Ziply Fiber Internet 50/50 Ziply Internet 50/50 + Home Phone Unlimited Ziply Fiber Gig + Select
Ziply Fiber is a relatively new brand in the internet service space that’s fast gaining ground in the race to provide fiber internet to Americans.
Even though their network is regional (most service areas are in the Pacific Northwest), the company offers generally lower prices per Mbps (Megabits per second) than its main competitor, Xfinity.
Before writing this article, I spent several hours speaking with Ziply Fiber representatives, running test orders at different locations, and reading fine print documents to find you the cheapest priced plans.
In this article, I’ll go over the cheapest internet, television, and phone plans I found. These plans are:
- Cheapest overall internet-only plan: Fiber Internet 50/50
- Cheapest internet + television bundle: Ziply Internet 50/50 + Home Phone Unlimited
- Cheapest internet + phone bundle: Ziply Fiber Gig + Select TV
I’ll walk you through each plan and show you how to minimize your costs by removing unnecessary add-ons and using your own equipment. Additionally, I’ll tell you how to apply for a federal benefit program that could help reduce your monthly bill substantially.
The cheapest internet plan: Fiber Internet 50/50
Of all of Ziply’s fiber internet offerings, Fiber Internet 50/50 is the cheapest. And as its name suggests, the plan gives you access to internet speeds of 50 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload. These speeds are pretty good, especially for smaller families, and will be able to support 4K streaming on your television as well as three or four connected phones.
And compared to other internet plans, the upload speeds here are robust. You’ll be free to game and stream on Twitch or make your important Zoom calls without having to worry too much about the internet suffering.
On top of those benefits, you’ll notice a few big discounts. For one, Ziply Fiber doesn’t do annual contracts or data caps, so you can cancel your service before the price goes up (and it will, by $20 a month). Second, all of Ziply Fiber’s plans come with free installation — a big upside, considering that installation with other internet providers typically costs around $100.
Lastly, this plan also gives you access to NBC’s Peacock Premium completely free for three months (and $5 per month after that).
However, as I mentioned, this plan will cost you $40 per month after the first 12 months. That price, however, is still cheaper than other comparable plans with lower upload speeds.
How to ensure the cheapest monthly bill with Ziply Fiber Internet 50/50
- Router rental: Ziply charges a $10 per month fee for the use of one of its Wi-Fi routers. If you don’t want to pay this fee, you can buy your own router and choose the “None – I’ll use my own equipment” option at checkout.
- Paper billing fee: Ziply charges an additional $6 a month for paper billing. If you want to avoid paying that fee, just sign up for paperless billing and autopay at checkout.
Adding onto the downsides of this plan, Ziply does charge a $10 per month fee for the use of one of its Wi-Fi routers. If you don’t want to pay this, however, you can purchase a third-party router from your local electronics store or online for around $100. Ziply Fiber is very open about letting you use your own router, compared to competitors like AT&T that lock their routers and will charge you a fee for using your own.
In fact, I’d recommend that you do this: When you buy your own router, you save money over the years that you will be using it. And, in the case of Ziply Fiber, if you purchase a router costing less than $120, that device will pay for itself within the first year of use.
And one more consideration for those who like to pay their bills the old-school way: If you prefer paper billing, get ready to pay an additional $6 a month, bringing your total bill to around $26-$36. If you want to avoid that charge, just sign up for paperless billing and autopay at checkout.
If you want a way to reduce your bill even more, just hang on. Later on, I’ll show you a federal benefit program that can help to lower the cost of your monthly internet service.
The cheapest phone bundle: Ziply Fiber Internet 50/50 + Home Phone Unlimited
If you need it, Ziply Fiber also offers a comprehensive home phone service that you can bundle with any internet plan. The service costs an additional $10 per month, and when you combine it with Ziply Fiber Internet 50/50, you get both for only $30 per month plus taxes.
Home Phone Unlimited gives you the ability to either keep your existing number or get a new one, and you get unlimited local and national long-distance (within the United States only) calling, too. On top of that, the home phone service gives you a phone that’s relatively modern and has standard features like voicemail and caller ID.
Important note: Ziply landline phones are usually internet-based VoIP, not always-on POTS
Ziply Fiber’s phones are VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), which means, in simplest terms, that the calls are routed over the internet instead of traditional always-on copper landlines. This also means that if the internet goes out, you won’t be able to make calls on Ziply’s phones.
How to get the cheapest possible bill on Ziply Fiber Internet 50/50 + Home Phone Unlimited
The only fee you can isolate and avoid on this plan is, again, the $10 monthly router fee.
To avoid Ziply Fiber’s $10 monthly router rental fee, just purchase your own router and choose the “None – I’ll use my own equipment” option when you check out.
Just as with the other plans on this list, Ziply Fiber doesn’t require an annual contract or installation fees. The only fees that are still here are the router/modem fee, as well as the paper billing fees, which you can avoid by simply buying your own router and signing up for online autopay.
That said, this plan doesn’t really provide the savings that a traditional bundle would. Ziply Fiber’s home phone service is already $10 by itself, and there’s no discount when you bundle.
However, the price of the phone service doesn’t go up after the first year, and it’s less than a third of the cost of Xfinity’s local phone plan ($35 per month).
Altogether, the internet and home phone bundle would be perfect for a small family that uses the internet moderately and has relatives or friends across the country. Ziply Fiber’s internet and phone bundle is low-cost, efficient, and is worth considering if you need home phone service.
The cheapest television bundle: Ziply Fiber Gig + Select
Ziply Fiber isn’t exactly known for its television service, but it does offer it. If you’re looking to add cheap television service to your lineup of amenities at home, I recommend choosing Ziply Fiber Gig + TV Select for $90 per month.
This plan offers a bundle of gig-speed internet, which is fast enough to handle even a large family’s connected phones, laptops, and stream in 4K on a large television too. You probably won’t ever have an issue with speed on this plan, as it can withstand just about any traffic (within reason) that a family can throw at it.
Bundled with this internet is a decent television service that’s good for the biggest channels (ABC, NBC, etc.), local sports, and a few others. But if you’re looking for a plan that will allow you to watch most of your favorite sports, this probably isn’t it. You’ll be able to access big-market football, baseball, and hockey games, but you’re going to have to upgrade to Fiber TV Elite to get access to ESPN ($145 per month), and Fiber TV Panorama to get access to NFL Network ($159 per month).
How to reduce the final price of Ziply Fiber Gig + Select
When I ran a test order through Ziply Fiber’s website, a representative told me that you won’t face any additional fees beyond taxes and the router fee (which you can avoid by just purchasing your own). However, you should keep an eye on this as internet providers are often dodgy about hidden fees.
As far as what your service will look like, expect a traditional set-top box rather than a more modern streaming device. When I read reviews of Ziply Fiber’s television service in preparation for this article, I found that customers are generally unenthused with the service and often opt for alternate streaming services like YouTube TV, though those come at an additional cost.
If you need a way to further reduce your cost, read on for a federal income program that can give you a nearly $10 monthly benefit to be put toward your internet service.
If you want to read more about Ziply Fiber Gig and determine if it’s the right choice for you, you can read our full review of Ziply Gig plan.
What other discounts does Ziply Fiber offer?
Beyond the introductory first-year discount of $20, Ziply Fiber does not currently offer exclusive or permanent discounts on its internet, phone, or television services. They are not among providers offering low-income internet plans.
However, the company does participate in Lifeline, a federal benefit program designed to ease the cost of internet service for low-income families.
Ziply Lifeline options
If you meet the qualifications, the Lifeline benefit program from the Federal Communications Commission can be a big asset. When you combine Lifeline with a plan like Ziply Fiber Internet 50/50, Lifeline’s $9.25 monthly subsidy can reduce your cost to just $10.75 per month.
In order to qualify, you or a member of your family must either have an annual income that is less than 135% of the national poverty level, or:
- Participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps
- Receive Medicaid
- Receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Participate in the Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA) program, or
- Receive the Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
As you can see, those qualifications are pretty broad. Still, if you qualify, you may have to wait as long as two weeks to hear the agency’s determination.
To read more about the program and apply, go to the FCC’s Lifeline website here.
What is the cheapest Ziply Fiber plan per Mbps?
As with nearly all internet service providers, Ziply Fiber charges less per Mbps the higher you go up in speed. Here is a cost breakdown of how far your dollar stretches in the first year of your service.
| Plan | Price | Price per Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| Ziply Fiber 50/50 | $20 per month | $0.40 per Mbps |
| Ziply Fiber DSL | $50 | Varies |
| Ziply Fiber 200 | $40 per month | $0.20 per Mbps |
| Ziply Fiber Gig | $60 per month | $0.06 per Mbps |
Currently, Ziply only offers three internet speed tiers. All of them are priced pretty reasonably, and they only go up in cost by $20 per month after the first 12 months. Of the three plans, Ziply Fiber Gig is the most cost-efficient, but if you aren’t able to pay $60 (and then $80) a month for lightning-fast internet, it’s worth looking at the other plans.
Ziply Fiber 200 is a great plan for business professionals who need fast video calling, communication via phone and Slack, and more.
However, if you don’t need these things, or perhaps can’t spare $40 per month, Ziply Fiber 50/50 is a great option and features much faster upload speeds than most of the low-cost plans offered by Comcast, Cox, and other traditional internet providers.
Can I use my own router with Ziply Fiber?
As with nearly all internet providers, you can save money by purchasing your own router and modem or a combination of the two, commonly called a Wi-Fi gateway.
In fact, when I asked a Ziply representative about ways to keep my monthly costs low, even she reiterated this fact. By purchasing a gateway or a modem and router for around $100-$150, you can save on monthly rental costs and actually own the equipment you’re using.
Summary: follow these tips to pay the lowest possible price
Ziply Fiber is fast becoming an important player in the Pacific Northeast internet market, and it’s not hard to see why. The company mostly deals in fiber internet, which is reliable and fast. On top of that, the prices for each plan are pretty reasonable and able to be bundled with other services like television and home phone easily.
However, probably because of these low prices, Ziply Fiber does not offer the discounts that other internet providers do. You won’t find discounts for teachers, first responders, veterans, or the elderly here, but there are ways to save on your monthly cost.
For one, as I explained above, make sure that you buy your own router and modem or Wi-Fi gateway. It will be a higher upfront cost, but will likely pay for itself within the first 10-15 months.
Second, make sure that you pay online and sign up for autopay. Doing so will save you $6 a month ($72 a year), which is a high price just to receive paper statements.
Third: It’s not exactly what Ziply is known for, but the company does offer a DSL (traditional, non-fiber) internet service. The plan is $50 per month, but the speeds are highly variable; the documents I reviewed online showed that speeds ranged from 0.5 Mbps to 115 Mbps download. That’s a wide range of speeds, but the price is the same no matter which speed you get. If this kind of connection is the only one available at your house, the speeds you get might not justify the price.
Lastly, keep an eye on your monthly bill. At the end of your first 12 months of service with Ziply, your internet costs will go up by $20, no matter what plan you have. And while this price increase is modest compared to other internet providers like Xfinity and Spectrum, it could still push the price of your plan beyond what you’re able to pay.
During the hour-and-a-half I spent interacting with three friendly Ziply Fiber representatives, I found the customer service helpline to be efficient and useful.
However, keep in mind that several reviews of the company listed on the Better Business Bureau’s website cite slow repair times and frustrations with billing. If you have any questions about the plans you are pursuing, I suggest speaking with a Ziply Fiber signup representative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ziply Fiber have cheaper low-income assistance plans?
Ziply Fiber does not currently have a low-income assistance plan. However, Ziply Fiber 50/50 is only $20 per month, a price that is only $5 more than Spectrum’s low-income plan. Ziply Fiber also participates in the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program, which gives eligible individuals a $9.25 monthly subsidy for internet service.
Does Ziply Fiber offer discounts?
Ziply Fiber offers a $20 off discount for all new internet-only customers. The company does not currently offer discounts on the basis of demographic or occupation, such as for teachers, students, veterans, or first responders.
What is the cheapest Ziply Fiber internet-only plan?
Ziply Fiber 50/50 is Ziply Fiber’s cheapest plan at only $20 per month for the first twelve months. After the 12-month introductory period, however, you should expect to pay $40 per month for the same service.
How much does Ziply Fiber installation cost?
Ziply Fiber offers free installation to all customers, which is unusual for fiber to the home providers.
