Best Internet Providers in Carson, California – CNET
Best Internet Providers in Carson, California - CNET
What is the best internet provider in Carson?
Spectrum is the best internet service provider for most people in Carson, with widespread coverage, the cheapest prices (for the first one or two years, at least) and fast download speeds. The main downsides are Spectrum’s price increases and lower upload speeds, which could hamper online gaming and videoconferencing.
The fastest internet available in Carson is AT&T Fiber, with symmetrical download and upload speeds up to 5,000Mbps. Unfortunately, only 14% of residents currently have access to it. If you can’t get AT&T Fiber and don’t want to deal with Spectrum’s price hikes, T-Mobile Home Internet is a solid wireless internet provider that guarantees your price won’t ever increase 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 Carson across several 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 service tiers, 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. At the same time, the text is specific to what’s available in Carson. 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 also be available 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 Carson, California
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Spectrum
Best internet provider in Carson, CA
Spectrum’s cable internet service is essentially the only option for wired internet in Carson, but it’s a fairly good option. It’s available almost everywhere in the city, offers more than enough speed for most homes and includes unlimited data on all plans. That said, your price will increase by $30 to $35 in the second or third year — a frustrating factor that likely led to Spectrum’s below-average scores from the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power.
- Straightforward pricing
- No data caps on any plans
- No contracts required for internet service
- Free access to Spectrum’s nationwide Wi-Fi hotspots
- Competitive rates for cable, but pricier than many fiber providers
- Internet service is slightly below the industry average for customer satisfaction
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AT&T Fiber
Fastest internet in Carson, California
If you’re one of the lucky 14% of Carson residents who can get AT&T Fiber, you absolutely should. It was CNET’s pick for the best fiber internet provider nationwide due to its reasonable prices, symmetrical upload and download speeds and high customer satisfaction scores. And unlike Spectrum, AT&T Fiber doesn’t automatically raise your rates after the promotional period ends.
- No contracts required to receive the lowest available price
- No data caps for any fiber plans
- Valuable perks and promotional offers
- Much slower DSL plans are more prevalent than fiber options
- Data caps enforced on all non-fiber plans
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T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless internet in Carson, California
One of the newer ISPs in Carson, T-Mobile Home Internet, uses its cellular network to offer fixed wireless internet. Its appeal is its simplicity: there’s only one plan, and everything you need is included in the $50 monthly price. T-Mobile also includes a price-lock guarantee, so you won’t have to worry about your internet bill suddenly doubling from one month to the next.
- No contracts
- No data caps
- Simple, affordable pricing
- Aggressively competitive with its terms and perks
- Speeds may vary
- Max download speeds don’t match fiber and cable
- Home internet customers deprioritized over mobile
Carson internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber | Fiber | $55-$250 | 300-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Spectrum | Cable | $50-$90 | 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 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Carson?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | $50 | 300Mbps | $5 (optional) |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 300Mbps | None |
| AT&T Fiber | $55 | 300Mbps | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Carson
The best internet deals and the top promotions in Carson depend on what discounts are available during that time period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Carson internet providers such as Spectrum may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including AT&T Fiber, 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.
Fastest internet plans in Carson
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Internet 5000 | $250 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| AT&T Internet 2000 | $150 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| AT&T Internet 1000 | $55 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Spectrum Internet Gig | $90 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet | $70 ($45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
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 user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Carson
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 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 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 consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
Internet providers in Carson FAQs
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What is the best internet service provider in Carson?
Spectrum is the best internet provider in Carson, with the broadest coverage, low starting prices and fast download speeds. AT&T Fiber offers faster speeds and better value overall, but it’s only available to 14% of households in the city.
