Fios vs. Spectrum vs. Optimum vs. 5G Home — choosing internet in NYC and Long Island

“What internet should I get?” is one of the most common questions we hear — and the honest answer is: it depends on your exact address. Two buildings on the same block can have different options. Here's how to think about it.

Who's where (roughly)

According to the New York State Comptroller, Verizon Fios is available in parts of all five boroughs, while Spectrum, Optimum, and Astound (formerly RCN) mostly serve the areas where they historically ran cable (NYS Comptroller, Dec 2024). The same report found that about one in four NYC households had no wired broadband in 2023, with the Bronx hit hardest.

On Long Island, Optimum has been building fiber (it reported roughly 900,000 fiber-ready homes and businesses there in 2024), and Verizon offers Fios in many areas plus 5G Home.

Always check your specific address on each provider's site — and ask neighbors what they actually get.

Fiber vs. cable vs. 5G

Fiber (Fios, Optimum Fiber): fast in both directions. Upload speed matters for video calls, cloud backups, and security cameras. If fiber is available, it's usually the best choice.
Cable (Spectrum, Optimum, Astound): fast downloads, slower uploads. Reliable for most households.
5G Home Internet (Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T): no installation, often cheaper. But performance depends heavily on your floor, your window, and which direction it faces. Great in some apartments, frustrating in others. Most providers allow a trial period — use it, and test at different times of day.

Things that matter more than the plan speed

Your Wi-Fi. A 1-gig plan feels slow through a bad router in the wrong spot. (Prewar Wi-Fi guide)
Your own router vs. renting. Renting is simpler; owning saves money and often performs better. Make sure it's compatible.
Promo pricing. Put a reminder in your calendar for when the promotional rate ends.

Free and low-cost options

NYCHA residents: Big Apple Connect provides free internet and a modem/router through Optimum or Spectrum at participating developments. It was extended in September 2025 through June 2028 (NYCHA Journal).
The federal Affordable Connectivity Program ended in June 2024, but most major providers still offer their own low-income plans. Ask directly.

When to call a tech

We'll test what you have, tell you honestly whether a different provider would help, and set up the router and Wi-Fi properly so you actually get the speed you pay for. For offices, we handle the provider call, the install, and the network behind it.