More customers expressed satisfaction with fiber-based Internet service providers (ISPs) over comparable broadband Internet services, according to the findings of a new study published this week.
The data was outlined in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)’s Telecommunications Study for 2024, which showed fiber-based ISPs like AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber had a lead on other land-based and fixed wireless products that also offer broadband Internet.
Fiber ISPs averaged a customer satisfaction score of 76 out of 100, while non-Fiber ISPs had a satisfaction score of 68, according to the study. AT&T Fiber had the highest customer satisfaction score with 80, followed by Verizon Fios at 77. Regional fiber-based ISPs also scored an average of 77 out of 100, according to the ACSI.
CenturyLink Fiber was a rare exception, dropping 3 percent on a year-over basis to achieve a customer satisfaction score of 76. It was on par with Frontier Fiber and Google Fiber, which also had a customer satisfaction score of 76.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet also scored a customer satisfaction rate of 76, while Verizon Home Internet scored 74. Both use a 4G LTE and 5G wireless network to deliver broadband connection speeds to customers.
AT&T Internet, which uses a mixture of fiber and copper connections, had one of the lowest customer satisfaction rates at 69.
“5G satisfaction scores were on par with fiber in some regions, suggesting wireless technology is stepping up to deliver the high-speed experience customers expect,” said Forrest Morgeson, the Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University and Director of Research Emeritus at the ACSI. “Continued growing demand for connectivity underscores the need for both fiber build outs and robust 5G networks to reach more communities nationwide.”
