Frontier Fiber is CNET’s top recommendation as the best internet provider in Long Beach, California. We picked it because of its fast, symmetrical speeds, unlimited data and competitive pricing. Spectrum is also an excellent option, and both ISPs have budget-friendly plans starting at $30 per month, though Spectrum is available to nearly all of Long Beach. Just note that both providers bump up their prices after 12 months. For those in need of blazing-fast connectivity, Frontier Fiber has a 7-gig plan for $300 per month.
Want predictable billing without surprise increases? T-Mobile Home Internet is an excellent alternative. It locks in your rate for as long as you stay subscribed, and you can also get discounts for bundling internet and eligible mobile plans, making it an affordable choice for current T-Mobile users.
$60-$80 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers)
50-1,000Mbps
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Long Beach internet providers such as Verizon may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including Frontier, T-Mobile Home Internet and Spectrum, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of deals and promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
How fast is Long Beach broadband?
Long Beach ranks 51st out of the 100 most populated cities in the US for internet speed, according to Ookla speed test results. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Residents receive median download speeds of 232Mbps and upload speeds of nearly 40Mbps. That’s faster than Anaheim, San Diego and Los Angeles but slower than Santa Ana, San Bernardino and Irvine.
Fastest internet plans in Long Beach
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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 Federal Communications Commission. 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 and 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 like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming all at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Long Beach
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 database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
This guide leverages an in-house artificial intelligence tool called RAMP, which is trained on our own writing and uses our database to generate content about specific internet service providers that our writers can use in determining and presenting our picks for a given guide. Check CNET’s AI policy for more information about how our teams use (and don’t use) AI tools.
Because our database is not exhaustive, we go to the FCC’s website to check the primary data for ourselves and make sure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we input local addresses on provider websites to find the specific options available to 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 our prepublication fact-check.
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?
The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but 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, 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.
To explore our process in more depth, you can visit our how we test ISPs page.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Long Beach?
Long Beach residents have a few good home internet options to choose from. Fiber internet is available to 2 in 3 residents, almost entirely from Frontier Fiber. Fortunately, Frontier’s plans start at just $30 a month, far less than you’d usually pay for the speed it provides. If you don’t want to deal with the headache of a price increase, T-Mobile Home Internet guarantees it will never raise your price.
Internet providers in Long Beach FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Long Beach?
Yes, fiber internet is available to 69% of Long Beach residents, according to FCC data, primarily through Frontier.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Long Beach?
Frontier Fiber offers the fastest plan in Long Beach, with symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 7,000Mbps.
