After Verizon Fios made a splash in February 2022 by announcing it was launching a new multi-gig home internet plan in select areas of New York City, the company on Wednesday revealed that its Fios 2 Gig tier is now available to 3 million New Yorkers in all five boroughs.
Fios customers across the Big Apple will have access to the provider’s fastest plan: Fios 2 Gig will have wired download and upload speeds between 1.5 and 2.3 gigabits per second. It costs $120 per month (if you use auto-pay), and customers with select Verizon 5G mobile plans can knock that down to $95 a month. The monthly charge includes your router rental, up to three Wi-Fi extenders (if needed) and a four-year price guarantee.
Verizon is also trying to sweeten the pot with additional perks. New customers will get a free year of Walmart Plus (which includes a Paramount Plus subscription, fuel rewards, free delivery and other perks) and 12 months of Disney Plus for free. Those who order online will receive a $100 gift card, and Verizon will also waive the $99 setup charge.
Away from NYC, Verizon Fios, the telecom’s 100% fiber internet service, is available to customers in eight states (Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia), as well as the District of Columbia. In those other markets, it offers three selections: Fios 300 (symmetrical download and upload speeds of 300 megabits per second), Fios 500 (symmetrical 500Mbps) and Fios 1 Gig (940Mbps download, 880Mbps upload).
When might the 2 Gig plan make its way to other portions of the Verizon Fios footprint? A Verizon spokesperson shared with CNET over email that the company’s “focus now is on expanding availability deeper into the New York DMA [designated market area], including Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut, with additional markets to be announced later this year.”
Makes sense. One of Verizon’s main competitors in the Tri-State area is Optimum, which unveiled 2-gig and 5-gig offerings in portions of Connecticut, Long Island and New Jersey last year. The internet speed race is definitely on in the northeast.