Ziply Fiber Internet Review

Ziply Fiber’s promotional prices are right on par with most of the competition. But its price tag for gig internet service (1,000 Mbps) tips the seesaw toward the cheap end.

That said, Ziply’s price for its DSL internet service is high. You’re promised speeds up to 115 Mbps, but more likely, you’ll get 45 Mbps or slower speeds.

We checked approximately 20 different addresses on the Ziply Fiber site in order to find a 115 Mbps DSL plan. We found that most towns with Ziply’s DSL service got speeds around 45 Mbps (Richland, WA), 25 Mbps (Coeur D’Alene, ID), and even 1 Mbps (Bothell, WA). And of all the addresses we checked, the only town lucky enough to get the max DSL speed of 115 Mbps was Kennewick, WA.

The other side of the Ziply Fiber tale is that the prices you see here will return to standard rates after one year. This is pretty common practice in the internet industry. 

Long story short? We don’t recommend Ziply’s DSL internet service unless it’s the only choice you have. (It’s still far cheaper than satellite internet.)

But if you can get its fiber internet service, you’re looking at a cheap promotional price paired with fast speeds, unlimited data, and no contract. That makes Ziply’s fiber internet a win for us.

If you’ve got more than one choice for internet, you’re likely comparing Ziply Fiber with Xfinity or Spectrum. The good news is, these ISPs are pretty much matched on pricing for the download speeds you get—up until 1,000 Mbps speeds, that is.

Once you hit gig speeds, Ziply Fiber’s price is extremely hard to beat. And when you factor in that it also comes with unlimited data and no contracts, it outweighs even Xfinity. Only Spectrum matches those two perks with its own unlimited data and no contracts, but you’ll pay over $90 for the Spectrum gig plan.

As for the Ziply Fiber DSL internet plan, you’re likely comparing it with satellite internet plans from Viasat and Hughesnet.

Satellite internet is expensive in general, with prices as high as $150 a month. And we caution you that it comes with extremely low data caps and high latency.

But it might be a blessing if you live in a town like Bothell, Washington, and can get only 1 Mbps speeds from Ziply. Check out our Viasat versus Hughesnet comparison to see if either of these satellite ISPs might work better for you.

If you're experiencing issues with your Ziply Fiber internet, you can check for internet outages in your area. You'll just need the first 10 digits of your account number.

Thanks to its purchase of a part of Frontier Communications’ fiber network, Ziply Fiber now serves areas in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. And luckily for some residents, Ziply plans to upgrade the existing DSL network to a faster fiber network.

When we searched for Ziply’s DSL prices, we noticed that DSL service addresses also got invited to sign up for updates on Ziply’s fiber network expansion.

You can also check to see when certain towns expect to get Ziply’s fiber-optic network upgrade.

Ziply Fiber offers a wide range of download speeds that fit the bill for most every online need.

And while we wouldn’t recommend its DSL internet plans or its 100 Mbps for most internet users, those plans are available for anyone who barely uses the internet and would rather save some cash.

Ziply’s 300 and 1,000 Mbps plans, on the other hand, are a sweet spot for smaller families and larger families or internet power users, respectively.

And if you're not sure just how much speed you need, we can help. Check out our internet speed guide for some easy answers.

Unfortunately, we don’t have any info on whether Ziply actually delivers the speeds it promises. But we’re willing to bet that its fiber internet plans perform well.

If you’re paired with Ziply Fiber’s DSL service for now, you’ll likely see your internet speed go up and down. DSL is an older technology that uses your telephone line to deliver internet to your home.

So it’s easy for a DSL signal to get weaker, making your internet connection poke along at a speed slower than what you were promised.

Ziply Fiber gives you unlimited data on all its plans—even the DSL plans.

That’s amazing because if you’re like us, your data usage has been going through the roof since 2020.

Great news: Ziply Fiber says no contracts for any of its internet plans. Zip, zilch, nada.

The good news about using Ziply Fiber-branded (or Frontier-branded) equipment is that you get a free upgrade if you update your service and need a new modem or router.

And the Whole-Home Wi-Fi system uses CommScope X5042 Wi-Fi extenders with Wi-Fi 6, so you shouldn’t need to upgrade them any time soon. Your $20 a month gets you up to three extenders to envelop your home in a stronger Wi-Fi signal than just one wireless router could provide.

If you prefer to save money by buying your own modem or router, just know that Ziply discourages that. The ISP states that it supports only the modems and routers its technicians install. But it doesn’t outright say “No” to using your own equipment either.

This is pretty normal for fiber internet services, since fiber uses an Optical Network Terminal (ONT). The ONT is usually installed on a wall inside your home, so it’s a good idea to have a technician install it so everything is set up properly.

Heads up: If you need a technician to visit your home and fix your Ziply Fiber service, you might end up paying a labor or “Premises Visit” fee if you use your own equipment. This applies only if the technician determines that the problem was due to your equipment. But be warned, Ziply doesn’t state how much the fee costs.

Ziply Fiber’s service fees don’t stack up as much as other ISP’s fees. That’s great, because no one likes getting a bill that unfolds all the way to your feet because the list of fees is so long.

Here are a few one-time and monthly fees you can expect from Ziply Fiber:

• Installation fee: Currently, Ziply Fiber offers free pro or self-installation for both fiber and DSL services.
• Equipment fee: $10/month for a basic router, $20/month for the Whole-Home Wi-Fi package.
• Late payment fee: $9 for each late payment.
• Early termination fee: None, because Ziply Fiber doesn’t require contracts.

Got a mission, deployment, or other long trip planned? Ziply can freeze your service and fees for one to nine months. Give them a call to find out if you qualify.

We usually rely on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) to get a well-rounded view of how good or bad an ISP’s customer service is. But the ACSI hasn’t rated Ziply Fiber.

We do know, however, that the ACSI gave the fiber internet industry as a whole a score of 70 out of 100. That means we should all temper our expectations when it comes to calling up a customer service rep no matter which ISP we use. Ugh.

We’ve seen a lot of complaints about Ziply Fiber’s internet speeds, including one from Penny B. that said “We had a faster, more reliable connection with dial-up.” Scathing, but we feel the frustration.

If your Ziply Fiber speeds aren’t living up to your expectations, we have a few tips to try when you call customer service. Or you can try fixing the problem yourself with these internet speed tricks.

• Ziply Fiber customer service phone number: 1-866-699-4759
• Twitter: @AskZiplyFiber
• Facebook: @ZiplyFiber

Who it’s best for: Smaller households of one to four people who enjoy streaming and gaming.

Why we picked it: 300 Mbps is a great starting speed for a smaller household. You’re able to take Zoom calls while your kiddo watches Cocomelon in the next room. (Instead of photobombing your video call, right?)

Who it’s best for: Running a home business, dealing with large files, or just online 24/7? Then this gig plan is for you.

Why we picked it: This is one of the lower-priced 1,000 Mbps plans we’ve seen out there, and even if the prevailing rates increase after your promotional prices, it’s not a bad deal.

Gig speeds are great for anyone who deals with large files like PDFs, YouTube videos, or raw photos. And with matching upload speeds, you’ll have no problem uploading your work to the internet if you need to.

You can add a Roku Streaming Stick+ to your Ziply Fiber internet plan for $5 a month extra.

We rated the Roku Ultra four out of five stars, noting that Roku is an “affordable, powerful, and all-purpose streamer” with lots of free content. We think you’ll enjoy Ziply’s deal on the Roku Streaming Stick+ too.

Ziply Fiber offers excellent promotional prices and fiber internet speeds, but its DSL service is lackluster at best. We’re also a bit skeptical that you’ll get the speeds you’re promised, since multiple customers complained about slow internet.

But Ziply’s unlimited data and lack of contracts sweeten the deal, so at least you won’t be ponying up a wad of cash for cancelling your service or going over a data cap.

• Prices and plans: The promo price for Ziply Fiber is hard to beat—unless you’re stuck with its DSL internet. We’re also excited that every plan comes with unlimited data.
• Speed: We don’t recommend Ziply’s DSL internet, but its 300 and 1,000 Mbps plans should cover most anyone’s online needs. (Just be warned that your download speeds may be slower than expected.)
• Contracts, equipment, and fees: You don’t need to sign a contract with Ziply, and its equipment fees are reasonable. But you may not get full support if you use your own modem or router.
• Customer service: All internet customer service is B-A-D. Sadly, Ziply Fiber is no exception from what we’ve heard.

• DSL Internet: $50/mo.*, up to 115 Mbps download speeds, unlimited data
• Fiber 100/100 Internet: $10/mo.*, 100 Mbps download speeds, unlimited data
• Fiber 300/300: $30/mo.*, 300 Mbps download speeds, unlimited data
• Internet Gig: $50/mo.*, 1,000 Mbps download speeds, unlimited data
• Fiber Internet 2 Gig: $60/mo.+, 2,000 Mbps download speeds, unlimited data
• Fiber Internet 5 Gig: $90/mo.+, 5,000 Mbps download speeds, unlimited data
• Fiber Internet 10 Gig: $300/mo.+, 10,000 Mbps download speeds, unlimited data

In a world where fiber isn’t yet widespread, Ziply may be your best (or only option). But if you have the option to choose between Ziply and another service, pay attention to the following:

• Price (including equipment cost and installation fees)
• Speed
• Data caps
• Customer service scores
• Availability

These factors will help you determine which service is better and also right for you. (Those aren’t always the same thing!)