You’re likely to find the fastest speeds possible from a fiber provider but cable internet providers offer gigabit download speeds, as well.
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How we evaluate high-speed internet providers
Contrary to many of the other products and services tested at CNET, there’s no reliable, repeatable way to test internet providers in a controlled environment. Instead, we perform frequent, in-depth evaluations of each provider to develop our reviews and recommendations.
We evaluate each ISP based on three categories: speed, value and customer care.
Speed includes not only the provider’s fastest download speeds but also the variety of speed tiers, upload speeds, reliability and other factors.
Value focuses on price primarily, but also takes into account anything else that can affect upfront and ongoing costs such as equipment fees, installation costs, data caps, price increases and any signup bonus offers.
Customer care covers pretty much everything else, from contract requirements to expansion efforts, customer satisfaction scores, BBB ratings and even consideration for what people have to say about the ISP on Reddit.
Equipped with an understanding of everything a customer would need to know about an ISP to make an informed decision, we’re able to identify the providers and plans that stand out in a particular category, such as “best high-speed internet.”
Occasionally, no single provider or plan strikes us as “best overall” because each provider is unique in what it offers. Such is the case with this page. For a variety of reasons, each featured high-speed ISP could be considered the “best overall.” Instead of singling out a definitive best overall, I focus on what each provider does best, then leave it to you to decide which makes the most sense for your needs.
For more information about our review process, check out our guide to how CNET reviews internet providers.
Best high-speed internet provider honorable mentions
These providers, along with regional providers that are too many to list here, also offer high-speed internet plans including gigabit service in select areas. In addition to the best high-speed internet providers listed above, these are certainly worth a look if available in your area.
- Astound: Cable ISP Astound offers speeds up to 1,500Mbps in select markets. Along with fast speeds, Astound stands out for its low introductory pricing but watch out for price increases once the promo pricing period ends.
- Cox: Prior to AT&T Fiber claiming the title of fastest ISP per Ookla speed test results, Cox was the fastest. The provider offers speeds of 250Mbps to 1,000Mbps and higher in many locations, although all plans come with a 1.2TB monthly data cap.
- Kinetic by Windstream: Kinetic is one of the fastest rural internet options, with gig speeds available in many areas where cable or other fiber providers are absent. With download and upload speeds up to 2,000Mbps, Kinetic is available in select areas starting at $50 per month plus $11 if you decide to rent equipment.
- Mediacom: Mediacom’s 1 Gig plan features download speeds up to 1,000Mbps and upload speeds up to 50Mbps with unlimited data starting at $60. Watch out for the price increase. After 12 months, the monthly price jumps from $60 to $130.
- Spectrum: Speeds of 500Mbps and 1,000Mbps are available throughout Spectrum internet service areas. That’s fast, but unlike many major cable ISPs, Spectrum has yet to venture above a single gig.
Fastest internet service provider recap
You likely noticed a trend in our list of the best high-speed providers. Fiber-optic providers will often be your best bet for fast home internet. Cable internet providers such as Mediacom, Spectrum and Xfinity offer decent gigabit plans but watch out for low upload speeds.
When shopping for any internet service, be sure to compare the average internet speed, pricing and features of all providers in your area to make sure you’re getting the best high-speed plan for your home.
Probably not, but they’re nice to have. For instance, the average household uses approximately 590Mbps in downstream speeds and 31Mbps in upstream, so speeds of 1,000Mbps should be more than enough. Moreover, gigabit speeds or higher will support a large household with numerous connected devices, but so will speeds of 500Mbps or possibly even 300Mbps.
The appeal to gigabit service is that it typically doesn’t cost much more than a 300Mbps or 500Mbps plan, and the speeds will all but guarantee you’ll have enough to go around for every connected device.
Absolutely. Major providers including AT&T Fiber, Frontier Fiber, GFiber, Optimum, Verizon Fios, Ziply Fiber and others have released multi-gigabit plans within the past two years. Furthermore, FCC data shows that the availability of download speeds of 1,000Mbps or higher increased from 27% of US households as of June 2022 to 33% by the end of the year.
