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Google Fiber vs. MaxxSouth Broadband Internet plan comparison


Headshot of Dave Schafer
Headshot of Kathryn Casna
Researched by
Headshot of Bri Field
Reviewed by
Bri FieldAssigning Editor
Updated 4/27/23

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Google Fiber brand
Staff rating
4.3
Customer rating
4.6
(18)

  • Plans starting at $70.00
  • Download speeds up to 2000 Mbps
MaxxSouth Broadband
Staff rating
3.6
Customer rating
0.0
(0)

  • Plans starting at $14.99
  • Download speeds up to 1000 Mbps
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Google Fiber brand
Staff rating
4.3

Fast and reliable fiber connection in limited locations

Google Fiber offers affordable gig speeds with no contracts, data caps, fees, or fuss. Unfortunately, it’s still hamstrung by extremely limited availability.

What we like

  • Fast, reliable speeds
  • Affordably priced
  • Super-simple plan selection
What we don't like

  • Limited availability
  • No budget plans
Savings tip: Google Fiber often has sign-up promotions for first-time customers. Call to ask a rep about current deals and discounts.
Check deals
MaxxSouth Broadband
Staff rating
3.6

Budget-friendly internet in Mississippi and Alabama

MaxxSouth Broadband delivers fast, reliable cable and fiber internet to much of Mississippi and some of Alabama. The internet service provider (ISP) packs a ton of value in its plans, especially for smaller households. But if you want top-notch customer service, this might not be the company for you.

What we like

  • Low prices
  • Fast, reliable plans
  • Inexpensive professional installation
What we dislike

  • Poor customer service
  • No self-setup option
  • Limited availability
Savings tip: MaxxSouth Broadband often has sign-up promotions for first-time customers. Call to ask a rep about current deals and discounts.
Check deals
Google Fiber brand
Value
4.0
Some of the best value in the internet business

Google Fiber internet is an excellent value for the money. There are only two plans: 1,000 Mbps (1 gig) for $70 per month and 2,000 Mbps (2 gigs) for $100 per month. The 1 gig plan is among the most affordable we’ve seen at that speed, costing a little more than half the national benchmark fro similar plans (1). The 2 gig option is also drastically cheaper than many other providers’ similar offerings (if they even have a 2 gig plan). There’s no budget option for those who don’t need speeds this fast, but for what Google does offer, the value is hard to beat.

Pricing details vary by location. Visit
Google Fiber's website
or call to speak with a rep.
See pricing
MaxxSouth Broadband
Value
3.0
Low prices for the speed you can actually use

MaxxSouth offers plans ranging from 150 Mbps to an incredible 10 gigs. However, anything above 1 gig isn't yet widely available, and for good reason. Most households don't need near those speeds, and current devices can't use it anyway. So stick with MaxxSouth's 1 gig plans or lower. In fact, the slower your plan, the better the deal you get with MaxxSouth. A 150 Mbps plan costs just 28% of the national benchmark, while a 1 gig plan runs about 67% of the national benchmark (which is still a good deal). (1)

Plans come with unlimited data, decent upload speeds, and inexpensive equipment and installation—all with no contract. That’s a ton of value!

Pricing details vary by location. Visit
MaxxSouth Broadband's website
or call 1-844-719-0032 to speak with a rep.
See pricing
Google Fiber brand
Performance
5.0
Consistently fast performance and rock-solid reliability

Google Fiber is one of the fastest internet providers and offers excellent performance. The speeds are more than enough for even the heaviest users, and there’s enough bandwidth to power a whole household of HD streams. Since this is fiber, upload speeds are also excellent—1,000 Mbps on both plans. Unlimited data is the cherry on top of this delicious internet sundae. Our only knock is that some providers have started offering even faster speeds (though the majority of households won’t need more than what Google offers).

Available speeds vary by location. Call to speak with a Google Fiber rep or
go to its website.
MaxxSouth Broadband
Performance
5.0
High-performance cable and fiber internet plans

MaxxSouth Broadband offers cable and fiber internet plans, both of which are highly reliable. MaxxSouth’s cable plans range from 150 Mbps to 1 gig download speeds, with upload speeds from 5 Mbps to 15 Mbps, which is better than a lot of other providers.

Some MaxxSouth fiber plans boast a whopping 10 gigs (holy cannoli!) with symmetrical connections (meaning the upload speeds match the download speeds). However, it's more realistic to see actual speeds max out at around 1 gig, even if you buy a faster plan. With 10 gigs, you could host the mother of all LAN parties (can we join?) and still have mountains of leftover bandwidth.

Available speeds vary by location. Call 1-844-719-0032 to speak with a MaxxSouth Broadband rep or
go to its website.
Google Fiber brand
Equipment and installation
4.0
Free installation, free equipment, and no sneaky fees

Equipment is another area where Google Fiber really shines. Installation of the fiber jack is free, and there are no monthly fees for the network box, which functions as both a modem and router. This means that, outside of any state-imposed access fees, the advertised prices are what you’ll actually pay for broadband internet service. Many other providers end up costing $10–$15 more per month due to equipment rental fees, so this is a refreshing change of pace.

Additionally, Google doesn’t charge any sort of activation fee. This is another area where other internet providers sometimes get you—they advertise free installation, but charge a significant “activation fee” that negates the deal.

On paper, Google Fiber and its equipment are fantastic. We had to bump this score down, however, because of the slow pace of installation. Some customers complain of having to wait for months or even years to have fiber installed at their homes, even after the fiber-optic cables have been laid in their neighborhoods.

Equipment and installation options can vary widely depending on
Google Fiber plans
available in your area.
View plans
MaxxSouth Broadband
Equipment and installation
4.0
Low-cost installation and quality gear

MaxxSouth has minimal equipment and installation costs. A router/modem combo is included in your plan’s pricing, which is a rare find indeed. If you have a large home or a big family, though, you probably want to spring for this provider’s eero TrueMesh Wi-Fi, which uses multiple signal extenders placed throughout your home for the best coverage. At a reasonable $15 per month, this Wi-Fi package also includes an app that helps you find and eliminate dead spots, set parental controls, and even gives you access to remote support.

MaxxSouth’s professional installation will cost you around $20 in most cases, though if your home isn’t quite internet ready, this cost could go up. Since professional installation usually costs $70–$100 even for plug-and-play homes, that’s a sweet deal. The downside is that there’s no free self-install option, which means you’ll have to schedule an appointment. But there are worse trade-offs.

Equipment and installation options can vary widely depending on
MaxxSouth Broadband plans
available in your area.
View plans
Google Fiber brand
Customer experience
4.5
Straightforward pricing, clear bills, and consistent speeds

Given the excellent speeds, (relatively) affordable pricing, and lack of fees, it’s safe to say that living with Google Fiber makes for a fantastic experience. For the most part, you can just do what you need to do online and forget that you even have an internet service provider, which is great. When Google anticipates a change to your account or service, it generally lets you know well in advance.

If you do end up needing support, you’re dealing with Google. In general, this means really good online help and so-so phone support. That said, we’ve seen comparatively few customer service complaints about Google Fiber, and our own experience with Google Fiber has been that we rarely need customer support anyway. The company claims (2) it topped results in over 20 categories in an American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey, but the actual results of that survey don’t appear to be public, so all we have are anecdotes.

Something else that we love about Google Fiber is how straightforward the billing is. The monthly statements are very clear about how much you owe and when you’ll be charged compared to the sometimes confusing internet bills from other providers, so there’s no ambiguity about charges. You can also access your account and billing info using your Gmail login, so you don’t have to worry about yet another username and password.

Visit Google Fiber's website
or call for more information on contracts and money-back guarantees.
Go to provider
MaxxSouth Broadband
Customer Experience
2.5
Decent self-help options, but customer service needs improvement

We love that installation is just $20 in most cases and that you can call into MaxxSouth customer service 24/7/365. However, some of the customer reviews suggest that the low price and availability aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Multiple reviews cite technicians leaving holes in walls, unsightly cables, or non-functioning internet in their wake, while others say it’s hard to get a person on the phone when they call in.

MaxxSouth has some decent self-help content on its website to help you troubleshoot issues on your own, but not all issues can be solved this way. We’d love to see MaxxSouth’s customer service rise to the level of its value in other areas.

Visit MaxxSouth Broadband's website
or call 1-844-719-0032 for more information on contracts and money-back guarantees.
Go to provider
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Made up your mind?
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Google Fiber
4.6
(18)
5 Star
67%
4 Star
28%
3 Star
5%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Z
Zacharias from Kansas City, MO
Google Fiber Customer for 4+ years
Reviewed on: 6-22-2022
The signal consistently fluctuates with service. It runs well just improving on its reception efforts. Maybe have better discounts for long-standing customers. Try to reward your customers that been with you the longest.
D
Danielfrom San Antonio, TX
Google Fiber Customer for 1+ years
Reviewed on: 6-22-2022
Prices is amazing for the speed. Rarely have any issues with srevices. Can hold up to all the devices on at the same time with no lag.
C
Carriefrom Atlanta, GA
Google Fiber Customer for 1+ years
Reviewed on: 6-17-2022
Google Fi is a huge improvement over our precious service. We rarely have interruptions to service and if we do it's remedied quickly. They also do a good job communicating with customers about changes.
C
Craigfrom Shawnee, KS
Google Fiber Customer for 4+ years
Reviewed on: 6-17-2022
Google Fiber is fast and reliable. I consistently get 1 Gbps up and down. But what I really like is that I don't have to use their router/box. I currently use my Orbi with their service and have disconnected their box.
MaxxSouth Broadband
0.0
(0)
5 Star
0%
4 Star
0%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
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Endnotes and sources
1. “2022 Urban Rate Survey – Fixed Broadband Service,” FCC. Accessed 8 December 2022.2. “Google Fiber,” Google. Accessed 8 December 2022.
Endnotes and sources
1. “2022 Urban Rate Survey – Fixed Broadband Service,” FCC. Accessed 1 February 2023.
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