2019 Frontier vs. Spectrum comparison

Is Frontier or Spectrum a better fit for you?

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 to be a better fit for you.

• Spectrum is available in 46 states, Frontier is available in 29 states with Frontier FiOS in three states: California, Texas and Florida.
• Spectrum offers cable internet and TV service, while Frontier offers DSL and fiber-optic internet and fiber-optic TV.
• Frontier offers the cheaper internet with plans starting at $20/mo.*
• Spectrum and Frontier both advertise gig internet with download speeds up to 940 Mbps, but Spectrum’s fastest speeds are available in more areas.
• Spectrum internet plans start at 100 Mbps; Frontier internet plans start at 1 Mbps.

*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 07/09/19.

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 07/09/19.

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Frontier vs. Spectrum service availability

Frontier offers internet, TV and home phone services in select areas of 29 states with Frontier FiOS available in California, Florida and Texas. Depending on where you live, Frontier may offer DSL, Vantage Fiber (a fiber to the node product) or FiOS (a 100% fiber-optic product). Spectrum offers internet, TV and home phone services in select areas of 46 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. Click “Check availability” below to see if internet services from Frontier, Spectrum and other providers are available in your area.

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Frontier vs. Spectrum bundles

Spectrum and Frontier offer comparable TV channel packages and premium channel promotions. They also offer similar internet speeds where Frontier Vantage and FiOS are available.

*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 07/09/19.

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

Provider/service	Internet type	Starting price*	Starting speeds	Fastest speeds
Frontier Broadband	DSL	$20/mo.	1 to 6 Mbps	24 Mbps
Frontier Vantage	FTTN	$30/mo.	24 Mbps	115 Mbps
Frontier FiOS	Fiber	$30/mo.	50 Mbps	500 Mbps
Spectrum	Cable	$44.99/mo.	100 Mbps	940 Mbps

*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 07/09/19.

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.

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 fiber-optic internet has select availability.

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Frontier vs. Spectrum TV

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.

Frontier TV costs vs. Spectrum TV packages and costs

*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 07/09/19.

Frontier offers the highest channel counts, but TV package options vary quite a bit. In some areas, Frontier Vantage 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.

Spectrum TV plans are fairly consistent in each region, with the main differences in channel lineups being local channels and regional sports networks. Consequently, pricing for Spectrum TV plans is also more consistent than Frontier Vantage or FiOS.

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Frontier vs. Spectrum customer satisfaction

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) scores internet and TV providers based on feedback from customers in the areas of service quality, costs, customer service and more. Here’s how Spectrum and Frontier/Frontier FiOS scored over the past three years for internet and TV customer satisfaction.