Ting Internet: Plans, Pricing & Reviews

Ting Internet, a division of Tucows Inc., entered the residential fiber internet market with a simple but ambitious mission: build modern fiber optic networks in cities where existing internet service is mediocre and deliver a customer experience that sets a new standard for the industry. Unlike most ISPs that acquired their infrastructure through mergers and acquisitions, Ting designs and constructs its own fiber-to-the-home networks from the ground up, ensuring every subscriber gets a purpose-built, future-proof connection.

Since launching its first market in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2015, Ting has expanded to more than a dozen cities across the country. This review provides a thorough examination of Ting's internet service, covering plans, pricing, performance, coverage, and how the company compares to both national and local competitors.

Ting Internet Overview

Ting Internet operates exclusively as a fiber-to-the-home provider. There's no DSL fallback, no cable hybrid, and no satellite option. If Ting is available at your address, you're getting a direct fiber optic connection from Ting's network core to an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) inside your home. This all-fiber approach means every Ting subscriber gets the full benefits of fiber technology: symmetrical speeds, ultra-low latency, and resistance to electromagnetic interference and weather-related degradation.

The company takes a community-by-community approach to expansion. Rather than blanketing entire metro areas, Ting identifies specific neighborhoods where residents have expressed interest in better internet service, then builds fiber infrastructure to serve those areas. This demand-driven model means Ting's expansion is methodical, but the areas it does serve receive world-class infrastructure.

Ting Internet Plans & Pricing

Ting's plan structure is refreshingly minimal. Rather than offering a confusing array of tiers, bundles, and add-ons, Ting keeps things straightforward:

Ting's pricing is straightforward with no introductory discounts that spike after a promotional period. The price you see is the price you pay, month after month. While $89/month may seem higher than introductory rates from cable providers, consider what you're actually getting:

• Symmetrical speeds: Your 1 Gbps upload speed alone exceeds the total download speed of most cable plans
• No data caps: Use as much bandwidth as you want without overage charges
• No contracts: Cancel anytime without early termination fees
• No equipment rental fees: The ONT is provided at no charge; bring your own router
• Free installation: Ting builds the fiber connection to your home at no cost, which can represent thousands of dollars in construction value
• No hidden fees: The monthly bill matches the advertised price

When you factor in the equipment rental fees ($14/month), data cap upgrade fees ($30/month), and post-promotional price increases common with cable providers, Ting's $89/month often ends up costing less than a comparable cable plan over a two-year period.

Coverage & Availability

Ting Internet is available in select cities where the company has built or is actively building fiber infrastructure. Current and announced Ting markets include:

• Charlottesville, VA - Ting's original market, with extensive neighborhood coverage
• Westminster, MD - Citywide fiber deployment
• Holly Springs, NC - Growing fiber footprint in the Raleigh metro area
• Fuquay-Varina, NC - Active fiber construction
• Rolesville, NC - Part of Ting's Triangle region expansion
• Sandpoint, ID - Rural community fiber project
• Centennial, CO - Denver metro area market
• Culver City, CA - Los Angeles area fiber deployment
• Solana Beach, CA - San Diego area coastal community
• Encinitas, CA - San Diego area expansion
• Alexandria, VA - DC metro area market
• Fullerton, CA - Orange County market

Within each city, Ting builds fiber neighborhood by neighborhood. Even if Ting operates in your city, your specific address may not yet have fiber available. Ting's website lets you check your address and sign up for notifications if construction hasn't reached your area yet. The company uses a neighborhood interest model: areas with the most sign-ups get prioritized for construction.

To see all options at your address, use our internet availability checker.

Network Technology & Performance

Ting's all-fiber network delivers premium performance across every measurable metric:

Speed: Real-world speed tests on Ting connections consistently show 900-950 Mbps download and upload on the 1 Gbps plan, and 1,800-1,900 Mbps on the 2 Gbps plan. These results are among the highest and most consistent of any residential ISP in the country. The symmetrical nature of Ting's fiber means upload performance equals download performance, a critical advantage over cable and DSL technologies.

Latency: Ting's fiber connections deliver latency of 1-5 ms to regional servers, which is as low as physically possible for a terrestrial internet connection. This ultra-low latency benefits online gamers, video conferencing participants, and any application that requires real-time interaction. Compare this to cable's typical 15-30 ms or satellite's 40-600+ ms.

Consistency: Because each Ting subscriber has a dedicated fiber strand to their home, performance doesn't degrade during peak usage hours. There's no shared neighborhood node that gets congested when everyone starts streaming at 8 PM. Your 1 Gbps connection performs identically at 3 AM and 9 PM.

Reliability: Fiber optic cables are immune to electromagnetic interference, don't degrade in wet conditions, and have no moving parts. Ting's network infrastructure is new and purpose-built, avoiding the legacy infrastructure issues that plague older cable and telephone networks. Ting reports some of the lowest outage rates in the industry.

Equipment & Setup

Ting's equipment approach is distinct from most ISPs:

ONT (Optical Network Terminal): Ting installs a small ONT device in your home during installation. This converts the fiber optic signal to an Ethernet signal that your router can use. The ONT is provided and maintained by Ting at no charge.

Router: Unlike most ISPs, Ting does not provide or rent a Wi-Fi router. You bring your own router and connect it to the ONT via Ethernet. This approach gives you complete control over your home network setup and avoids monthly rental fees. Ting recommends routers that support at least Wi-Fi 6 for optimal performance, and their support team can help you choose a compatible device.

For customers who prefer a managed Wi-Fi experience, Ting offers an optional whole-home mesh Wi-Fi service for an additional monthly fee. This includes professional placement of mesh access points tailored to your home's layout.

Customer Reviews & Satisfaction

Ting Internet consistently earns among the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any ISP in the United States. The company's Net Promoter Score (NPS) routinely exceeds 80, placing it in the same rarified territory as brands like Apple and Costco. Key themes from customer feedback:

What customers love:

• Blazing fast, symmetrical speeds that consistently meet or exceed advertised rates
• Transparent, honest pricing with no hidden fees or bill surprises
• Exceptional customer support, with human agents who resolve issues quickly and courteously
• No data caps or throttling under any circumstances
• Free installation including fiber construction to the home
• The company genuinely listens to community feedback and adapts its service accordingly
• Simple, hassle-free billing with no annual contracts

Customer concerns:

• Very limited geographic availability; most U.S. addresses cannot get Ting
• No TV or phone bundling option (internet-only provider)
• $89/month starting price is higher than promotional rates from cable competitors
• Bring-your-own-router requirement may confuse less technical customers
• Neighborhood-by-neighborhood build-out means long waits in some areas

Pros & Cons

Ting vs. Other Fiber Providers

In markets where Ting operates, customers may have access to other fiber providers. Here's how Ting compares to notable alternatives:

Ting's 1 Gbps pricing is slightly above AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber, but when you factor in Ting's zero equipment fees, zero hidden charges, and the absence of promotional pricing that increases later, the total cost of ownership is highly competitive. Ting's customer satisfaction scores are difficult to beat at any price point.

For a broader comparison of fiber vs. cable technologies, see our Fiber vs Cable guide. To explore all available providers in your area, visit our state provider guides.

Ting for Remote Workers & Content Creators

Ting's symmetrical fiber speeds make it one of the best internet services for people who work from home or create digital content. Here's why:

• Video conferencing: With 1 Gbps upload, you'll never experience degraded video quality or frozen screens on Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet, even while other household members stream or download
• File sharing: Uploading a 10 GB project file takes approximately 80 seconds on Ting's 1 Gbps connection, versus 45 minutes on a cable connection with 30 Mbps upload
• Cloud backup: Continuous backup to services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Backblaze runs seamlessly in the background without consuming noticeable bandwidth or degrading other activities
• Livestreaming: Content creators can stream at 4K resolution to Twitch, YouTube, or TikTok while maintaining consistent quality throughout the broadcast
• VPN performance: VPN connections to corporate networks benefit from both high bandwidth and low latency, making remote desktop applications and internal tools feel like they're running locally

Installation Process

Ting's installation process is more involved than cable or DSL but results in a permanently installed, high-value asset connected to your home:

1. Check availability: Enter your address on Ting's website to confirm fiber is live at your location
2. Schedule installation: Ting coordinates an installation appointment, typically within 1-2 weeks
3. Exterior work: A technician routes fiber cable from the nearest distribution point to your home's exterior, attaching it along the utility path
4. Interior work: The fiber is brought inside through a small drilled hole or existing conduit, and the ONT is installed in a convenient location near your router
5. Activation: The technician activates your connection, verifies speeds, and ensures the ONT is functioning correctly
6. Connect your router: Plug your personal router into the ONT's Ethernet port and configure your Wi-Fi network

The entire process takes 2-4 hours. Ting covers all installation and construction costs, which can represent $1,000-$3,000 in infrastructure value, at no charge to the subscriber.