Compare Frontier vs. Spectrum

Is Frontier or Spectrum a better fit for you?

At Allconnect^®, we’ve done the research on Frontier and Spectrum, so you can compare and choose the best internet, TV and home phone provider for you in one convenient spot. Depending on your home TV and internet needs, you may find either Spectrum or Frontier a better fit for you.

• Best for affordable internet plans: Frontier offers the most affordable internet plans starting at $20/mo.* Starting speeds range from 1 Mbps to 6 Mbps by location.

As ranked byReviews.com as of 7/26/18.

• Spectrum and Frontier both advertise speeds up to 940 Mbps.
• Spectrum internet plans start at 100 Mbps; Frontier internet plans start at 1 Mbps.
• Spectrum has more than 250,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the U.S.; Frontier has more than 800.
• Frontier FiOS high-speed internet is available in 3 states: California, Texas and Florida.
• Spectrum offers standalone TV plans starting at $64.99 per month. Frontier standalone TV plans start at $81.99 per month.*
• Frontier DVR can record up to 12 shows at once; Spectrum DVR can record up to 6 shows at once.

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 8/20/18.

 

Frontier vs. Spectrum quick comparison

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 8/9/18.

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Frontier vs. Spectrum service availability

Frontier offers internet, TV and home phone services in select areas of 29 states. Customers should note that Frontier sells FiOS internet in California, Florida and Texas. Spectrum offers internet, TV and home phone services in select areas of 41 states.

The two providers overlap in regions such as parts of New York, Ohio, Southeast Tennessee, Minnesota, Southern California and other areas of the U.S.

States where availability doesn’t overlap includes Texas, North Carolina, California, Florida, Alabama, West Virginia, Georgia and others. For instance, Spectrum offers services in San Antonio, Austin, Laredo and other parts of Texas, while Frontier offers services in counties surrounding Dallas, rural areas west of Austin and College Station.

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Frontier vs. Spectrum packages & bundles

Frontier and Spectrum offer different types of internet, TV and phone connections. Depending on where you live, Frontier may offer high-speed broadband, fiber or DSL internet and TV services. On the other hand, Spectrum offers cable internet and TV.

The two providers offer comparable TV channel packages and premium channel promotions. They also offer similar internet speeds where Frontier high-speed broadband and fiber internet are available.

Frontier standalone TV plans and standalone phone plans cost more than Spectrum’s, leading to higher savings when you bundle Frontier services. Plus, Spectrum marks up the cost of phone services to $29.99/mo.* for triple play bundles compared to $19.99/mo.* for double play packages, so potential Spectrum savings drop when you buy a triple play.

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 8/20/18.

 

What shoppers should consider in different regions

Both providers’ pricing and package options vary across the U.S., especially Frontier’s. Frontier offers different internet speeds in separate regions. Frontier also tends to offer higher internet speeds with bundles than with standalone internet plans.

Spectrum and Frontier both have select availability with TV services, too. In different areas, each provider may only offer TV service as part of a bundle. Because internet speed pricing changes so much and standalone options aren’t comparable in certain regions, potential “bundle savings” can differ across the U.S.

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Frontier vs. Spectrum internet

Compare speed options based on lowest starting price

	Starting price	Starting speeds	Fastest speeds	Internet type	Wi-Fi hotspots
Vantage Fiber	$30/mo.*	50 Mbps	500 Mbps	Fiber	800+ Public Wi-Fi hotspots
Vantage Internet	$30/mo.*	24 Mbps	115 Mbps	FTTN	800+ Public Wi-Fi hotspots
Frontier Broadband	$20/mo.*	1 Mbps to 6 Mbps	24 Mbps	DSL	800+ Public Wi-Fi hotspots
Frontier FiOS	$30/mo.*	50 Mbps	500 Mbps	Fiber	800+ Public Wi-Fi hotspots
Spectrum	$44.99/mo.*	100 Mbps	940 Mbps	Cable	More than 250,000 nationwide

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 8/20/18.

Frontier and Spectrum internet plans can be difficult to compare. Frontier offers diverse internet connection types, so plan options aren’t consistent across most of the U.S.

Frontier sells DSL, fiber and FTTN (Fiber-to-the-node, a mix of fiber and DSL). Each type has different speed capabilities, and Frontier seldom offers multiple types in the same area. For instance, in one area of the country, standalone internet plan speeds start at 1 Mbps while in other areas, they may start at 3 Mbps, 12 Mbps, 30 Mbps or 50 Mbps.

Spectrum offers fewer internet speed options since they only sell cable products. While Spectrum doesn’t offer as many options, they do provide more consistent speeds and pricing across the country. In many areas, Spectrum tends to offer higher internet speeds than Frontier because Frontier high-speed fiber internet has select availability.

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Frontier vs. Spectrum TV

As you compare TV providers and plans, consider the following plan features and costs:

Comparing these factors can help you find the best provider and plan for you.

 

Frontier TV costs vs. Spectrum TV costs

Spectrum’s TV plan pricing starts lower than Frontier’s TV plan pricing. Spectrum charges fewer monthly fees than Frontier and also charges less for installation and monthly set-top box rental. However, both providers frequently waive installation and setup fees for qualifying deals.

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 8/20/18.

 

Frontier vs. Spectrum TV channel packages

Frontier offers the highest channel counts, but TV package options vary quite a bit. In some areas, FiOS TV packages start at 115 channels, but they may be unavailable as standalone plans. In other regions, you can purchase standalone FiOS TV packages starting with 300+ channels. Frontier Vantage TV packages can also be customized to include movie, family entertainment, sports or premium channels where Vantage TV is available. In contrast, Spectrum simply offers cable TV, and their cable plans have fewer customizations.

Frontier offers 4 FiOS channel packages and 5 Vantage TV channel packages, each including a local TV package. Spectrum offers 3 comparable TV plan options.

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Frontier vs. Spectrum customer satisfaction

In 2018, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) ranked Spectrum 6 points ahead of Frontier for internet services. Spectrum received a 60 out of 100 and Frontier received a 54. In ACSI’s TV service provider rankings, Spectrum received a 58 and Frontier received a 56 out of 100.

On ConsumerAffairs, Spectrum has a 1.4 star rating and Frontier Communications has a 1.2 star rating.

Last updated 8/20/18.