What is the best internet provider in Salinas, California?
AT&T Fiber is the best internet service provider in Salinas. It’s the only fiber provider in the city, which means it’s the only one with symmetrical upload and download speeds — ideal for online gamers and remote workers. The only downside is availability: FCC data shows that just 1 in 5 homes in the city have access to AT&T Fiber.
If you’re looking for the lowest prices, Xfinity is the cheapest internet provider in Salinas. Prices start at an unbelievably low $20 a month, but that’s slightly misleading — prices increase significantly after a year or two on all plans. Wireless internet from T-Mobile and Verizon is also available in parts of Salinas, but they don’t offer the same top speeds as Xfinity or AT&T Fiber, and they’re more prone to network congestion.
Our methodology
Speed range
300 – 5,000Mbps
Price range
$55 – $250 per month
Our take – This is an easy choice if you live in the 19% of Salinas that can access AT&T Fiber. Fiber internet is the gold standard for internet connections, and AT&T Fiber was CNET’s pick for the best fiber internet provider nationwide. Unlike many other providers, prices don’t automatically increase after a promotional period ends, and AT&T Fiber doesn’t include fees for equipment or installation.
...
Speed range
300 – 5,000Mbps
Price range
$55 – $250 per month
Connection
Cable
Connection
Cable
Speed range
85 – 1,000Mbps
Price range
$50 – $70 per month
Our take – Another decent option in Salinas is wireless internet. T-Mobile and Verizon both have 5G coverage in the city, and their home internet plans provide plenty of speed for households that don’t do a lot of bandwidth-intensive activities like online gaming. You can also take advantage of significant discounts when you bundle them with an eligible cellphone plan.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Salinas
The best internet deals and top promotions in Salinas depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Salinas internet providers, such as Xfinity and Verizon 5G Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including AT&T Fiber, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
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.
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 person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Salinas
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:
Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
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 Salinas FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Salinas?
Yes, fiber internet is available to 19% of Salinas households, according to FCC data. AT&T Fiber is the only fiber provider in the city.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Salinas?
Xfinity offers the fastest internet plan in Salinas, with download speeds up to 1,200Mbps.
