Best Internet Providers in California – CNET

August 10, 2023

`Best Internet Providers in California - CNET`

AT&T Fiber – Best overall among internet providers in California

Prices: $55 – $180 per month
Speeds: 300 – 5,000Mbps
Key Info: Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included

Or call to order: 855-380-9123

T-Mobile Home Internet – Best fixed wireless internet provider in California

Prices: $50 per month
Speeds: 72 – 245Mbps
Key Info: Unlimited data, equipment included, no contracts, no additional fees

Or call to order: 855-262-4644

Spectrum – Best availability among internet providers in Southern California

Prices: $40 – $70 per month
Speeds: 300 – 940Mbps
Key Info: Unlimited data, simple pricing, no contracts, modem included, free access to nationwide Wi-Fi hotspots

Or call to order: 855-380-8955

Xfinity – Best availability among internet providers in Northern California

Prices: $20 – $300 per month
Speeds: 75 – 6,000Mbps
Key Info: Data caps on some plans, lots of plan options, solid customer satisfaction numbers

Or call to order: 844-637-2783

HughesNet – Best satellite internet provider for rural California

Prices: $50 – $150 per month
Speeds: 25Mbps
Key Info: No hard data cap, nationwide availability

Or call to order: 855-380-5400

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The Golden State has quite a reputation for its contributions to the history of technology and the internet. From Apple to Intel to Silicon Valley, California is where it’s at. So it’s no surprise the state’s biggest metro areas are also great places to find fast, reliable home internet connections. Got to keep that data moving for remote workers, gamers and folks just looking to kick back and stream vintage ChiPs episodes at the end of the day.

City dwellers will likely have several ISPs to choose from, but we want to give a special shoutout to AT&T Fiber, CNET’s choice as the best overall internet provider in California. AT&T Fiber topped our recommended ISP lists for San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento — a feat that earned it our nod for best in the state. But fiber isn’t everywhere, and you may need to choose from other providers, whether it’s Spectrum, Xfinity, Cox, Frontier or a regional provider like Sonic.

CNET examines customer service, speed, pricing and overall value before recommending the best broadband in your area. Your choice for home internet in California will come down to what’s available at your address, which plans fit your budget and the speeds you need to keep you happy while you’re working, streaming, gaming or browsing.

Best internet options in California

CNET chose the following ISPs for special recognition thanks to key factors like availability, speed or affordability, or a combination of those features. Every ISP has its pros and cons. You may be able to pull down blazing speeds with fiber, but top-end plans cost a pretty penny. You may be able to get fixed wireless in places other ISPs don’t serve, but speeds may or may not be great. Use this guide to find the best options for your home internet needs.

Note: The prices, speeds and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed in the product detail cards, representing providers’ national offerings. Your particular internet service options — including prices and speeds — depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here. In addition, all prices listed on this page reflect available discounts for setting up paperless billing. If you decide not to go with automatic monthly payments, your price will be higher.

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7.4

SCORE

AT&T Fiber

Best overall among internet providers in California

Read full review

Price range $55 – $180 per month Speed range 300 – 5,000Mbps Connection Fiber Key Info Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included

Speed 7 / 10
Value 7.5 / 10
Customer Care 7.5 / 10

Call to order: 855-380-9123

Check with AT&T

Our take

Here’s why AT&T Fiber tops this list of best internet providers in the Golden State: Fast downloads. Fast uploads. Simple plan pricing. A promise not to raise your rates after the first year. Decent availability in major metro areas.

Pros and Cons

Pros

No contracts required to receive the lowest available price
No data caps for any fiber plans
Valuable perks and promotional offers

Cons

Much slower DSL plans are more prevalent than fiber options
Data caps enforced on all non-fiber plans

Availability You won’t find AT&T Fiber out in the boonies, but if you’re in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno, Bakersfield and Riverside, you may be able to get on board. Coverage is still a bit patchwork, even in big cities, so you’ll need to run your address to see if it’s available. Beware of AT&T Internet, its slow-poke DSL service. You want fiber if you can get it.

Plans and pricing AT&T Fiber’s intro-level plan is $55 monthly for 300Mbps service. On the other end of the speed spectrum, some households may be eligible for 5,000Mbps for $180 a month. Your happy place could be between those two extremes, so check into the 1,000Mbps ($80 a month) or 2,000Mbps ($110 a month) plans to balance price and speed.

Fees and service details There are no contracts or data caps with AT&T Fiber. Equipment is included.

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7.4

SCORE

T-Mobile Home Internet

Best fixed wireless internet provider in California

Read full review

Price range $50 per month ($30 for eligible mobile customers) Speed range 72 – 245Mbps Connection Fixed wireless Key Info Unlimited data, equipment included, no contracts, no additional fees

Speed 6.5 / 10
Value 7.5 / 10
Customer Care 8 / 10

Call to order: 855-262-4644

Check with T-Mobile

Our take

T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet are close competitors as fixed wireless ISPs in California. Still, T-Mobile gets our nod here thanks to wider availability across the state. However, if you’re in an area where Verizon hits 1,000Mbps (as in parts of the Bay Area), that might tip you toward Verizon. Here’s what you need to know about 5G home internet.

Pros and Cons

Pros

No contracts
No data caps
Simple, affordable pricing
Aggressively competitive with its terms and perks

Cons

Speeds may vary
Max download speeds don’t match fiber and cable
Home internet customers deprioritized over mobile

Availability T-Mobile Home Internet reaches nearly 70% of the state, according to FCC data, making it one of the most widely available ISPs in all of California. T-Mobile’s coverage map shows its 5G Ultra Capacity network reaches all the major metro areas from the Bay Area to San Diego and smaller communities in the north like Redding and Eureka.

Plans and pricing T-Mobile recently bumped its typical download speeds from 33-182Mbps to 72-245Mbps for $50 monthly. You can knock that down to $30 a month by bundling with a Go5G Plus or Magenta Max phone plan.

Fees and service details There are no contracts and no data caps, and equipment is included. T-Mobile usually charges a $35 service fee when you sign up, though it has been offering bonus deals like a $50 rewards card.

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7.2

SCORE

Spectrum

Best availability among internet providers in Southern California

Read full review

Price range $40 – $70 per month Speed range 300 – 940Mbps Connection Cable Key Info Unlimited data, simple pricing, no contracts, modem included, free access to nationwide Wi-Fi hotspots

Speed 7 / 10
Value 7.5 / 10
Customer Care 7 / 10

Call to order: 855-380-8955

Check with Spectrum

Our take

Charter Communications’ Spectrum Internet connects to nearly 47% of California households, according to the FCC, making it one of the widest-reaching ISPs in the state. It’s focused on Southern California. If you live up north, look for Xfinity instead.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Straightforward pricing
No data caps on any plans
No contracts required for internet service
Free access to Spectrum’s nationwide Wi-Fi hotspots

Cons

Competitive rates for cable, but pricier than many fiber providers
Internet service is slightly below the industry average for customer satisfaction

Availability Spectrum cable covers most of the Los Angeles area and extends to Riverside and San Bernardino. You’ll also find it in Bakersfield, San Luis Obispo and parts of the San Diego area.

Plans and pricing Spectrum speeds range from 300Mbps to 940Mbps for $50 to $90 a month. You may need to call Spectrum to find the full range of plans available to your address.

Fees and service details Spectrum’s plans are simpler than most providers’ selections. There are no contracts and no data caps. A modem is included, and you can rent a router for $5 monthly. Watch out for future price hikes, typically an extra $30 a month once your initial low-price period expires.

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SCORE

Xfinity

Best availability among internet providers in Northern California

Read full review

Price range $20 – $300 per month Speed range 75 – 6,000Mbps Connection Cable Key Info Data caps on some plans, lots of plan options, solid customer satisfaction numbers

Speed 7.5 / 10
Value 6.5 / 10
Customer Care 7 / 10

Call to order: 844-637-2783

Check with Xfinity

Our take

The FCC says Xfinity reaches around 33% of California residents. Its main stomping grounds are around the state’s northern end from the Fresno area on up. Xfinity excels in offering many plan options, but that also means you’ll need to scrutinize the details to know what you’re getting into.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Good variety of plans
Some of the fastest residential plans available
Above average scores in almost all customer satisfaction metrics

Cons

Data caps for some plans
Contracts often required to get the lowest price
Steep jump from promo price to regular rates

Availability Comcast’s Xfinity cable service is also widely available in the Bay Area and down in the Monterey Bay area. You’ll also find it inland around Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto. The company’s super-fast Gigabit Pro fiber offering is an elusive creature, but some places in San Francisco may be eligible.

Plans and pricing Xfinity’s cable plans start at $20 monthly for 75Mbps service (with a term contract). The ISP has been dangling a $70-a-month, 1,200Mbps plan in some places with no term contract. Watch out for price hikes down the line, and be ready to negotiate when yours jumps. The few households that qualify for the fiber Gigabit Pro plan can look for speeds up to 6,000Mbps for the premium price of $300 a month.

Fees and service details Navigating Xfinity’s plans can make you feel like you’re walking through a labyrinth. Some include equipment. Some include unlimited data. Some have a 1.2TB data cap that you can get around by paying extra or renting equipment that comes with a no-data-cap perk. Often, the best pricing comes saddled with a term contract, so read the details carefully and decide whether the money you’ll save is worth the commitment. If you want Gigabit Pro, you’ll be looking at up to $500 in installation costs and an equipment fee of $25 a month.

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5.7

SCORE

HughesNet

Best satellite internet provider for rural California

Read full review

Price range $50 – $150 per month Speed range 25Mbps Connection Satellite Key Info No hard data cap, nationwide availability

Speed 5.5 / 10
Value 5.5 / 10
Customer Care 6 / 10

Call to order: 855-380-5400

Check with HughesNet

Our take

The three big satellite internet competitors are Starlink, Viasat and HughesNet. Chances are good they’ll have you covered even if you’re far from any populated areas. HughesNet gets special recognition here due to its reliable speeds. Read CNET’s comparison of the best satellite internet providers.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Reliable, consistent broadband speeds in all service areas
HughesNet Bonus Zone provides an extra 50GB of data a month during off hours
No hard data caps

Cons

Two-year contract, with early termination fees if you cancel

Availability HughesNet can connect you anywhere in California if you have a clear view of the southern sky.

Plans and pricing HughesNet speeds max out at 25Mbps downloads and 3Mbps uploads. Plan pricing varies with how much data you want. It’ll cost you $50 per month for 30GB on up to $125 for 100GB. HughesNet won’t cut you off if you go over, but it could slow your downloads to a crawl once you’ve topped your data allowance.

Fees and service details Be prepared for equipment fees. You can buy the gear outright for $450 or rent for $15 per month. There’s a two-year contract, and be ready for a price increase after the first six months of service.

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Provider	Connection type	Price range	Speed range	Data cap	Availability
California Broadband Services	Fixed wireless	$50-$220	10-40Mbps	Varies	Sacramento, Yolo, San Joaquin counties
Ridge Wireless	Fixed wireless	$100-$115	20-60Mbps	None	Silicon Valley
Rocky Ridge Wireless	Fixed wireless	$60-$175	5-30Mbps	None	El Dorado and Amador counties
SkyHi Broadband	Fixed wireless	$70-$200	5-30Mbps (60Mbps plan may be available)	None	Lincoln and surrounding areas
Succeed.net	Fixed wireless	$40-$100	10-100Mbps	500GB-Unlimited	Areas around Glenn, Yuba City and Sacramento
T-Mobile Home Internet	Fixed wireless	$50	72-245Mbps	None	Large areas across the state
Ukiah Wireless	Fixed wireless	$55-$100	12-25Mbps	None	Ukiah area
unWired Broadband	Fixed wireless	$54-varies with location	Varies	None	Central California
Valley Center Wireless	Fixed wireless	$45-$105	1-30Mbps	None	North San Diego County

1 World Solutions Technology News & Info

1 World Solutions Technology News & Info

Best Internet Providers in California – CNET

`Best Internet Providers in California - CNET`