Best Internet Providers in New York City – CNET
Best Internet Providers in New York City - CNET
- Prices from $50 – $120 per month
- Speeds from 300 – 2,000Mbps
- Unlimited data
- Prices from $50 – $90 per month
- Speeds from 300 – 940Mbps
- Unlimited data
- Prices from $20 – $80 per month
- Speeds from 100 – 1,200Mbps
- Unlimited data
- Prices from $50 – $70 per month
- Speeds from 85 – 1,000Mbps
- Unlimited data
- Prices from $30 – $80 per month
- Speeds from 50 – 1,000Mbps
- Unlimited data
New York City presents endless options and opportunities, except maybe when it comes to home internet. Most NYC residences will have access to just two or three internet service providers. The one you choose will have an impact on connection speed and quality as well as what you pay each month.
That’s why it’s important to find the best internet provider among the few New York City ISPs available in your area. I’ve landed on Verizon Fios as the best internet provider in New York City overall, but your needs and your location will determine which ISP makes the most sense for your home.
By the way, when I say New York City, I’m mostly referring to New York County — that is, Manhattan. Still, most of the top providers listed below are available throughout much of the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island as well. If you’re looking for internet providers specifically in Brooklyn, you might want to skip over to our page covering the best internet providers in Brooklyn.
Best internet providers in NYC
These internet providers serve Manhattan and the greater NYC area with fast speeds, fair introductory rates and favorable service terms such as contract-free service and unlimited data. Here are our picks for the best internet providers in New York.
<div id="toc-item-2" edition="us" superlative="Best New York City internet provider overall" imagegroup="{"alt":"Verizon Fios logo","caption":"
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” overridecredit=”Sarah Tew/CNET” linktext=”Read our Verizon internet review” linkurl=”https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/verizon-internet-review/” offer=”{"id":"969c99f9-1d7a-4bb7-b250-64086d805756","slug":"verizon-fios","label":"Verizon Fios","edition":["US","ES"],"imageId":"","imgWidth":null,"imgHeight":null,"objectType":"content_product_series","typeLabel":"Series","imgUrl":null,"icon":"type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product-series ct-small"}” techobjectinfo=”{"uuid":"969c99f9-1d7a-4bb7-b250-64086d805756","name":"Verizon Fios","slug":"verizon-fios","productType":"SERIES","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1670363896106,"displayDate":"Tue Dec 06 2022 16:58:16 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)"}” usepricing=”true” data-key=”cnetlisticle__a246ad25-01cc-42c2-a0ca-178803a7b3f2″ position=”NaN” contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”FAQ Markup + BL Precap” showdetails=”true” class=”c-broadbandListicle g-outer-spacing-bottom-large”>
Product details
Verizon Fios has the speeds and pricing you’d expect from a leading ISP, but goes a step further with unlimited data, no contract requirements and free equipment, plus special signup bonus offers.
Availability: You’ll find Verizon internet throughout New York City, though Verizon Fios, the provider’s fiber service, is not offered in all locations. Serviceability is greatest in Midtown Manhattan, Chelsea, Soho and the Lower East Side.
Plans and pricing: Service starts at $50 per month for symmetrical download and upload speeds of up to 300Mbps. That’s a generous amount of speed for an entry-level plan, and the low price makes it one of the best cheap internet plans in New York City.
Speeds of 300Mbps are suitable for most households, especially apartments, but if you need a faster connection for serious streaming, gaming or remote work, Verizon Fios offers a 500Mbps plan and a gig plan, as well.
Select areas may also be eligible for Verizon’s new multigig plan with speeds up to 2.3Gbps starting at $120 per month.
Fees and service details: All Fios plans come with unlimited data and no contracts, along with other special promotional offers like free Wi-Fi equipment, gift cards or streaming services, depending on the plan you choose.
Bonus promotional offers are enticing, but I’d say the company’s customer satisfaction record is even more attractive. Both the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power placed Verizon Fios at the top among ISPs for customer satisfaction in recent years, so it’s safe to say that many New Yorkers are largely satisfied with their Verizon Fios service, even after the free stuff may have lost its value.
<div id="toc-item-3" edition="us" superlative="Best high-speed internet coverage in New York City" imagegroup="{"alt":"Spectrum","caption":"
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” overridecredit=”Sarah Tew/CNET” linktext=”Read our Spectrum review” linkurl=”https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/spectrum-internet-review/” offer=”{"id":"737a4442-7ace-4a4d-8668-40ad005be4df","slug":"spectrum-internet","label":"Spectrum Internet","edition":["US","ES"],"imageId":"","imgWidth":null,"imgHeight":null,"objectType":"content_product_series","typeLabel":"Series","imgUrl":null,"icon":"type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product-series ct-small"}” techobjectinfo=”{"uuid":"737a4442-7ace-4a4d-8668-40ad005be4df","name":"Spectrum Internet","slug":"spectrum-internet","productType":"SERIES","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1670363902820,"displayDate":"Tue Dec 06 2022 16:58:22 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)"}” usepricing=”true” data-key=”cnetlisticle__f30edb71-80f5-440e-9c6d-5a511ef351f0″ position=”NaN” contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”FAQ Markup + BL Precap” showdetails=”true” class=”c-broadbandListicle g-outer-spacing-bottom-large”>
Product details
Availability: Most New Yorkers will find Spectrum services available at their address, as coverage spans all of Manhattan and Staten Island along with most of Queens. That said, coverage is a little sparser in Brooklyn and nearly nonexistent in the Bronx.
Plans and pricing: Like Verizon Fios, Spectrum has a fairly straightforward plan and pricing structure with service terms favorable to the customer, attributes that led to CNET naming Spectrum the best cable internet provider overall.
Spectrum’s fastest download speeds, up to 940Mbps, are available in more than 99% of service areas, so you can count on the provider for a high-speed connection no matter where you are within Spectrum’s service area. Even the slower speed tiers, 300Mbps and 500Mbps, deliver a decent amount of speed for the price.
Fees and service details: All Spectrum plans are free of data caps and contracts. A modem is included at no extra cost, but opting to rent a router for Wi-Fi service will add $5 to your monthly bill.
The only drawback to Spectrum is that it uses a coaxial cable connection. Cable internet comes with significantly slower upload speeds (Spectrum’s top out at 35Mbps) and your connection will be susceptible to slowed speeds due to network congestion during peak usage times, which could be anytime in a city that never sleeps.
<div id="toc-item-4" edition="us" superlative="Best for cheap internet in New York City" imagegroup="{"alt":"Astound Broadband logo on a phone","caption":"
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” overridecredit=”Sarah Tew/CNET” linktext=”Read our Astound internet review” linkurl=”https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/rcn-home-internet-review/” offer=”{"id":"2bf7ce3f-9340-49d9-8e70-40c0a0207be3","slug":"astound-broadband","label":"Astound Broadband","edition":["US","ES"],"imageId":"","imgWidth":null,"imgHeight":null,"objectType":"content_product","typeLabel":"Tech Product","imgUrl":null,"icon":"type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product ct-small"}” techobjectinfo=”{"uuid":"2bf7ce3f-9340-49d9-8e70-40c0a0207be3","name":"Astound Broadband","slug":"astound-broadband","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1677096355941,"displayDate":"Wed Feb 22 2023 15:05:55 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)"}” usepricing=”true” data-key=”cnetlisticle__34494bca-1071-412f-a056-d95e83af9c50″ position=”NaN” contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”FAQ Markup + BL Precap” showdetails=”true” class=”c-broadbandListicle g-outer-spacing-bottom-large”>
Product details
If you’re looking for cheap internet in New York City, Astound has the lowest introductory rates of any major ISP in the area.
Availability: You’ll find the greatest Manhattan availability from the Upper East Side and Bloomingdale down to the Financial District. Serviceability is a bit scarcer to the north in Harlem, Manhattanville and Sugar Heights, though there are random blocks scattered throughout the coverage map. Those on the northside of Brooklyn or Queens may also be serviceable for Astound internet.
Plans and pricing: Astound (formerly RCN, now Powered by RCN) has arguably the best internet deal in the New York City area: 600Mbps starting at $35 per month with one month free plus free installation. Speeds and free stuff aside, the offer is one of the outright cheapest internet plans in New York. Other Astound plans are priced cheaply as well, including the provider’s gig service, which starts at $50 per month and includes two free months and free installation.
Fees and service details: There are no data caps or contract requirements with Astound. Renting a Wi-Fi router from Astound will add $5 to your bill.
If your New York address is serviceable for Astound, it’s worth checking out for the low pricing alone, but beware of potentially steep price increases after the first year. Over time, the $35-per-month, 600Mbps plan will quadruple in price to a regular rate of $154 per month. The spike may not happen all at once, but expect the price to go way up if you stick with Astound after 24 months. The good news is that Astound doesn’t enforce long-term service contracts, so there’s nothing stopping you from jumping to another provider once your bill goes up.
<div id="toc-item-5" edition="us" superlative="Best 5G home internet provider in New York City" imagegroup="{"alt":"Verizon's 5G Home modem","caption":"
Verizon 5G Home Gateway.
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Verizon 5G Home Gateway.
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Verizon 5G Home Gateway.
","imageCredit":"Eli Blumenthal/CNET","imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageFilename":"verizon-5g-internet-gateway-13.jpg","imageDateCreated":"2022/05/26","imageWidth":6027,"imageHeight":3390,"imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}” overridecaption=”
Verizon 5G Home Gateway.
” overridecredit=”Eli Blumenthal/CNET” linktext=”Read our Verizon 5G Home Internet review” linkurl=”https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/verizon-5g-home-internet-review/” offer=”{"id":"4ad18c97-f185-444f-818b-43e229b896fa","slug":"verizon-5g-home-internet","label":"Verizon 5G Home Internet","edition":["US","ES"],"imageId":"","imgWidth":null,"imgHeight":null,"objectType":"content_product","typeLabel":"Tech Product","imgUrl":null,"icon":"type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product ct-small"}” techobjectinfo=”{"uuid":"4ad18c97-f185-444f-818b-43e229b896fa","name":"Verizon 5G Home Internet","slug":"verizon-5g-home-internet","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1677096375618,"displayDate":"Wed Feb 22 2023 15:06:15 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)"}” usepricing=”true” data-key=”cnetlisticle__073d6643-4d85-4d2f-b2c9-b7c34437a48e” position=”NaN” contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”FAQ Markup + BL Precap” showdetails=”true” class=”c-broadbandListicle g-outer-spacing-bottom-large”>
Verizon 5G Home Internet
Best 5G home internet provider in New York City
Product details
5G technology is great for our phones, but what about for home internet? With Verizon 5G Home Internet, it’s possible to get speeds and pricing rivaling a cable or even fiber internet connection.
Availability: You’ll find the best 5G Ultra Wideband coverage along the outer edges of Manhattan. It’s difficult to bounce 5G signals around and through tall buildings, so the most central locations in Manhattan, starting at around Union Square and going up 5th Avenue through Midtown and the Upper East Side, will have limited 5G availability. On the other hand, areas like Hell’s Kitchen, Harlem, Washington Heights and the Lower East Side have excellent Verizon 5G coverage.
Plans and pricing: Verizon 5G Home Internet presents two plans to choose from: $50 per month for max download speeds of 85-300Mbps or $70 per month for speeds of 300-1,000Mbps. Both are good deals on their own, but qualifying Verizon mobile customers can get 50% off their home internet bill.
Fees and service details: Verizon 5G Home Internet includes unlimited data and Wi-Fi equipment at no extra cost. No contract is required.
<div id="toc-item-6" edition="us" superlative="Best fixed wireless internet provider in New York City" imagegroup="{"alt":"Starry logo on a phone","caption":"
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","imageCredit":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageFilename":"starry-logo-2022-021.jpg","imageDateCreated":"2022/04/15","imageWidth":4000,"imageHeight":2667,"imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}” overridecaption=”
” overridecredit=”Sarah Tew/CNET” linktext=”Read our Starry Internet review” linkurl=”https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/starry-internet-review/” offer=”{"id":"685b0493-5b8e-400c-850f-03070123b4a9","slug":"starry-internet","label":"Starry Internet","edition":["US","ES"],"imageId":"","imgWidth":null,"imgHeight":null,"objectType":"content_product","typeLabel":"Tech Product","imgUrl":null,"icon":"type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product ct-small"}” techobjectinfo=”{"uuid":"685b0493-5b8e-400c-850f-03070123b4a9","name":"Starry Internet","slug":"starry-internet","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1677099433161,"displayDate":"Wed Feb 22 2023 15:57:13 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)"}” usepricing=”true” data-key=”cnetlisticle__fca76a54-584d-4b6a-9c8d-00b5fe8606aa” position=”NaN” contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”FAQ Markup + BL Precap” showdetails=”true” class=”c-broadbandListicle g-outer-spacing-bottom-large”>
Starry Internet
Best fixed wireless internet provider in New York City
Product details
Starry Internet service works by beaming wireless internet signals to a fixed location, typically a receiver located at the top of a building. The wireless delivery method helps keep operational costs relatively low, especially when compared with the high cost of laying fiber lines, and Starry passes those savings on to customers with its high-speed, low-cost and low-hassle internet service.
Availability: Starry is technically available throughout New York City, but you’ll need to live in a building wired for service to get it.
Plans and pricing: Starry plans start at $30 per month for symmetrical download and upload speeds of up to 50Mbps in select areas, but your New York address is most likely to be serviceable for the provider’s flagship plan of 200Mbps down, 100Mbps up starting at $50 per month. Faster plans, 500Mbps and gig service may also be available in select areas throughout NYC, as well as Starry’s affordable internet plan, Starry Connect.
Fees and service details: All plans come with unlimited data, no contract requirements and no equipment fees.