Best Internet Providers in State College, Pennsylvania – CNET

What is the best internet provider in State College?

Xfinity is the best internet service provider in State College, Pennsylvania, due to its high availability, low introductory pricing and plan variety. The cable internet provider offers the cheapest internet plan in State College: $25 a month for speeds up to 150 megabits per second, and the fastest speed, up to 1,200Mbps, starting at $85 monthly.

There are some drawbacks to Xfinity, however. Cable internet supports fast download speeds, but your uploads will be significantly slower. Additionally, a contract may be required to get the lowest pricing — not exactly ideal for students living in State College a semester at a time — and renting equipment will add $15 to your bill. 

If Xfinity’s cable connection and service terms have you interested in alternatives, consider Kinetic (but only if it’s fiber, pass on the DSL) or T-Mobile Home Internet. Kinetic offers symmetrical upload and download speeds up to a gig, though availability in State College is limited. 

T-Mobile Home Internet boasts greater availability but a lower speed potential. If you can get by on the speeds — 72 to 245Mbps — the contract-free service is worth checking out, as it includes free equipment rental, unlimited data and a bundle discount for qualifying T-Mobile customers.

Our methodology

Speed range

150 – 6,000 Mbps

Price range

$20 – $300 per month

Our take – Xfinity is the only option for broadband in much of State College, but it’s not a bad one to have. Plans are competitively priced, at least until the introductory rate expires after one to three years, and the variety of speeds enables Xfinity to meet the needs of virtually any household.

...

Check with Xfinity

Speed range

150 – 6,000 Mbps

Price range

$20 – $300 per month

Product image Product image
Connection

Fiber

Connection

Fiber

Speed range

72 – 245 Mbps

Price range

$60 per month

Our take – No hassles help make up for slow speeds. T-Mobile Home Internet has a speed range of 72 to 245Mbps, but the $60-per-month service includes equipment rental and unlimited data, plus a mobile bundle discount for qualifying T-Mobile customers. There are no contracts, so there’s no risk to trying it out to see if the speeds meet your needs.

...

Check with T-Mobile

Speed range

72 – 245 Mbps

Price range

$60 per month

State College, Pennsylvania, internet providers compared

Plan Starting price Max download speed Monthly equipment fee Xfinity Connect
Read full review $25 150Mbps $15 (optional) Xfinity Connect More
Read full review $35 300Mbps $15 (optional) Kinetic 300 $40 300Mbps $11 (optional) Xfinity Fast
Read full review $40 500Mbps $15 (optional) Xfinity Superfast
Read full review $45 800Mbps $15 (optional) Verizon 5G Home Internet
Read full review $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) 300Mbps None T-Mobile Home Internet
Read full review $60 ($40 with eligible mobile plans) 245Mbps None

Image of College Avenue in downtown State College, Pennsylvania Image of College Avenue in downtown State College, Pennsylvania

Plan Starting price Max download speed Max upload speed Data cap Connection type Xfinity Gigabit Extra
Read full review $80 1,200Mbps 35Mbps None Cable Kinetic 1 Gig $70 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps None Fiber Xfinity Gigabit
Read full review $60 1,000Mbps 20Mbps None Cable Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet
Read full review $70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) 1,000Mbps 75Mbps None Fixed wireless

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines — and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

  • 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics — browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
  • 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
  • 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
  • 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
  • 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in State College, Pennsylvania

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But 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 the time of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

  1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
  2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
  3. Are customers happy with their service?

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who 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, though 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.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Internet providers in State College, Pennsylvania FAQs

What is the best internet service provider in State College?

According to the most recent FCC data, less than 1% of State College addresses, a total of 59 units, are eligible for fiber internet. However, FCC broadband maps aren’t always the most accurate. After running serviceability checks using random addresses throughout State College, Kinetic’s internet service appears available to more than a concentrated area of 59 homes. That said, fiber internet is certainly more limited in State College than in other parts of Pennsylvania.

What is the cheapest internet provider in State College?

Xfinity offers the fastest internet speeds in State College, up to 1,200Mbps. If you’re looking for fast download and upload speeds, Kinetic has the fastest symmetrical speeds in State College, up to 1,000Mbps.

Leave a Reply