Difference between Comcast and Verizon Fios
In the fast-paced technology-driven world of cable Internet and television, few companies scale the lofty heights that Comcast and Verizon Fios do. The two industry leaders have locked horns for a while now with each tenaciously clinging to their own respective turfs while struggling to capture some of each other's markets. It is inevitable that a comparison between these two giants of the industry would come up.
Speed And Signal Strength
As far as signal strength goes, Verizon Fios is the "clear" winner (get it?), with a much crisper and more vivid picture than can be attained with Comcast. During the course of testing using high definition TVs and older units, the Fios-equipped units consistently displayed a better image than the Comcast fitted ones. We also did not detect any microblocking going on in any of the channels. We subsequently found out that with Comcast, the signal gets weaker the further you are away from the transmitter, necessitating the use of a signal booster. Fios on the other hand displayed no such limitations, and required no booster at all.
Verizon Fios is also noticeably speedier than Comcast on the Internet front, with many users pegging it at 25% faster. Fios also performed equally well on both hard-wired and wireless connections.
Number Of Channels
Again Verizon wins out in the channel wars, with considerably more channels than Comcast. There are even more basic channels with Verizon, and adding in the premium channels makes it pull away even further from Comcast. Along with the superior picture quality and speed of the Internet, this makes Comcast lag way behind Fios in features and performance.
Cost And Installation
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Comcast again didn't fare so well against Fios in the installation category. Comcast installation teams usually implement a four-hour rule when installing the basic cable and Internet services, and they often miss that schedule regardless. In one particularly annoying incident, the customer had to wait an unacceptable three months for installation of the Comcast to be completed! While this is probably a fluke and there may be other customers who are satisfied with Comcast's services, incidents such as these don't bode well for the reputation of the company. Most users of Verizon Fios on the other hand report installation times of as little as one day.
Now with all Comcast's faults you may have expected that it would cost less to have it installed than Fios. Wrong-o! As we found out, we would actually have to play less for a Fios install. In fact, we found that we are able to save as much as 33% off a similar package from Comcast. Given all the many other advantages of Fios besides, it manages to finish the shootout well ahead of its nearest competitor.
Summary
Verizon Fios
- Offers a lot more channels
- Better picture quality
- Faster Internet
- Lower cost
- Quick and hassle-free installation
Comcast
- Limited channel selection
- Expensive compared to Verizon Fios
- Installation can take a very long time to complete
- Inferior picture quality compared to Fios
