I want to find the best internet provider, which led me to Frontier Communications. I compiled all information regarding their products to determine whether they’re a worthy provider.
While reading, you’ll find the following:
- Pros & cons
- Internet plans, pricing, & features
- Frontier TV pricing & channel lineup
- Serviceable states
- Home phone pricing & features
- Bundles compared
- Discounts
- How to reach customer and technical support
- How to get started with their service
Let’s dive in.
Frontier Pros & Cons
Here are the pros and cons of using Frontier’s products:
Pros:
- No data caps
- Free Wi-Fi router or visa gift card with fiber plans
- Choose whether you want a contract
- Symmetric fiber internet speeds
Cons:
- Home phone product relies on internet connections
- Vague information regarding their products
- DSL internet speeds aren’t the best
Frontier Fiber Optic & DSL Internet Plans, Pricing, & Features
Let’s take a look at Frontier’s internet plans:
| Plan | Max. Speed (DL & UL) | * Starting Price | Best for |
| Fiber 500 | 500 Mbps | $39.99/mo. | Online gaming |
| Fiber 1 Gig | 1,000 Mbps | $75.99/mo. | Remote work & freelancing |
| Fiber 2 Gig | 2,000 Mbps | $149.99/mo. | Home server management |
| Internet | 6.0 Mbps | $28/mo. | Browsing Google |
| Preferred internet | 12–25 Mbps | $35/mo. | Streaming 720p HD video |
| Premium Internet | 45 Mbps | $45/mo. | Streaming 1080p video |
* Includes discount for enabling Auto Pay. Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.
Frontier Communications claims they have a 99.9% uptime. But there’s no uptime guarantee. It’s also contract-free.
You could lock yourself into a contract for a guaranteed price. The 500 Mbps plan would require a 1-year term agreement. And the 1 Gig, a 3-year agreement.
Supposedly, Frontier’s the best internet provider for gaming.
U.S. News claims it’s the best ISP for gaming in 2022 because of having 9 milliseconds of latency [1]. And random Reddit users claim their ping has sat around 15 ms [2].
Say these numbers are true. Then that does make Frontier the best provider for gaming. Regardless, fiber optic internet connectivity will offer more reliable internet.
As fiber connections are less susceptible to electromagnetic interference among other disasters.
All their internet plans include routers. The fiber packages include free Amazon eero wireless routers. And the DSL comes with modem/router combination devices.
The former plan doesn’t charge router rental fees. The latter does.
Do they have bandwidth caps?
Frontier Data Cap
Frontier doesn’t enforce a hard data cap on their home and business internet plans. Download files and watch 4K videos to your heart’s content.
What is a data cap, and why is it a selling point for Frontier?
Many providers (e.g., Xfinity) have a hard data cap. For instance, once you use 1.2 terabytes of data, you must pay a data overage fee. These fees are usually $10 per extra 50 GB you use.
It isn’t easy to pass these caps in most scenarios. So long as your home doesn’t frequently download game patches or files and stream 4K video. It would take more than 200 hours of watching 4K videos to break this cap [3].
If your home mostly watches 1080p or lower quality video, and doesn’t download many files, data caps shouldn’t worry you.
More fees should, though.
Additional Fees for Frontier Internet
Hidden fees you may encounter when using Frontier internet include:
| Service/Add-on | Price |
| Equipment Fee (Fiber) | $0 |
| Router rental Fee (DSL) | $10 |
| Professional installation | $85 |
| Cancellation Fee | $10 |
| Unreturned equipment fee | $150 |
| Printed Bill | $2.99/mo. |
| Activation fee (business internet) | $95 |
| My Premium Tech Pro | $5.00/mo. |
| Home Shield Elite | $6.00/mo. |
| eero Secure | $3.00 |
I’ll cover equipment rental charges in the next section.
There’s no way to waive the activation fee for the Fiber 500 or Fiber 1 Gig plans. There’s a promotion that’ll cut the fee if you get the 2 Gig plan, though.
I never thought I’d see a fee like this. But Frontier charges $2.99 monthly if you want a paper version of your bill. I suppose they want to save the trees.
Or money.
While you don’t have to handcuff yourself to Frontier with a contract, you will have to pay a disconnect fee. It’s a cancellation fee.
When canceling your plan, ensure you return all rented equipment. Otherwise, you’ll need to pay up to $150 per unreturned device.
Home Shield Elite and My Premium Tech Pro are add-ons. The former gives you antivirus software and a password manager. The latter will give you extended technical support.
That helps you set up social media accounts. Apparently.
Use both features only if you don’t know anyone who’s tech-savvy. The same goes for eero secure. Well, the eero add-on has one nice perk.
It’ll connect your device to a backup internet connection. Say your power goes out, and you lose your fiber internet connection. If you use something like Verizon LTE Home internet, set your device to connect to it automatically.
Moving on.
Frontier Internet Equipment
Choosing a fiber optic plan will give you 2 options: a free Amazon eero router or a Visa gift card. The routers don’t have a rental fee. Frontier’s DSL internet plan’s network gateway has a $10 rental fee.
You don’t need a modem or a network gateway for their fiber to the premises plans. As the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) fulfills the modem’s purpose. Use your own router and pick the Visa gift card, though.
An Optical Network Terminal (ONT) acts as a fiber modem. A technician will install it in a utility closet or outside your home.
Depending on your needs, you may “earn” a bit of money by buying a cheaper router. Plus, you don’t need to worry about returning Frontier’s Amazon eero router. If you decide to cancel Frontier’s internet service in the future.
Frontier DSL plans are a different story. You can buy a third party modem and eliminate this fee. But there’s a downside. It’s challenging to find a Frontier DSL-compatible modem or gateway.
My research led me to these models:
| Device | Device Type | Max. Supported Download Speed |
| Netgear 7550 DSL Modem/router Combo Wireless ADSL+ | Gateway | 24 |
| Actiontec GT701D | Modem | 24 Mbps |
| NETGEAR AC1600 | Gateway | 52 Mbps |
| Netgear DGND3700 N600 Dual-Band ADSL2+ Modem | Modem | 300 Mbps |
Frontier DSL gateways and modems compared.
You must call their customer support at 888-981-8176 to activate a third-party device. Whether through their fiber or DSL services.
Are you a small business owner?
Frontier Business Internet Plans & Features
Small businesses will want to consider the following Frontier Business internet plans:
| Plan | Max. Speed (DL & UL) | * Starting Price | Best for |
| Business Fiber 500 | 500 Mbps | $49.99/mo. | 5 or fewer employees |
| Business Fiber 1 Gig | 1,000 Mbps | $84.99/mo. | 5–15 employees |
| Business Fiber 2 Gig | 2,000 Mbps | $149.99/mo. | 16–30 employees |
* Includes discount for enabling Auto Pay. Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.
Important details for Frontier’s business plans include:
- No contracts
- No data caps
- Waived $95 activation fee
- Free Amazon eero Wi-Fi 6E router
- No router rental fees
- Includes 8 email accounts with 1 terabyte (TB) of mail storage
- Symmetric speeds
A couple of add-ons they offer include Secure Pro and RingCentral. The former provides malware protection for up to 35 devices and allows you to set rules for who uses your internet. The latter is an all-in-one phone, video, and message platform.
It also includes features like internet faxes and virtual receptionists.
All Frontier’s business internet packages are excellent options for restaurants, clinics, eCommerce stores, and web hosting companies. So long as you have 30 or fewer employees.
Businesses with more employees will want to consider Frontier Enterprise plans. Or those using cloud infrastructure as your company’s backbone. These plans offer dedicated internet access with up to 10 Gbps speeds.
And a 99.99% uptime guarantee.
Let’s talk about Frontier residential TV plans.
Frontier Home TV Packages & Pricing
Frontier stopped offering fiber television plans to customers around 2020 [4]. The only TV products Frontier offers are reselling discounted YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream (Choice package).
You’ll get $120 off for 1 year on DirecTV Stream or YouTube TV. Google and AT&T also offer $120 off for the first year on their sites. Meaning, this deal isn’t only for Frontier customers.
Speaking of:
To get discounted live TV streaming through Frontier, you must use one of their home internet plans.
The YouTube TV base allows households to watch more than 100 local and national channels on 3 devices simultaneously. It also includes unlimited cloud DVR storage.
These features make this service ideal for homes with 3 or fewer people. Each device needs at least 3.0 Mbps download speed.
Whereas, DirecTV Stream requires 8.0 Mbps per device. But it works better for homes with 4 or more people because it supports streaming on unlimited devices at once.
AT&T offers various channel packages through its live TV streaming product. Through Frontier, you’ll get the Choice package. This includes more than 100 channels. And I’ll cover channel lineups for both services in a second.
You must pay an additional $10 monthly to access the unlimited cloud storage.
Do YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream offer any value?
Here’s why you should consider switching to live TV streaming (whether through Frontier):
- No cable box required: watch on PCs, tablets, smartphones, & TV streaming boxes
- Watch anywhere: sneak watching TV while at work or school
- No installation or activation fees
- Free of local channel, broadcast TV, & regional sports fees
In short, these plans potentially save you hundreds a year and offer access to almost all popular channels. They also don’t have a steep learning curb.
Take YouTube TV’s channel availability, for instance.
YouTube TV Channel Lineup
Channels that are available without add-ons on YouTube TV include:
| Local news networks | Univision | UniMas | CW11 | Telemundo |
| BTN | CBS Sports Network | ESPN | ESPN2 | ACC Network |
| ESPNews | SEC Network | ESPNU | FS1 | FS2 |
| Galavision | Golf Channel | MLB Network | NBA TV | NFL Network |
| TUDN | KUNS | ABC News Live | BBC America | BBC World News |
| CNBC | CNN | Cheddar News | FOX Business | FOX News |
| HLN | LiveNOW from FOX | Local Now | MSNBC | NBC News NOW |
| TYT Network | AMC | BET | BET Her | Bravo |
| CMT | Comedy Central | Comet TV | Cozi | Dabi |
| Discovery Channel | E! | FOX SOUL | FXM | FX |
| FXX | Food Network | Galavision | HGTV | HSN |
| Hallmark Drama | Hallmark Channel | Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | IFC | ID |
| MTV | MTV CLassic | MTV2 | MotorTrend | Nat Geo Wild |
| National Geographic | NewsNation | OWN | Oxygen True Crime | Pop |
| paramount | QVC | SYFY | Start TV | SundanceTV |
| TBC | Turner Classic Movies | TLC | TNT | TV Land |
| Tastemade | Travel Channel | USA | VH1 | WE tv |
| TruTV | Animal Planet | Cartoon Network | Disney Junior | Disney XD |
| Disney Channel | Freeform | Nick Jr. | Nickelodeon | Nicktoons |
| PBS Kids | Smithsonian Channel | TeenNick | Universal Kids |
YouTube TV also offers various channel add one like:
- Spanish Plus: Spanish-language channels
- Sports Plus: sports channels
- Premium channels: SHOWTIME, HBO, & similar channels
Frontier doesn’t offer discounts on these packages. You’ll need to order them through YouTube.
Don’t care for YouTube TV? Check out its competitor’s lineup.
DirecTV Stream Channel Lineup
Channels available through DirecTV Stream (Choice) include:
| Starmax HD | A&E HD | ACCn | AccuWeather | AMC |
| AHC HD | Animal planet HD | axs.tv HD | BabyFirst HD | BBC America HD |
| BET HD | BIG Network HD | Bloomberg Television HD | Boomerang HD | Bounce HD |
| bravo HD | C-SPAN HD | C-SPAN 2 HD | Cartoon Network HD | Cheddar news HD |
| CLEO TV HD | CMT HD | CNBC HD | CNN en Espanol HD | CNN HD |
| CNN International HD | Comedy Central HD | Comedy.tv HD | Cooking HD | Cozi |
| Discovery Channel HD | Disney Channel HD | Disney Junior HD | Disney XD HD | E! HD |
| ESPN HD | ESPN 2 HD | ESPNEWS | ESPNU HD | FanDuel TV HD |
| Food Network HD | Fox Business HD | Fox News Channel HD | FS1 | Fox Weather HD |
| Freeform HD | Fuse HD | FX HD | FXX | Galavision HD |
| Game Show Network HD | Golf Channel HD | Great American Family HD | GRIT | Hallmark Channel HD |
| Heroes & Icons HD | HGTV HD | History HD | HLN HD | Home Shopping Network HD |
| Investigation Discovery HD | ION Television HD | Jewelry Television HD | Jewish Life TV HD | Justice Central HD |
| Lifetime HD | MLB Network HD | Motor Trend HD | MSNBC HD | MTV HD |
| MTV2 HD | National Geographic HD | NBA TV HD HD | Newsmax HD | NewsNation HD |
| Nick Jr. HD | Nickelodeon HD | Nicktoons HD | OWN HD | Paramount Network HD |
| PBS Kids HD | Pop TV HD | QVC HD | QVC-2 HD | ReelzChannel HD |
| RFD-TV HD | Science HD | Scientology Network HD | SEC Network HD | Shop LC HD |
| ShortsTV HD | SundanceTV HD | Syfy HD | Tastemade HD | TBS HD |
| TCM HD | TeenNick HD | Tennis Channel HD | The Weather Channel HD | TheGrio HD |
| ThrillerMAX HD | TLC HD | TNT HD | Travel Channel HD | TruTV HD |
| TV Land HD | TV One HD | UniMas HD | Univision HD | UPtv HD |
| USA Network HD | VH1 HD | Vice HD | WE tv HD |
AT&T DirecTV offers channel add-ons like [5]:
- Premium channels
- Discovery Plus
- Movies Extra Pack: new releases, documentaries, & more
- Spanish-language channels
- International channels: channels in languages like Vietnamese, Korean, and Brazilian
DirecTV requires you to log in to your online account to add these channels. You won’t buy these packages through Frontier.
If you’re still here, you’ll need to know whether Frontier is available in your state.
Frontier Fios & DSL Coverage
Frontier offers DSL and fiber internet in the following 25 states [6]:
| Alabama | Arizona | California | Connecticut |
| Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Indiana |
| Iowa | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi |
| Nebraska | Nevada | New Mexico | New York |
| North Carolina | Ohio | Pennsylvania | South Carolina |
| Tennessee | Texas | Utah | West Virginia |
| Wisconsin |
Here’s a coverage map for Frontier’s internet products:
The quickest way to determine whether Frontier offers fiber internet in your ZIP code is to visit go.Frontier.com/availability. Enter your address, wait a couple of minutes, and 1 of 2 things will happen:
- Frontier will suggest different providers
- Frontier will list all fiber plans available in your area
I haven’t had luck finding DSL plans through this landing page. Call 833-970-2478 and ask their sales department. Or use the chat function on their website.
While waiting for their customer service to respond, check the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) broadband map. I’ve adjusted the filters on the link to search for Frontier’s DSL coverage.
The map’s a pain to use. But it’ll help determine whether Frontier digital service line products are available in your area at a glimpse.
Frontier Home Phone
Frontier charges $10 a month for their voice over internet protocol (VoIP) home phone service. VoIP means the provider uses the internet to make calls.
Frontier only lets you access their “landline” service when bundling it with a Frontier internet plan. But it’s a great service to have if you live in an area with spotty coverage. Or want a more reliable means to give 911 operators your address during an emergency.
Features Frontier offers with their voice service include:
| Calling Feature | Do Not Disturb |
| Anonymous Call Rejection | Incoming Call Block |
| Back-Up Number | International Call Block |
| Robocall Blocking | Locate Me |
| Call Forwarding | Multiple Individual Mailboxes |
| Call Logs | Speed Dial |
| Call Notification | Three-Way Calling |
| Call Return | Voicemail |
| Call Waiting W/ Caller ID | Voicemail Notification |
| Caller ID Name And Number |
This plan doesn’t come with a free phone. You must use your own. But it’s easy to set up and should take minutes.
I covered everything you should know about their landline service here.
Battery backup units (BBU) already come with Frontier ONTs. But not with DSL modems or gateways. You must purchase third-party BBUs separately.
These are critical to making landline services useful. They provide your home with backup power for several hours during a power outage. And they allow you to contact 911.
I have more information in the guide I linked earlier. Let’s move on to bundles.
Frontier Internet, TV, & Voice Bundles
Here are TV, home phone, and internet bundles Frontier offers:
| Bundle | * Starting Price | Channels | Max. Speed | Best For |
| Fiber 500 + YouTube TV | $94.98/mo. | 100+ | 500/500 Mbps | Homes with <3 people & want DVR storage |
| Fiber 500 + Phone | $49.99/mo. | 0 | 500/500 Mbps | Landline owners |
| Fiber 1 Gig + Phone | $84.99/mo. | 0 | 1,000/1,000 Mbps | Landline owners |
| Fiber 500 + DirecTV Stream (Choice Package) | $119.98/mo. | 105+ | 500/500 Mbps | Homes with >3 people |
| Fiber 500 + YouTube TV + Phone | $104.98/mo. | 100+ | 500/500 Mbps | Households with 3 or fewer people |
| Fiber 1 Gig + DirecTV Stream + Phone | $129.98/mo. | 100+ | 1,000/1,000 Mbps | Households with 4 or more people |
* Includes discount for enabling Auto Pay. Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.
Frontier doesn’t offer traditional cable or copper landline services with their internet. Instead, they act as a middleman for YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream. Though, I believe these services are a step in the right direction for the entertainment industry.
Add Frontier voice to any internet plan for $10 a month. Frontier 2 Gig includes the service for free.
YouTube TV and DirecTV are add-ons only available when you get Frontier Fiber optic internet plans. You’ll save $120 on only the first year with either product. From thereon, you must pay standard rates.
YouTube TV Base Package usually costs $64.99 a month. The DirecTV Stream Choice package’s standard rate is $89.99.
Frontier TV, Internet, & Home Phone Deals & Freebies
Frontier’s current deals include:
- $10 off YouTube TV Base or DirecTV Stream Choice packages for 1 year
- They’ll pay up to $500 of your current internet provider’s cancellation fees
- Free Amazon eero router or Visa gift card depending on plan:
- Fiber 500: $100 visa gift card or Amazon eero 6 router
- Fiber 1 Gig: $200 gift card or Amazon eero 6 system
Fiber 2 Gig doesn’t allow you to choose between Amazon’s mesh Wi-Fi 6E router or a gift card. They’ll give you the router. You’ll also get a free home phone plan, waived installation fee, and My Premium Tech Pro.
The last add-on is helpful for this plan because it’ll give you a technical support agent to help you troubleshoot any internet issues.
Speaking of My Premium Tech Pro. New customers pay $0.99 monthly for that add-on or HomeShield for the first 3 months. Afterward, you’ll pay $5.00 monthly.
There’s also the $5.00 autopay discount. Claim this deal by enabling automatic payments on your Frontier account when activating your service.
Ready to get started? Learn how to reach their sales team and other customer service representatives.
How to Reach Frontier’s Customer Service
Reach Frontier’s sales department by calling 833-970-2478. They’re reachable Monday–Friday, 8 am–10 pm (Eastern Time). Saturday 8 am–9 pm. And Sunday, 9 am–9 pm.
Existing customers should use these other mediums to reach their customer service:
- Chatting with an online agent: visit frontier.com/helpcenter
- 24/7 customer service: 888-981-8176
- General complaints: call 888-895-0537
- Tweet to @AskFrontier
- Pay bills over the phone: 800-801-6652
- Facebook.com/FrontierCorp
- Technical support: call 800-921-8104
Based on my experience, they don’t have the most helpful customer support. I tried to play devil’s advocate when judging my experience. But they made my question more complex than it should have been.
I asked about their DSL service, and they did everything possible to avoid answering my question. Many others have had similar experiences with their customer service [7]. Some of these comments seem far-fetched, though.
Scroll down the list for a few minutes, and you may see what I mean.
If you decide to proceed with Frontier, learn what it takes to get started.
How to Get Started with Frontier Internet
If your home doesn’t have an existing Frontier Optical Network Terminal (ONT), they will need to send a technician to your home to install it. Schedule a time for them to visit and ensure someone aged 18 and older is around.
When the technician installs your service, ENSURE they test your internet speed. If it’s lower than advertised, have the professional troubleshoot your issues.
Say your home already has a Frontier ONT. You’ll then order a self-installation kit. This will include the following:
- Power cable
- Frontier wireless router
- Ethernet cable
- Phone cable
Fiber optic customers will connect their router and Ethernet port or ONT and router using an Ethernet cable [8 PDF link]. I’d love to provide a screenshot, but no one could see it. As it would be too low of a resolution.
Wait for your Amazon eero router to have a glowing white LED. That means you’re online. If it doesn’t glow after 6 minutes, unplug your router and plug it in again.
Still no connection? Call Frontier’s technical support and let them know you have an error.
Once you’re connected to the internet, connect a device to your router using an Ethernet cable and run a speed test. Using the cable ensures you have the most accurate results. Frontier.speedtestcustom.com should prove sufficient as a speed tester.
You should troubleshoot if you see upload and download speeds less than 3.0 Mbps of your plan’s advertised speeds. My guide on fixing slow Frontier internet speed may make your life easier.
Frontier DSL customers will plug one end of a phone cable into the gateway’s green phone port (A1). And the other into the phone outlet. From there, wait for the “Internet” light to emit a blue glow.
I snagged this image from Frontier’s self-installation guide [9]:
Are you using your own modem or network gateway?
You must call 888-981-8176 and let them know you’re activating a third-party modem with their DSL service. Customer support will then ask for your device’s MAC address.
It’s a 12-digit string of characters usually found on the bottom of your device.
FAQs: Frontier Communications
The following sections will cover frequently asked questions about Frontier Communications.
Who Is Frontier Owned By?
Frontier Communications owns Frontier.
Does Frontier Fios Support IPV6?
Frontier does not support IPV6 internet.
How Do You Cancel Frontier Internet?
Cancel your Frontier products by calling their retention department at 800-921-8101. Tell them you want to cancel your Frontier plan.
Is Frontier TV Cable or Satellite?
Frontier offers fiber optic or DSL internet. The connection type you choose depends on its availability in your area.
What Modem Is Compatible with Frontier Fios?
Frontier Fiber does not use modems or network gateways. Optical Network Terminals (ONTs) act as fiber optic modems.
How Can I Lower My Frontier Bill?
Shave $5.00 off your Frontier Fiber bill by enabling automatic payments for your billing. Reduce your Frontier DSL bill by $10 a month by using your own modem and router (or network gateway).
Wrapping Up
Despite emerging from a bankruptcy, Frontier has lost many products. Like its TV service for new customers. They still offer fiber optic internet plans with competitive pricing.
I can’t say the same for their DSL plans. Frontier has some deals, but doesn’t offer many perks like Verizon, AT&T, and Optimum.
Whether you consider Frontier after reading this guide, I recommend checking out their competitors. They may offer more value. We’ve compared them in separate guides.
