Why we chose these providers
Best fiber internet provider
$55 – $250 per month
There are times when cable internet, like that of Xfinity, Spectrum and Cox, is the best option. Cable is often a solid choice for cheap internet, which could be important because a recent CNET survey showed that 63% of adults paid more for internet service last year than they did the year prior. Cable can also be a fine option if you’re interested in bundling internet and TV, or internet and mobile. Cable internet boasts the highest availability of any non-satellite connection type, often making it the best option if there are no fiber providers in your area. Let’s look at which internet providers made CNET’s cut.
Our methodology
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service providers across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also closely read providers’ terms and conditions and, when needed, call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your options is to plug your address into a provider’s website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider’s pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the plan charts display the offerings most common to most areas. The prices referenced within this article’s text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month — a standard industry offering. Discounts and promotions might also be available for signing a term contract or bundling multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Pros
For comparison, you can expect Verizon’s average fiber internet plan to cost you 11 cents per Mbps. Meanwhile, most cable internet plans from names like Xfinity will typically cost you at least 17 cents per Mbps, if not more. Another point worth mentioning: AT&T offers multi-gig plans with symmetrical upload and download speeds of 2 and 5 gigabits per second.
| Plan | Starting monthly price | Max speeds | Monthly equipment fee | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Fiber 100 |
$45 | 100Mbps download and upload | None | None | None |
|
AT&T Fiber 300 |
$55 | 300Mbps download and upload | None | None | None |
|
AT&T Fiber 500 |
$65 | 500Mbps download and upload | None | None | None |
|
AT&T Fiber 1000 |
$55 | 1Gbps download and upload | None | None | None |
|
AT&T Fiber 2000 |
$125 | 2Gbps download and upload | None | None | None |
|
AT&T Fiber 5000 |
$155 | 5Gbps download and upload | None | None | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Pros
Spectrum isn’t the biggest name in cable internet — that’d be Comcast’s Xfinity — but it still offers service to approximately 30 million customers, according to Spectrum’s first quarter 2025 report. Unlike Comcast (or Cox, its other main cable rival), Spectrum doesn’t enforce a data cap and won’t tie you down to a long-term contract.
Our take – Verizon lands near the top of the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s rankings of internet providers year after year, and it’s been one of the strongest finishers with J.D. Power for multiple years running, too.
What’s more, Verizon 5G Home Internet is now available in more than 15 million homes in the country, per the company’s website. Given the nationwide need for better internet options, this is a promising development for consumers.
| Plan | Max speeds | Starting monthly price | Monthly equipment fee | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fios 300 | 300Mbps download, 300Mbps upload | $35 | None | None | None |
| Fios 500 | 500Mbps download, 500Mbps upload | $60 | None | None | None |
| Fios 1 Gig | 940Mbps download, 880Mbps upload | $75 | None | None | None |
| Fios 2 Gig | 2,300Mbps download, 1,500Mbps upload | $95 | None | None | None |
Pros
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Pros
You’ll need to take the good with the bad with just about any rural ISP, but there’s more good than bad with Rise Broadband. A fixed wireless provider covering much of the country’s middle, Rise Broadband will beam an internet signal directly to an antenna mounted outside your home, providing download speeds of up to 250Mbps for $95 monthly. That matches the top end of what you’ll get with a satellite internet plan from Hughesnet and is faster than many DSL plans, which often struggle to surpass double-digit download speeds.
Our take – Comcast is the biggest name in cable, and the company offers its Xfinity internet service to over 100 million people in the US — more than a third of the country. Subscribers will find a great variety of plans and packages to choose from, including download speeds of up to 2,000Mbps, that are available across the majority of the sprawling coverage map. In addition, Xfinity consistently earns above-average customer satisfaction scores too.
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Pros
But Google hasn’t given up: The company is working on expanding fiber access in select cities and recently rolled out plans that support speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second for $125 per month. That super-speedy plan is currently only offered in certain cities.
Our take – Satellite internet is typically slow, laggy and temperamental in inclement weather, so I’d explore other options if you’ve got them. That’s the issue; too many of us don’t have other options, and satellite internet from established names like Viasat and Hughesnet are available just about everywhere.
All of that said, there are aspects of Viasat’s service that would probably be more at home on a “worst list” than a “best list” like this. For starters, “unlimited data” isn’t truly unlimited. If you exceed 850GB in 30 days, your speeds will be slowed. Yes, you won’t incur any added fees, but your service will be affected. Make sure to shop around for other, better options in your area. If there aren’t any, Viasat is a workable choice for getting online in remote parts of the country.
| Plan | Starting monthly price | Max speeds | Monthly equipment fee | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Viasat Unleashed |
$100-$150 | Up to 150Mbps, 3Mbps upload | $15 or $250 one-time purchase | None (850GB soft cap) | None |
| Plan | Starting monthly price | Max speeds | Monthly equipment fee | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ziply Internet (DSL) | $60 | 1-115Mbps download, 7Mbps upload | $15 router (optional) | None | None |
| Ziply Fiber 100/100 | $20 ($50 after three months) | 100Mbps download and upload | $15 router (optional) | None | None |
| Ziply Fiber 300/300 | $30 ($70 after 12 months) | 300Mbps download and upload | $15 router (optional) | None | None |
| Ziply Fiber Gig | $45 | 1Gbps download and upload | $15 router (optional) | None | None |
| Ziply Fiber 2 Gig | $60 ($95 after 12 months) | 2Gbps download and upload | $15 router (optional) | None | None |
| Ziply Fiber 5 Gig | $80 ($105 after 12 months) | 5Gbps download and upload | $15 router (optional) | None | None |
| Ziply Fiber 10 Gig | $300 | 10Gbps download and upload | $15 router (optional) | None | None |
| Ziply Fiber 50 Gig | $900 | 50Gbps download and upload | $15 router (optional) | None | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Finding the right ISP for your household isn’t easy. This is especially true if you live in a rural or underserved portion of the US. We recommend carefully considering your household’s activities so you can better determine the download and upload speeds necessary to meet your needs. With that knowledge, you can better tackle plan pricing that will fit your budget and broadband demands.
Lastly, one good way to determine value is by examining the cost per Mbps. You might find a 75Mbps plan for $20 monthly from one provider and a 250Mbps plan for $30 monthly from another. Before you sign up for that $20 plan, consider that the cost per Mbps is just under 27 cents. The 250Mbps plan, on the other hand, chimes in at 12 cents per Mbps, so it’s a better value — more than 50% cheaper per Mbps — and you get more than three times the download speed.
Just as you might search the internet for recommendations on a good local restaurant, it can be helpful to research customers’ experiences with an ISP before you sign up. CNET has found it helpful to lean on the annual ISP surveys from the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, but many resources are available. Learning about constant network interruptions, a negligent help desk or frequent billing mistakes can be valuable info for choosing (or avoiding) certain providers.
There are six major types of internet available: fiber, cable, 5G, fixed wireless, DSL and satellite. Each of these internet technologies provides different quirks and benefits. Our CNET experts share their experiences with each internet connection type to better illustrate some differences.
Fiber internet is the gold standard if you can get it. It’s often called “future-proof,” meaning that it offers some of the fastest plans available and features symmetrical download and upload speeds. It’s more reliable than cable and is less prone to outages or network congestion. AT&T, Google and Verizon are among the major players that offer fiber-optic internet, but unfortunately, fiber internet is one of the least available internet connection types in the country. To learn whether this connection is right for your household, read our explainer on fiber internet.
Satellite internet is the one broadband connection type currently available to people in the rural areas of all 50 states. As a solid alternative for those without access to DSL, cable or fiber internet, satellite internet links a modem in your home to a satellite in space, sending the internet back to Earth. Typically, satellite internet features slower speeds — though Starlink has certainly disrupted expectations for satellite internet and raised the bar way up. Note that, like 5G home internet and other fixed wireless offerings, satellite internet is subject to network congestion and speed throttling.
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
It doesn’t end there: We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
The answers to those questions are often layered and complex, but the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
That depends.
One of the cheapest ways to get internet service is through government programs available for low-income families, as well as for seniors and students. To find out what low-cost internet programs are available at your address, check out our low-income state-by-state internet guide.
Lastly, you can try negotiating with your current internet provider to secure a lower rate on your broadband service. You can also keep your eyes open for internet providers that offer cheap internet, broadband deals or other internet promotions each month.
If fast is what you’re looking for, Ziply Fiber has two of the fastest internet plans of any major ISP, with advertised symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 10,000Mbps and 50,000Mbps. If you’re more interested in customer care and value, Verizon offers the best sign-up bonuses among high-speed internet providers.
In March of 2024, the FCC raised the minimum standard of “broadband speeds” to 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload. Most providers now offer a gigabit plan, but most households won’t need that much speed. According to OpenVault’s first quarter 2024 report, the average American household uses approximately 520Mbps download speeds (although nearly 33% of households get less than 200 to 400Mbps). Does that mean you’ll need that much? Not necessarily. The internet speed you need will depend on how many people use the internet in your home and for what activities.
Tier 1 internet providers have direct access to the network, letting them offer services directly to customers without relying on other providers. A few Tier 1 ISPs include AT&T, Verizon and CenturyLink, which all have extensive networks and complete control of their network and routing.
If you’re considering home internet and TV service, bundling can save you time and money. Companies like AT&T, Cox Communications and Frontier offer internet and television packages, but you can read more at CNET’s list of the best internet and TV bundles and or internet and mobile bundles. Other providers like Astound, Spectrum, T-Mobile and Verizon may offer to bundle your internet with a mobile plan.
Source: CNET.
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