Best Internet Providers in Washington – CNET

August 28, 2023

`Best Internet Providers in Washington - CNET`

Washington has many claims to fame: Apples, Mount Rainier, Starbucks, the Seahawks, Microsoft. Despite its famous tech connections, the Evergreen State doesn’t have the fastest internet in the country. In fact, it places in the bottom half of Ookla’s Speedtest.net rankings of broadband speeds for US states. City dwellers will have more choices in ISPs than most rural residents. Big national names like Xfinity, CenturyLink, T-Mobile Home Internet, Verizon 5G Home Internet and Spectrum all have a presence in Washington. The best ISP for your home depends on which providers service your location.

CNET examines customer service, speed, pricing and overall value before recommending the best broadband in your area. When it comes to Washington state, that means Xfinity is CNET’s pick for the top ISP in Washington thanks to wide availability and a variety of plan options. CenturyLink Fiber (branded as Quantum Fiber in some places) gets our nod as a top choice for fiber. The biggest issue with CenturyLink Fiber is its limited coverage area.

Kick back with a two-shot steamed hot oat milk light foam extra caramel drizzle grande macchiato and peruse CNET’s recommendations for the top ISPs in Washington state.

Best internet options in Washington

Location, location, location. Our choices for best ISPs in Washington won’t be available to every address in the state. Xfinity, for example, covers large areas, but you won’t find it in Yakima or Walla Walla. Spectrum covers those spots. 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.

Note: The prices, speeds and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed in the product detail cards, which represent providers’ national offerings. Your particular internet service options — including prices and speeds — depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.

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Xfinity

Best overall among internet providers in Washington

Or call to order: (877) 498-5506

Product details

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

Comcast’s Xfinity home internet service has the widest reach of any wired ISP in Washington, with the FCC estimating it services nearly 71% of residential units. A combination of availability and decent speeds vault Xfinity to the top of our list of recommended ISPs for the state, but double check if fiber from the likes of CenturyLink or Ziply is available to you before you sign up for cable.

Availability: Xfinity’s primary presence is found running along the eastern side of the state from Bellingham in the north down to the Oregon border. It’s also available in the Spokane area. If you’re looking for cable internet in other areas of the state, check into Spectrum.

Plans and pricing: Xfinity has one of the cheapest plans available from a big ISP: $20 for 75Mbps with a one-year contract (equipment not included). On the high end, there’s a 1,200Mbps plan for $70 per month with no contract and gear included. That’s a decent deal for that speed level, though the price is only good for two years.

Fees and service details: Take your time when picking out a plan. There are a lot of details to work through with Xfinity. The lowest prices are often reserved for plans that require contracts, but there are contract-free options as well. Many plans come with a 1.2TB data cap, but there are ways around that if you’re worried about hitting the limit. Some plans include equipment. Expect the monthly price to rise once your initial promo period expires.

Read our Xfinity Internet review.

Or call to order: (877) 498-5506

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CenturyLink Fiber/Quantum Fiber

Best fiber service among internet providers in Washington

Or call to order: (877) 731-3490

Product details

Price range $30 – $70 per month Speed range 200 – 940Mbps Connection Fiber Key Info Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included with gigabit tier

CenturyLink has two personalities. There’s its outdated and relatively slow DSL, and then there’s its fiber network. This recommendation is for CenturyLink’s fiber internet, sometimes branded as Quantum Fiber. It offers steady, fast speeds and equally speedy uploads, all for a reasonable price.

Availability: CenturyLink’s fiber service is notably available in parts of the Seattle, Spokane and Vancouver areas. It earned CNET’s recognition as the best fiber ISP in Seattle.

Plans and pricing: Nationwide, there can be some variation in plan prices and speeds. I recently found Quantum Fiber offering 200Mbps for $50 per month or 940Mbps service for $65 per month in Seattle. In mid-2022, CenturyLink’s parent company Lumen announced speeds up to 8 gigabits for select residents near Seattle, but most customers will find speeds topping out at 940Mbps.

Fees and service details: There are no contracts and no data caps. The higher-end plan includes Wi-Fi equipment, while the lower-end plan offers you a $15-per-month Wi-Fi equipment rental or the option to provide your own gear.

Read our CenturyLink home internet review.

Or call to order: (877) 731-3490

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T-Mobile Home Internet

Best 5G home internet among providers in Washington

Or call to order: (877) 687-6988

Product details

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

Verizon and T-Mobile are making a compelling case for 5G home internet across the US. If you can get a strong connection, it’s a viable and affordable alternative to some wired services, particularly DSL. T-Mobile’s coverage area across Washington is why I’m calling it out for special recognition here, but you can also compare it with Verizon’s home internet service if it’s available to you.

Availability: T-Mobile’s coverage map shows 5G Ultra Capacity service is available in most metro areas, including Seattle, Yakima, Kennewick and Spokane.

Plans and pricing: T-Mobile’s plan is simple. For $50 per month, expect typical download speeds between 72-245Mbps. Speeds can vary quite a bit based on location and network demand. With an eligible phone plan, your monthly fee dips to $30.

Fees and service details: In keeping with the theme of simplicity, T-Mobile has no data caps or contracts, and equipment is included. There’s a $35 setup fee, but look for a $50 reward card or other perks to make that more palatable.

Read our T-Mobile Home Internet review.

Or call to order: (877) 687-6988

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Ziply Fiber

Best rural fiber internet provider in Washington

Or call to order:

Product details

Price range $40 – $300 per month Speed range 100 – 10,000Mbps Connection Fiber Key Info Unlimited data, no contracts, fast rural internet connection

Ziply Fiber has been building out its network to suburban and rural communities in Washington. While Ziply also offers DSL in some parts of its Northwest footprint, this recommendation is specifically for its fiber service, which delivers speeds up to 10Gbps.

Availability: Ziply services are scattered around the state, including parts of the Seattle metro area and the Tri-Cities. In late 2022, Ziply announced the acquisition of iFiber Communications, which services Grant, Douglas, Chelan, Pend Oreille, Mason, Kitsap and Franklin counties.

Plans and pricing: Ziply’s fiber speeds run from 100Mbps to 10,000Mbps with monthly prices ranging from $20 to $300. There’s a sweet spot at the 1-gig level for $60 per month at an initial promo rate.

Fees and service details: There are no data caps and no contracts required with Ziply. Some plans start off at a low promotional rate and then go up after a year. For example, the $20-per-month 100Mbps plan goes up to $40. There’s an optional $10 per month equipment fee. If you get the 10-gig service, be prepared for a $300 installation fee.

Read our Ziply Fiber review.

Or call to order:

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Starlink

Best potential among satellite internet providers in Washington

Or call to order:

Product details

Price range $20 – $80 per month Speed range 20 – 250Mbp Connection Satellite Key Info 1TB data limit, no term contract, low latency

Starlink doesn’t outright run away with my recommendation for best satellite internet in Washington state, but it’s close. At its best, Starlink’s speeds top those of competitors Viasat and HughesNet, but downloads can vary considerably based on network demand. Starlink is launching satellites at a furious pace, which should help ease congestion issues.

Availability: Starlink is still building up its capacity, so availability may vary. A recent look at Starlink’s map shows most of the state is open, with a few small pockets still waiting for service later in the year.

Plans and pricing: There are two tiers of service, with the standard plan running $120 per month for typical speeds in the 25-220Mbps range. Power users might want to opt for the $250-per-month priority plan that comes with 1TB of prioritized data and priority support. Starlink says the pricier plan gives users “faster and more consistent speeds.”

Fees and service details: One of Starlink’s most attractive features is that it doesn’t require a contract. Data is unlimited, but subscribers to the priority plan will get network precedence over standard plan users. As with other satellite ISPs, equipment is expensive. Most residential users will want to opt for the $599 standard hardware.

Read our Starlink overview.

Or call to order:

Provider	Connection type	Price range	Speed range	Data cap	Availability
Advanced High Speed Internet	Fixed wireless	$40-$150	3-200Mbps	None	Yakima County
Benton REA PowerNET	Fixed wireless	$50-$120	2-100Mbps	None	Mid-Columbia and Lower Yakima Valleys
Nikola Broadband	Fixed wireless	$70-$150	10-100Mbps	None	Sequim area
POVN	Fixed Wireless/fiber	$75-$130	5-100Mbps	None	Pend Oreille County
Ptera	Fixed wireless/fiber	$45-$115	15-1,000Mbps	None	Inland Northwest
ToledoTel	Fiber	$60-$215	25-1,000Mbps	None	Toledo area
Washington Broadband	Fixed wireless/cable/fiber	$39-$250	1.5-900Mbps	None	Yakima area
Wifiber	Fixed wireless/fiber	$45-$160	4-1,000Mbps	None	Eastern Washington
Ziply Fiber	Fiber	$20-$300	100-10,000Mbps	None	Snohomish County

1 World Solutions Technology News & Info

1 World Solutions Technology News & Info

Best Internet Providers in Washington – CNET

`Best Internet Providers in Washington - CNET`