Comparing live pricing and terms from 400+ carriers and platforms
The same speed at the same building can cost $5,000 to $15,000 more per year on the wrong carrier. Here is the actual spread, from real Columbus quotes.
Carriers compete on price, term, and feature mix. Most Ohio business owners sign the first quote they see.
We pulled actual quote data from six carriers serving Ohio business addresses, anonymized them, and laid out what the same speed costs at each. Carrier names stay anonymous for two reasons: pricing changes constantly and a named page goes stale in six months, and this is market intel rather than a pitch against specific brands. When we quote your address, you get the named comparison with current numbers.
| Speed | Carrier A | Carrier B | Carrier C | Carrier D | Carrier E | Carrier F | Spread (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Mbps | $295 | $425 | $340 | $280 | $385 | $450 | $2,040/yr |
| 50 Mbps | $455 | $590 | $510 | $435 | $625 | $695 | $3,120/yr |
| 100 Mbps | $565 | $795 | $690 | $525 | $840 | $1,150 | $7,500/yr |
| 1 Gbps | $695 | $1,295 | $1,100 | $895 | $1,425 | $1,650 | $11,460/yr |
Use the band as a benchmark, then compare business fiber quotes for your specific address and terms.
At the same building, the cheapest carrier above is $695 a month. The most expensive is $1,650. Same speed, same SLA. That is $11,460 a year, or $34,380 over a three-year contract.
That number is not hypothetical. It is what businesses pay because they signed the first quote.
The most common pattern. The first salesperson through the door becomes the carrier you keep for five years.
Most contracts roll silently to 30–80% higher rates at month 13. We have seen a client paying $1,890 a month for a 100 Mbps circuit that lists at $695 for new customers.
Bundling voice, internet, and a managed router gets you 10% off and locks you into a voice product for three years.
1 Gbps is fine. If your peak usage is 60 Mbps, you are paying for sixteen times the bandwidth you use.
A consumer-grade circuit on a business-critical site means 6–14 hours of downtime per outage with no SLA credits.
Thirty days before contract end you negotiate from strength. Thirty days after, you are on month-to-month retail.
| Footprint | Facility 1 | Facility 2 | Facility 3 | Facility 4 | Spread (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120V, 1A, basic SLA | $145 | $185 | $210 | $295 | $1,800/yr |
| 2.5 kW, Tier 3 | $385 | $525 | $595 | $795 | $4,920/yr |
| Half rack (21U), 3.5 kW, Tier 3, redundant power | $595 | $795 | $925 | $1,195 | $7,200/yr |
| Full cabinet (42U), 5 kW, Tier 3, redundant power and cooling | $895 | $1,150 | $1,395 | $2,450 | $18,660/yr |
Closet vs real facility: Columbus data center connectivity →
Thirty minutes with the owner. Bring a recent invoice if you have one.