What’s the best internet provider in Johnson City?
Johnson City is part of the Tri-Cities region, located in the Appalachian range of Northeast Tennessee. CNET’s pick for the best internet service provider in Johnson City is local fiber and fixed wireless provider BrightRidge Broadband, previously known as the Johnson City Power Board. With speed options topping out at 10,000Mbps, BrightRidge is also the fastest internet provider in the city, outpacing bigger companies like Spectrum and Xfinity. Known for providing internet to the surrounding rural mountain communities, BrightRidge is available to 77% of the city, according to the FCC, and offers competitive pricing and straightforward internet plans.
If your address isn’t eligible for BrightRidge, Brightspeed and T-Mobile Home Internet are solid next-best options. Brightspeed is the only other fiber provider in Johnson City, with speeds ranging from 200Mbps to 2,000Mbps and is available to 78% of the city, according to the FCC. With its affordable introductory prices and quick speeds, Brightspeed is a close second to BrightRidge. But Brightspeed’s DSL option is more available to the city than its fiber, and unfortunately, DSL speeds don’t quite measure up to the lightning-fast speeds of fiber. T-Mobile Home Internet is the city’s best fixed wireless internet provider because of its wide availability, reliable speeds and high customer satisfaction. For $50 a month, you can get speeds ranging from 72 to 245Mbps, which is plenty fast for the average household and measures up against most fixed wireless providers.
If you’re on the hunt for cheap internet, Xfinity offers the two cheapest internet options in Johnson City. For $30 a month, you can get 150Mbps, or for $45 monthly, 300Mbps. Xfinity’s offerings are competitive and appealing, with most other internet plans starting at $50 to $60 monthly. Some providers, like Spectrum, offer low-income plans for qualifying households: Spectrum offers 50Mbps for $25 monthly, which isn’t a lot of speed. Alternatively, Brightspeed offers a discount of up to $30 per month for customers who meet the requirements, meaning you could get up to 300Mbps for just $30 a month. Other internet providers in the city may offer bundling discounts, like T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet.
Tennessee doesn’t currently offer statewide programming to replace the loss of funding from the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program, so your best bet is to find a low-priced but cost-effective plan that works for your household needs or consider negotiating with your provider.