T markets. Frontier's offerings also feature free Wi-Fi 6E equipment rental, unlimited data, no contracts, no activation fee and free multi-device security. Even better? Frontier recently lowered the introductory rates to $100 monthly for 2 Gig and $155 monthly for the 5 Gig plan.
- Optimum 2 Gig Fiber and 5 Gig Fiber: Optimum, whose footprint includes both cable and fiber connections, has been working to vastly expand its fiber offerings. Just recently, Optimum has brought speeds of up to 8Gbps to West Orange, New Jersey residents. In select fiber markets, two multi-gig internet plans are available in Connecticut, Long Island, New Jersey and New York. The 2Gbps plan is $120 monthly, and the 5Gbps tier is $180 monthly. New customers for either multi-gigabit plan have the equipment included at no extra cost. New 2 Gig customers also receive a $200 Mastercard prepaid card.
- Verizon Fios 2 Gig: Verizon Fios is often near the top regarding customer satisfaction numbers. Its 2Gbps tier is competitively priced at $110 per month and includes a Whole-Home Wi-Fi system for free, a four-year price guarantee, six months of Disney Plus for free and more. However, it didn't make the top of our list for the best multi-gig internet because it's currently only available in New York City and surrounding areas.
- Xfinity Gigabit Pro: To its credit, Xfinity has been offering its multi-gigabit tier longer than other national providers. At $300 a month, it's also the most expensive. While the 10Gbps plan is technically available in all cities within Xfinity's footprint, a site survey must first confirm availability for your address. Once you add the two-year contract requirement (with early termination fees looming if you bail early), $25-a-month equipment rental charge and stiff activation and installation fees (potentially totaling $1,000), those top speeds are very cost-prohibitive.
- Ziply Fiber 2 Gig, 5 Gig and 10 Gig: Ziply Fiber caught our attention with its 50Gbps plan but boasts several multi-gig internet plans. The 2Gbps plan has an excellent promo rate of $60 a month, as does the 5Gbps plan, which is $90 per month. The 10Gbps plan is a pricey $300 per month, but that's a notable value of 3 cents per Mbps. All Ziply Fiber plans include unlimited data and require no contracts.
Multi-gig internet plans FAQ
How can I get multi-gig internet?
In most cases, especially if you already have fiber internet service, you won't have to do anything beyond contacting your provider to upgrade to a multi-gig internet plan. There may be an installation fee (often waived if you order online), but usually, any additional equipment you need (a modem/router capable of multi-gig speeds) will be included.
However, to take advantage of Xfinity's Gigabit Pro plan, you'll need to reach out to Xfinity and schedule a site survey. Even if you're a current Xfinity customer or know you're in an Xfinity serviceable area, Comcast will still need to inspect to see if your home is within the minimum distance from a fiber node. If everything checks out, it may take several weeks before your household can get Gigabit Pro fully installed.
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What does multi-gigabit internet cost?
Generally speaking, the best multi-gig internet plans are relatively affordable if you have a fiber internet connection. Not only does fiber typically provide the best performance, featuring symmetrical or near-equal download and upload speeds, but it also presents the cheapest options. For example, Google Fiber's 2Gbps plan, which includes all equipment costs and fees in its monthly rate, checks in at 5 cents per Mbps as does AT&T's 5Gbps tier. Ziply Fiber's 10Gbps plan, which rings in at $300 per month, is 3 cents per Mbps, and its 5Gbps tier is just over 2 cents per Mbps, the highest value we've seen. None of those requires a contract.
Conversely, Xfinity's Gigabit Pro is one of the priciest broadband packages. It costs $300 per month, and you can get it only if you sign up for a two-year contract. The cost per Mbps, at 3 cents, is good, but there's a $25-a-month rental charge for equipment. There's also a pretty hefty additional expenditure right out of the gate: Households face an activation fee of up to $500 and an additional installation fee of another $500. That's $1,000 before you even get to the regular monthly charges.
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Is it worth getting a multi-gig internet plan?
Perhaps. Even if you go with the most expensive plan out there, the monthly cost per Mbps of multi-gigabit internet is quite competitive. Plus, these plans' near-symmetrical upload and download speeds certainly set up your household with plenty of opportunities to utilize many connected devices, now and in the future.
However, most households right now don't need all that speed. If you go one step down and opt for a provider's gigabit plan, for example, you can get plenty of speed for anywhere between 5-10 cents per Mbps and often, your modem/router equipment fee is included too. It may not be as flashy as having the best multi-gig internet and the fastest residential plan currently available, but it'll get you some splashy speeds at a more affordable price.
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