Best Internet Providers in Rochester, New York – CNET
Best Internet Providers in Rochester, New York - CNET
What is the best internet provider in Rochester?
Spectrum is the best internet provider in Rochester, with widespread coverage, low starting prices and fast speeds. Just be prepared for the price to double (or more) when promotional pricing expires after two years. Greenlight Networks is the best fiber internet provider in the area, but it’s currently only available to 17% of Rochester households. If you can get it, Greenlight offers the best value in the city. If you’re sick of price increases and complicated plans, T-Mobile Home Internet offers simple, all-in-one pricing and guarantees your bill won’t go up for as long as you remain a customer.
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Our methodology
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Rochester across a number of categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers’ terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: certain addresses may qualify for different tiers of service, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider’s website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider’s pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs, while the text is specific to what’s available in Rochester. The prices referenced within this article’s text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month — a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might be available as well, for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Rochester, New York
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Spectrum
Best internet provider in Rochester, NY
Product details
Spectrum is the best internet provider in Rochester almost by default — it’s the only wired connection that’s widely available in the city — but it still gives you fast, reliable service at a decent price. However, its upload speeds are on the slow side, which could be a problem for households that do a lot of videoconferencing or online gaming, and prices increase significantly on every Spectrum plan after the initial promotional periods. That’s why Spectrum’s customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power and the American Customer Satisfaction Index are below average.
Availability: Spectrum is available to 92% of households in Rochester.
Plans and pricing: There are three Spectrum internet plans in Rochester: 300/10Mbps for $30 per month ($80 after one year), 500/20Mbps for $40 ($100 after two years) and 1,000/35Mbps for $60 ($120 after two years).
Fees and service details: Spectrum charges an extra $5 a month to rent a router, but it doesn’t have any data caps or contracts.
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Greenlight Networks
Best fiber internet in Rochester, NY
Product details
Greenlight Networks is a local fiber provider in New York, and if it had better coverage in Rochester, it’d be an easy choice for our top pick. Greenlight offers symmetrical upload and download speeds for reasonable prices, and you won’t have to worry about your bill jumping unpredictably when your promotion runs out. Only about 1 in 5 Rochester households can get it right now, but Greenlight plans to expand that number.
Availability: Greenlight Networks is available to 17% of Rochester households, with the highest coverage in neighborhoods like Greece, Browncroft and Brighton.
Plans and pricing: There are four Greenlight plans available in Rochester. You can get 500/500Mbps speeds for $50 a month, 1,000/1,000Mbps for $75, 2,000/2,000Mbps for $100 or 5,000/5,000Mbps for $200.
Fees and service details: You won’t have to worry about data caps or contracts with Greenlight, but if you want to rent a router, it’ll add between $5 and $15 to your monthly bill, depending on which plan you choose. There’s also a $100 installation fee, which is a rarity among internet providers these days — and also just plain annoying.
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T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless internet in Rochester, NY
Product details
If you don’t want to deal with Spectrum’s price hikes and Greenlight isn’t available at your address, T-Mobile Home Internet is a fine backup option. Its speeds won’t blow you away, but for a house with one or two people, it should be plenty. If you find it’s not getting the job done, T-Mobile lets you cancel in the first 15 days for a full refund.
Availability: T-Mobile Home Internet is available to 83% of Rochester households.
Plans and pricing: T-Mobile only offers one home internet plan for $50 a month. Download speeds average between 72 and 245Mbps, and upload speeds are between 15 and 31Mbps
Fees and service details: All the equipment you’ll need is included in the monthly price and there are no data caps or contracts. You can also save an extra $20 each month by bundling with an eligible T-Mobile cellphone plan.
Rochester internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier | Fiber | $50-$155 | 500-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 6.3 |
| Greenlight Networks | Fiber | $50-$200 | 500-5,000Mbps | $5-$15 | None | None | NA |
| Spectrum | Cable | $30-$60 | 300-1,000Mbps | $5 (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible phone plan) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other available internet providers in Rochester
- Frontier Fiber: FCC mapping data shows that Frontier is available in 66% of Rochester, but most of that is Frontier’s slower DSL service, which we wouldn’t recommend to anyone. If you’re one of the lucky few who can get Frontier Fiber, it’s worth a look. You’ll get fast, symmetrical speeds at a decent price, and prices don’t automatically increase after the first year. Coverage is densest in neighborhoods like Lyell Otis, Northland-Lyceum and Irondequoit.
- Satellite internet: Three satellite providers cover the entire city of Rochester, but we would only recommend them as a last resort. Plans from HughesNet and Viasat come with stingy data caps, slow speeds and high prices. Starlink is a newer option from SpaceX that offers faster speeds and unlimited data, but equipment costs $599 upfront, and plans start at $120 a month.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon leverages its cellular network for home internet in Rochester, but it’s only available to 16% of residents. If you can get it, though, it’s worth considering. Speeds get up to 1,000Mbps in some areas, and you can get discounts with an eligible Verizon cellphone plan.
Cheap internet options in Rochester
With an average starting price of $46 a month, Rochester has a number of cheap internet plans to choose from. There are six plans available in the area for $50 or less, which is more than most cities. That said, Spectrum’s plans increase significantly after one or two years, so it might be worth opting for a slightly more expensive plan from the start.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Rochester?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | $30 ($80 after one year) | 300Mbps | $5 (optional) | None |
| Spectrum | $40 ($100 after two years) | 500Mbps | $5 (optional) | None |
| Frontier | $50 | 500Mbps | None | None |
| Greenlight Networks | $50 | 500Mbps | $15 (optional) | None |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | $50 ($35 with eligible phone plan) | 300Mbps | None | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Rochester
The best internet deals and the top promotions in Rochester depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Rochester internet providers such as Spectrum may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including T-Mobile and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of deals, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
How fast is Rochester broadband?
Rochester has some of the fastest broadband plans you’ll find anywhere in the country, but they’re not available everywhere in the city. Of Rochester’s residents, 28% have access to fiber internet from Frontier or Greenlight. Both offer symmetrical speeds up to 5,000Mbps. If you can’t get a fiber provider, you can still access gig speeds through Spectrum or Verizon.
Fastest internet plans in Rochester
| Provider | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Starting price | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Fiber 5 Gig | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $155 | None | None |
| Greenlight Fastest | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $200 | None | None |
| Frontier Fiber 2 Gig | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $100 | None | None |
| Greenlight Faster | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $100 | None | None |
| Frontier Fiber 1 Gig | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $70 | None | None |
| Greenlight Fast | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $75 | None | None |
| Spectrum Internet Gig | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | $60 ($120 after two years) | None | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | 1,000Mbps | 50Mbps | $70 ($45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | None | None |
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 FCC. Note that these are only guidelines — and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.
- 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics — browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, 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 Rochester
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for 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 the time of publication.
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?
While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When it comes to selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though 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 also take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Rochester?
Most Rochester residents will only have access to one or two good options for home internet. With broad coverage and fast speeds, Spectrum is our choice for the best internet provider overall. Just be aware of the steep price increases after two years. Greenlight Network’s fiber internet plans are the best value in the city, but they’re only available to around 1 in 5 residents. T-Mobile Home Internet is another good option for smaller households that don’t need a ton of speed, and it’s available to most houses in Rochester.
Internet providers in Rochester FAQs
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What is the best internet service provider in Rochester?
Spectrum is the best internet provider for most people in Rochester, with widespread coverage, fast speeds and low starting prices. The main downsides are low upload speeds and price increases after two years. Fiber internet from Greenlight Networks offers better value than Spectrum, but it’s only available to 17% of Rochester residents.
