Is Verizon FiOS Television Service Cheaper Than Comcast Cable?

For many years, I suffered through the experience of having Comcast cable television service. My digital cable and high-speed internet would frequently just stop working, and often I would find errors on my Comcast bill where I was charged more than I agreed to or for things I never ordered. Comcast customer service was an absolute nightmare to deal with, combining lengthy telephone hold times with rude and unknowledgable customer service representatives. Needless to say, I was not at all happy with Comcast, and I always promised myself I would switch cable companies in a heartbeat if there was another game in town. Recently, I moved to a new city where Verizon offers its FiOS internet and television services, so I quickly called up to make the switch. I have been very pleased with Verizon, they've been everything I always expected Comcast to be, and now that I've experienced Verizon FiOS, I hope to never go back to Comcast cable.

But, a big question on people's minds is which company offers cheaper cable service: Verizon or Comcast. The first thing to know is that if you agree to multiple services--such as high-speed internet and cable TV, or TV and phone--Verizon and Comcast will come within dollars of each other, depending on your area and which services you pick. Verizon charges me $69.99 for cable and high-speed internet, and Comcast would charge me $69 for the same services. Verizon definitely offers many more channels than Comcast digital cable, but the price is about the same, which makes Verizon the better value in my mind.

If you're just looking at television service, the disparity between Comcast and Verizon grows significantly. For the basic digital cable package with Verizon FiOS, it would cost $57.99 by itself. Comcast is charging $84 for the same service (although with less channels) in my area. That's a difference of almost $30. Comcast may offer customers a special price for the first year of service, but after that year rates can go up significantly. So in the end, Verizon FiOS is indeed cheaper than Comcast cable, although the savings are more pronounced for customers that don't subscribe to a bundle. Plus, I've had much better customer service experiences with Verizon than Comcast, and this makes Verizon all the more appealing to me. To check out rates from Verizon and Comcast for your area, visit the company websites listed in the resources section of this article.