Ziply Fiber review 2026

Ziply Fiber is the Pacific Northwest fiber story that most national coverage misses. Built on the old Frontier assets sold off in 2020 (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana), Ziply took a sleepy copper footprint and has been aggressively overbuilding it with XGS-PON fiber ever since. In 2026 the company is one of the most ambitious regional fiber builders in the country, with symmetrical 2 Gbps and 10 Gbps tiers priced closer to cable gigabit than to national fiber multi-gig.

The product experience is straightforward: no data caps, no contracts, no equipment fees on the base router, and pricing that holds after the first year. The weakness is footprint. Outside its four-state region Ziply does not exist, and inside that region the fiber overlay is still in progress. A handful of legacy DSL addresses are still waiting for their fiber upgrade.

We pulled pricing across Seattle, Portland, Spokane, Bellingham, and Coeur d’Alene. The numbers are consistent by plan and noticeably cheaper than AT&T or Verizon Fios at the same speed. The 10 Gig tier in particular is one of the best multi-gig values in the US market.

Who it’s really for

Ziply Fiber is a strong default for any PNW household inside the fiber footprint. The few reasons to skip are narrow.

The right fit

• PNW remote workers and creators who need symmetrical upload without Seattle-area cable markups.
• Multi-gig power users.2 Gig at $70 and 10 Gig at $300 are priced well below the national average.
• Gamerswanting sub-10 ms latency to West Coast game servers.
• Value-conscious families who want fiber at a cable-gigabit price.
• Buyers who hate renegotiation. Ziply pricing is flat and post-promo jumps are small.

The wrong fit

• Anyone outside Washington, Oregon, Idaho, or Montana. The product does not exist elsewhere.
• Addresses still on Ziply legacy DSL. That product is slow and worth avoiding until fiber lights up.
• TV bundle seekers. Ziply is internet only, there is no pay-TV package.

Plans and pricing

Ziply Fiber runs a clean five-tier ladder: 300 Mbps, 1 Gig, 2 Gig, 5 Gig, and 10 Gig. Every tier is fully symmetrical and priced below the comparable AT&T or Verizon plan by $5 to $20 per month. The 10 Gig tier in particular is the most widely available residential 10 Gig offering in the US.

The 1 Gig plan at $60/mo is the sweet spot for most households, and the 2 Gig at $70/mo is barely a stretch for anyone who wants headroom. Upgrading from gigabit to 2 Gig costs $10/mo, which is by far the best dollar-per-Mbps upgrade value in the category.

Post-promo pricing is modest: a $10 bump on most plans after 12 months. No separate equipment fee on the included Wi-Fi router, no broadcast TV fee, no data caps. The only add-on that moves the total is the optional Whole Home Wi-Fi mesh ($10/mo), which most households do not need.

Speed reality

Ziply delivers what it advertises, a characteristic of XGS-PON fiber builds generally. FCC broadband label data and Ookla measurements in 2026 show 1 Gig plans measuring 940 to 970 symmetric, 2 Gig plans at 1.9 to 2.0 Gbps, and 10 Gig measuring 8.5 to 9.5 Gbps on capable 10GbE equipment. The standard disclaimer applies: you need 2.5GbE or 10GbE Ethernet on the client side to see above 940 Mbps, since a 1GbE NIC will cap the line regardless of the plan.

Peak-hour performance is excellent. PNW fiber is a relatively uncongested backbone compared to Bay Area or NYC builds, so 8 p.m. speeds match 2 a.m. speeds. Latency to Seattle and Portland game servers averages 6 to 10 ms with jitter under 3 ms.

For right-sizing guidance, see our internet speed guide.

Contracts and fees

• Data caps: None on any fiber plan.
• Equipment: Wi-Fi 6 router included at no monthly charge. Optional mesh add-on is $10/mo.
• Installation: Free professional install is common during promotions. A $99 install fee applies in rare cases.
• Contracts: None. Month-to-month with no early termination fee.
• Price lock: Informal but real. Ziply has held pricing stable since 2022 and the post-promo jump is usually $10.
• Taxes and fees: Minimal. Ziply is refreshingly clean on line items, no broadcast TV fee, no network enhancement surcharge.

Customer service reality

Ziply consistently outscores the national cable ISPs on ACSI and J.D. Power regional surveys, and it ranks in the top tier alongside Verizon Fios on customer satisfaction. The main reasons are simple: billing is predictable, tech support is US-based and competent, and the install workflow is relatively smooth. The company was built as a fiber-first operator, and the culture shows.

Pain points do exist. Fiber install appointments can slip in markets where crews are still catching up with demand, and some older DSL customers have waited years for their fiber conversion. Once fiber is in, the service is stable and the support experience is noticeably better than anything the region’s cable incumbents offer.

Vs. the competition

Xfinity in the PNW

Xfinity is the main overbuilder in Seattle and Portland metros, and in 2026 it is pushing DOCSIS 4.0 with multi-gig downloads. Where both are available, Ziply wins on upload (symmetric vs. 100 to 300 Mbps cable upload), post-promo price, data caps (Ziply has none, Xfinity has 1.2 TB), and latency. Xfinity still wins on raw download if a household never uploads, but that is a narrow case. See our full Xfinity review for the other side.

CenturyLink fiber

CenturyLink (now Quantum Fiber on fiber-specific addresses) is the other PNW fiber option, a legacy Lumen footprint that overlaps Ziply in parts of Seattle and Portland. Quantum is priced similarly but has a smaller footprint and less aggressive multi-gig rollout. Ziply is usually the better pick for 2 Gig or 10 Gig seekers. See our Quantum Fiber review for the comparison.

T-Mobile Home Internet

5G home internet at $50/mo flat is cheaper than Ziply 300 Mbps fiber at $40 to $50/mo promo, and the install is easier (plug in the gateway). The tradeoff is variable speeds (100 to 300 Mbps typical) and weaker upload (20 to 50 Mbps). For anyone who cares about symmetrical upload, Ziply is the clear choice.

Verdict

Ziply Fiber is one of the best regional fiber operators in the country in 2026. Symmetric speeds up to 10 Gbps, clean billing, no data caps, no equipment fees, and pricing that consistently undercuts the national fiber leaders on comparable tiers. Inside the PNW footprint it is the default recommendation for every household profile.

The main thing to verify is availability. Ziply fiber is not everywhere in its region yet, and the legacy DSL product is not worth buying as an interim. If fiber is at your address, the 1 Gig or 2 Gig plan is a steal relative to anything cable is selling at the same price.