I have spent many hours researching Verizon’s high-speed internet plans, which led me here. So, I compiled all available information regarding this plan to help you make a buying decision.
I’ll cover these points to help you determine whether it’s worth getting this plan:
- What This Plan Is
- Who Should Get This Plan
- What Can You Do With 500 Mbps
- Verizon internet availability
- Pricing
- Plan Features
- Fios Internet 500 Mbps Plan Contract
- How It Compares To Other Verizon Fiber Plans
- 500 Mbps Vs. The Competition
- Promotions And Discounts
Read on. I have much to cover.
What Is the Verizon Fios Internet 500 Mbps Plan?
Verizon’s 500 Mbps home internet plan is a 500/500 Mbps (download/upload) contract- and data cap-free internet-only package. It’s only available in nine states and offers plenty of freebies and discounts.
Verizon’s Fios internet plans will only use fiber optic cables to deliver internet services to your home. That means you don’t have to deal with network signals degrading over cable broadband.
Who Is the Verizon Fios Internet 500 Mbps Plan Best For?
The Fios 500 Mbps plan can handle over 11 devices simultaneously performing various tasks. Thus, the following people will benefit from this plan:
- Running at least seven home security cameras
- Streaming 4K content on over five devices
- Remote workers in large homes
- Cloud gaming (gaming-as-a-service) on at least three devices
- Frequent large file downloads (at least under 100 GB)
Now let’s see what exactly these speeds can do.
What Can You Do With 500 Mbps Download and Upload Speeds?
Here are some common speed requirements [1]:
| Task | Download Speed (Mbps) | Upload Speed (Mbps) |
| Online Gaming While Streaming | 24.5 | 9.24 (with speed buffer) |
| Four Devices Watching Disney+ | 100: 4K UHD | NA |
| Seven Nest Cameras (1080p) | 28 | 28 |
| Three Ring Video Doorbells | 6.0 | 6.0 |
The scenario in the table only requires 86 Mbps (download) and a bit over 34 Mbps (upload). And let’s say this is a five-person household.
You still have plenty of bandwidth to account for guests and add more smart home or security devices. And you won’t have to worry about speed fluctuations.
The only scenario where these speeds may not suffice is when you have someone who likes to download and upload massive files continually. But if said person only gives or receives files once in a while, these speeds will perform well.
Remote Work
In almost all remote professions, 500 Mbps will perform any task you need without issues. 15 people in your home could watch 4K content at the same time, and you still video call clients without any clarity issues.
To prove my point, here are some references to keep in mind:
| Task | Download Speed (Mbps) | Upload Speed (Mbps) |
| Zoom Video Conferences | Group calling 1080p: 3.8 1:1 calling 1080p: 3.8 | Group calling 1080p: 3.8 1:1 calling 1080p: 3.8 |
| Web Surfing | 2.0 | 1.0 |
| Reading/Sending Emails | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| File Downloads | 10 | NA |
| Google Voice (VoIP) | 0.5 | 0.5 |
You likely won’t need this plan unless you’re someone who frequently downloads and uploads massive files. Or to future-proof your home. I’ll cover this point in a second.
However, if you intend to change your career or think you’ll upload more files online, I recommend getting this plan. Because you’ll get the three-year price guarantee.
So in case other providers with similar speeds raise their prices, you’ll still get great value with Verizon’s 500 Mbps internet.
Watching Series and Movies Online
Over 20 devices in your household can simultaneously watch 4K content on almost all streaming platforms with 500 Mbps internet speeds.
Most streaming platforms require 25 Mbps download speeds to watch content in 4K UHD resolution. And these internet speeds significantly bypass that number.
And you won’t have to worry about exceeding a data cap. Because Verizon doesn’t have one.
Gaming Online
You’ll have no issues gaming online with 500 Mbps speeds. These speeds could support up to nine devices simultaneously competitively playing online games without problems.
Think I’m lying?
Here are common speed requirements for gaming:
| Task | Download Speed (Mbps) | Upload Speed (Mbps) |
| Xbox One | 3.0 | 0.05–3.0 |
| Nintendo Switch | 3.0 | 0.05–3.0 |
| PlayStation 5 | 5.0 | 0.05–3.0 |
| Competitive Gaming | 50 | 10 |
| Casual Gaming (PC) | 3.0 | 0.5 |
Want to host a LAN party?
You could have over 160 people bring over Xbox One’s and create a massive System Link network. And you’ll still have a bit of extra bandwidth to account for speed fluctuations.
You honestly don’t need 500 Mbps speeds for playing online games. However, ignore my advice if you’re watching 4K content on one screen, playing games like New World on a second screen, and downloading files in the background.
The game choice doesn’t make a difference. New World was just an example.
But these speeds also work great over five people simultaneously livestreaming on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. Verizon’s symmetric internet speeds (equal download/upload) give it enormous flexibility over competitors.
Downloading and Uploading Files
You can download a 250 GB file in a little over an hour with 500 Mbps download speeds. Or you could upload a 25 GB file in a bit over seven minutes.
That’s if you’re using all of your home’s available bandwidth. Otherwise, you’ll need to consider sharing speeds with other devices and users.
So if you’re a video editor who lives in a home with multiple high-bandwidth users, I’d consider gigabit internet. Because when you need to upload a 25 GB 4K hour-long drone video for a client, you don’t want to take forever to upload the file. While everyone else in your home streams Netflix series in 4K.
Verizon Fios Internet 500 Mbps Internet Availability
You can access Verizon home internet in these states and cities:
- Washington DC
- Virginia
- Richmond
- Norfolk
- Rhode Island
- Providence
- Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh
- Philadelphia
- Harrisburg
- Massachusetts
- Boston
- New York
- New York City
- Buffalo
- Albany
- Staten Island
- Syracuse
- Plattsburgh
- Maryland
- Baltimore
- New Jersey
These supported locations may change at a moment’s notice.
Find Verizon’s Fios coverage map at Verizon.com/home/Fiosavailability.
Verizon Internet 500 Mbps Plan Price
Verizon’s 500 Mbps home internet plan costs $69.99 monthly with a three-year price guarantee. You’ll only need to pay $44.99 monthly if you also use a qualifying Verizon Wireless 5G plan.
The price guarantee means you won’t have to pay anything more than the plan’s starting price. For instance, you won’t see a price hike after staying with Verizon for 12 months.
These plans require you to go through a credit approval process. You may have to pay a security deposit if your credit isn’t the best. So you’ll need to factor in this cost.
Verizon isn’t specific about providing what sort of credit score you should have to avoid a deposit.
You’ll also need to pay a $99 activation fee. But if you order online, you can waive this fee.
Verizon Wireless Fios Internet 500 Mbps Plan Features
Here are some of the features you’ll get with Verizon’s 500 Mbps plan:
- $200 off a StreamTV Soundbar or Soundbar Pro
- SimpliSafe Smart Home 4-piece Security Bundle (worth $135): and one month of free monitoring
- No data cap
- Three-year price guarantee
No Wi-Fi hotspots like what Xfinity has. That’s my biggest disappointment with the features included. They used to have Verizon Wi-Fi Connect, but removed it in 2017 [2].
But you don’t have to worry about exceeding a data cap. Though it’s hard to surpass most ISPs’ bandwidth caps, it’s still that bit of stress possibly sitting in the back of everyone’s minds.
The Soundbar costs $399, and its Pro variant will set you back $999. They aren’t surround sound, but they’re excellent for integrating with homes that use Google Assistant smart home ecosystems.
It has Dolby Atmos. While I don’t have one, I’ve heard the bass is decent. Great for action movies or listening to certain music genres.
So you’ll get a great deal for $199 (at least for the cheaper one).
The security system equipment is nice. But you’ll still have to pay for monitoring after the first month.
Additional features you can pay for include:
- Verizon Fios router: $399 (to buy) or $18 per month to rent
- Verizon Cloud storage:
- 600 GB: $5.99/mo.
- 2 TB: $14.99/mo.
- Unlimited memory: $19.99/mo.
- SimpliSafe home monitoring: $17.99 or $27.99 per month
Verizon Cloud is like Google Drive or Dropbox, but without the free tier. Unless you’re on the Fios Gigabit Connection plan.
Then you’ll get 2 terabytes (TB) free.
The internet router’s powerful, but only useful for top-tier internet. Because of its Wi-Fi 6E speeds and 6GHz frequencies. Both act as the most modern Wi-Fi technologies.
And SimpliSafe is just a 24/7 professional home monitoring service. The free month is nice because it’ll allow you to test the service.
If you don’t like the home security you receive, cancel the service before Verizon charges you.
Whether you’ll need these paid features depends on your needs and budget.
Fios Internet 500 Mbps Plan Contract
Verizon’s home phone and internet, along with cable television plans, don’t have a contract or early cancellation fees [3].
Because of these implementations, you can try Verizon’s fast internet without finding yourself bound to a pesky contract. But they will still perform a credit check on you.
Fios 500 Mbps Plan vs. Other Verizon Fios Internet Plans
Here’s how the 500 Mbps plan does compared to other Verizon home internet plans:
| Fios Plan | * Speed (Download/upload) | ** Price (New Customer Price) |
| 300/300 | 300/300 Mbps | $49.99/mo. |
| 500/500 | 500/500 Mbps | $69.99/mo. |
| Fios Gigabit Connection | 940/800 Mbps | $89.99/mo. |
| Fios Prepaid 100 Mbps | 100/100 Mbps | $39.99/mo. |
| Fios Prepaid 300 Mbps | 300/300 Mbps | $59.99/mo. |
| Prepaid Gigabit Connection | 940/800 Mbps | $79.99/mo. |
* These speeds may not reflect what you’ll see. Scenarios like internet outages could lower your internet speed.
** These prices already include the automatic payment discount. But they don’t have sales tax or other fees.
You’ll only want Verizon Fios Prepaid plans if you have low or bad credit. So we can take three plans off this list.
You likely won’t need Gigabit Connection unless your household downloads and uploads many massive files daily. However, it’s only $20 more than the 500 Mbps plan.
But don’t fall for the temptations. Don’t waste your money if you don’t think you’ll use 940 Mbps internet speeds.
Now you have 300 Mbps versus 500 Mbps. Again, consider your household’s needs. And consider whether you intend on adding smart home or home security devices in the coming years.
Because these devices can demand a lot of bandwidth. Since they upload a lot of video feed or other data to servers.
And the 500 Mbps plan gives you a few years of not worrying about price hikes. So you’ll have guaranteed cheaper internet with more speeds.
The 300 Mbps plan only gives you a couple of years.
Verizon Fios Internet 500 Mbps vs. The Competition
Here is how other internet providers with similar plans compare to Verizon 500 Mbps:
| 500 Mbps Plan | * Price | ** Speeds | Data Cap |
| Fios 500 Mbps | $69.99/mo. | 500/500 Mbps | None |
| Spectrum 500 Mbps | $69.99/mo. | 500/20 Mbps | None |
| WOW! Internet 500Mbps | $39.99/mo | 500/50 Mbps | 3 TB |
| Cox | $79.99/mo. | 500/10–500 Mbps | 1.2 TB |
* These prices are for new customers only. But they don’t include sales tax. Some include the automatic payments and paperless billing discount.
** These speeds may not reflect the actual network speeds you’ll see.
WOW! offers the cheapest monthly plan for 500 Mbps. Verizon gives the most value due to its fast upload speed and lack of a data cap.
Let’s dive into a bit more detail, though.
Verizon offers symmetric internet (equal upload/download speeds) with no data cap. While it charges more than WOW!, it at least doesn’t cap your data usage.
Though, it’s challenging to break past 3 TB in data usage. But that may change with online media consumption demanding more bandwidth and file download sizes increasing.
Anyway, one area Verizon falls on this list is availability. If you’re within Verizon’s states, I’d recommend using Verizon Wi-Fi 500 Mbps. Otherwise, you’ll have to settle for another ISP.
Spectrum gives you a free modem. That’s decent, I guess. And you’ll get a free Peacock Premium subscription.
WOW! didn’t offer anything special other than having the lowest pricing. And it’s only available in nine states.
I can’t recommend Cox based on my findings. You pay the most, have a data cap, and upload speeds can fluctuate too drastically.
Verizon Fios Internet Deals
Customers with a Verizon 5G Wireless plan can save $20 a month on both bills. Or the following groups can save up to 66% on their monthly Fios home internet bill:
- Military
- Veterans
- Low-income households
- Gold Star family members
- First responders
- Nurses or respiratory therapists
Verizon calls this discount the “Those Who Serve” deal. And it gives qualifying customers a decent discount on Fios home internet and Unlimited Wireless plans. They also get additional freebies in some cases.
For instance, those with veterans or military discounts can get free money toward in-game stuff for the game World of Tanks.
Here are the Fios internet discounts these folks will see:
| Fios Plan | * Regular Price | Price w/ Those Who Serve Discount | Savings |
| 300/300 | $49.99/mo. | $24.99/mo. | 66% |
| 500/500 | $69.99/mo. | $44.99/mo. | 43% |
| Fios Gigabit | $89.99/mo. | $64.99/mo. | 32% |
* These prices could change. They don’t include sales tax and other Verizon fees. But they include the Auto Pay discount.
And yes, the bundling with a 5G discount can stack with the Those Who Serve discount. For instance, If you have an Unlimited Wireless plan and get Fios (300 Mbps plan, for example), you’ll only pay $19.99 monthly for home internet.
I’d love to tell you how to qualify for each discount, but it’s a lot to write. Plus, I already wrote all the qualification information you need in a different post. So check it out if you want to test whether you’re eligible.
If you don’t qualify for the Those Who Serve discount, here are the prices for bundling both services:
| Fios Tier | Price (With 5G Plan) | Savings |
| 300 Mbps | $24.99/mo. | 22% |
| 500 Mbps | $44.99/mo. | 25% |
| 1 Gig | $64.99/mo. | 26% |
* These subscription fees already have the Auto Pay discount. But they don’t include taxes or other fees.
Verizon offers numerous home internet, cellular service, and phone deals. But you’ll need to visit the link I placed a couple of paragraphs ago to see.
Because these deals change frequently, thus you’ll find the most updated information in that piece.
FAQ: Verizon Fios Internet 500 Mbps Plan
Read these frequently asked questions to learn more about Verizon’s 500 Mbps home internet plan.
Which Verizon Fios Internet Plan Is Best?
500 Mbps internet speeds work best for households with over 11 light bandwidth users. 300 Mbps works great for homes with eight light users. And Gigabit Connection supports at least 20 devices simultaneously streaming 4K content.
Conclusion
Verizon’s 100% fiber 500 Mbps Fios home internet plan gives residents in nine states contract-free access to quick and reliable internet. At a reasonable price too.
Depending on your plan, you’ll get several freebies or services to try. So if your home needs to support 11 light internet users or several heavy users, I recommend going for this plan.
You may want to consider an upgrade (or downgrade), though. Check out breakdowns of other Verizon Fios internet-only plans before making a decision.
