Spectrum Internet vs. Google Fiber (2024)

Jun 10, 2024

9 min read

Honest reviews written by real people

Our fact-based research process centers around data analysis, keen-eyed provider comparisons, and interviews with internet customers from across the country. We research and write about internet service every day, with the aim to understand how internet services hold up against diverse needs and challenges.

To put together this review, we looked at results from our speed test, pulled data from customer satisfaction surveys, and pored over the fine print to compare prices and speeds between the two providers. To flesh out our analysis, we also interviewed eleven Spectrum and Google Fiber customers to get their first-hand insights. We let their experiences guide our research and shape our conclusions. We also spoke with a Spectrum spokesperson and experts on internet technology to get answers about Spectrum’s so-called “hybrid fiber coaxial” network and Google’s multi-gigabit capabilities.

Speed and reliability

Google Fiber ranks at the top of our Fastest Internet Providers report, delivering faster speeds than every other major fiber and cable internet provider in the country. The provider’s slowest plan starts out at a gigabit, which is the top speed for many other providers. You also get symmetrical upload speeds from Google to handle video calls, livestreams, and cloud-drive uploads with ease.

The multi-gigabit plans aren’t necessary for most people, but they work wonders with a router hardwired to your computer via ethernet. By comparison Spectrum gets much slower speeds—results from our speed test put the cable brand at just 140Mbps on average, falling behind not just Google Fiber but also many other cable internet providers. You can’t get symmetrical speeds from Spectrum either.

Unsurprisingly, Google Fiber also beats out Spectrum in terms of reliability. Fiber infrastructure is newer than cable and isn’t vulnerable to electromagnetic interference in the same way that coaxial cables are. Google’s fiber-to-the-home connection ensures that you get smooth speeds around the clock, while a cable connection with Spectrum may be slightly more unstable.

That said, cable internet has been around a long time and is widely known to deliver dependable service for millions of customers. Most of the Spectrum customers who spoke with us were satisfied with their speeds and reliability, and the provider also got above-average rankings for speed in HighSpeedInternet.com’s 2023 customer satisfaction survey. “It’s fast and we’ve never had an outage,” Anna Harsanyi, a Spectrum customer in New York City, told Reviews.org.

Dollar value

Google Fiber may look like the pricier option between these two providers, but if you break things down by dollar-to-gigabit and factor in Spectrum’s extra fees, Google Fiber proves to offer the better value. Google’s baseline plan costs $70 a month for gigabit upload and download speeds—that’s either the same price or cheaper than Spectrum’s gigabit plan (depending on Spectrum’s service area), which delivers a meager upload speed of 35Mbps.

Spectrum looks to be driving an even harder bargain for its basic Spectrum Internet plan, which delivers speeds up to 300Mbps for a starting price of $39.99–49.99 per month. However, those are introductory rates. After a year, the price goes up by $20 per month. That means you end up paying the same price (or something close) for much slower speeds. You also have to pay for installation and if you’re renting a Spectrum router, you need to fork over $5 a month just to activate the Wi-Fi. But you can save money with a self-install kit.

But there’s no need to break out the sad trombone if you can’t get Google Fiber on your block: Spectrum and Google Fiber both go easy on the customer with other pricing matters. Google has no annual contracts, data caps, installation fees, or equipment fees. Spectrum has no contracts or data caps, and also offers discounts on bundle packages for cable TV and Spectrum Mobile services. New customers are eligible for a $5 monthly Autopay discount and a $100 Visa Rewards Card. And you get a free Unlimited Mobile cellular line for one year with any Spectrum internet plan.

Customer experience

Most folks can expect a positive and easy customer experience with Google Fiber. The provider got the highest rankings for overall satisfaction and customer satisfaction out of the 25 internet providers surveyed in HighSpeedInternet.com’s 2023 customer satisfaction survey. A member of the Reviews.org team has the provider, and he said it was a breeze to schedule an appointment for installation and make customer service calls after things were all set up.

However, Google Fiber’s track record for customer service may vary in markets where its services are just getting off the ground or there isn’t as high a demand. Mike Strayer, a customer in Salt Lake City, told Reviews.org that it took two solid years to get Google Fiber in his home even though there was a node outside his condo building set up that entire time. Strayer suspects that the brand relied too heavily on subcontractors to handle its various services, leading to miscommunication and bureaucratic delays.

Overall quality: Which internet provider should you pick?

Google Fiber is the perfect, ideal home internet for any user. Incredibly reliable and surprisingly affordable, it delivers massive bandwidth—including gigabit and multi-gigabit speeds—over a fiber-to-the-home connection. With no hidden fees attached, Google Fiber’s base gigabit package gives you some of the best value you can find on internet anywhere.

Spectrum is more of a default option. The cable provider is widely available nationwide, and customers often sign up when they have nothing faster to choose. Spectrum doesn’t make customers gush with enthusiasm in the same way Google Fiber does, but the baseline plans get you solid download speeds for a decent price (although Google Fiber still has them beat). You can also get bundle discounts for TV and mobile too—including a deal that gets you a free Unlimited Mobile cellular line for a year.

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