What’s the fastest internet provider? We analyzed millions of speed tests to find out.

---

Key findings

• Google Fiber earned the top Allconnect score with speeds of 174/141 Mbps and average latency time of 42 milliseconds (ms).
• Astound Broadband provides the fastest download speeds on average at 194 Mbps.
• According to speed test results, the average internet speed in the U.S. is 139 Mbps download and 41 Mbps upload.

---

Internet speeds in the U.S. have been on a steady climb over the past decade. In 2017, download speeds across the country averaged 76 Mbps; today, that number is all the way up to 139 Mbps. That speed explosion is due to a number of factors: a growing fiber network, billions of federal dollars invested in expanding rural broadband, and government assistance programs to help make high-speed internet more affordable to low-income households. 

But the internet speed you get at home still depends on where you live — and what providers you have access to. After analyzing over 200 million speed test results taken between January 2022 and April 2023, we found that the fastest internet providers are still the ones that primarily use a fiber network. 

What are the fast internet providers right now?

• To find the fastest internet providers overall, we weighted the speed test results as follows: 60% for download speed, 30% for upload speed, and 10% for latency. 
• Google Fiber earned our top spot overall, with nearly symmetrical speeds of 174/141 Mbps and average latency time of 42 milliseconds (ms).
• With the exception of Xfinity, every provider in our top five utilizes a fiber network.

Fastest internet providers by download and upload speed

• The fastest home internet provider by download speed is Astound Broadband. The company offers fiber and cable internet services in California, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Chicago, and parts of the East Coast. 
• ISPs that provide fiber or cable internet exclusively fared the best. Xfinity, Breezeline, Google Fiber, and Frontier rounded out the top five. 
• Major fiber providers like AT&T and Verizon didn’t make the top 10 for download speeds, primarily because many subscribers still use their slower DSL services.
• Every ISP in the top 10 for upload speeds was a fiber internet provider. Fiber internet offers symmetrical speeds — download and upload speeds are exactly the same. 
• According to speed test results, the average internet speed in the U.S. is 139 Mbps download and 41 Mbps upload.

Which internet providers advertise the fastest speeds?

• Internet providers continue to increase their maximum speeds, with Ziply Fiber now offering 10 Gbps in some areas. 
• ISPs like Xfinity and Mediacom promise to deliver 10 Gbps speeds over new 10G platform that utilizes existing cable networks. 
• With a 10,000 Mbps plan, you’d be able to stream around 2,000 movies on Netflix at the same time in full HD.

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. Speeds may vary. As of 05/23/23.
**Rate requires paperless billing. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Speed may not be available in your area. Maximum download/upload speed of up to 940 Mbps via a wired connection.

***per month w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Max wired speed 5000/5000. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charges apply. 05/23/23.

How much speed do you really need?

You’ve probably heard a lot about “gig speeds” in recent years, but not everyone needs those kinds of supercharged internet plans. In fact, with average speeds of 139 Mbps download and 41 Mbps upload, most people in the U.S. are a long way from gig-speed territory. 

How much speed you need largely depends on how many devices you’ll have connected to the internet at one time. The Federal Communication Commission’s current definition of broadband internet is 25/3 Mbps, but it recently proposed raising that standard to 100/20 Mbps. 

For most households, 100/20 Mbps will be a good target to aim for. It’s important to remember that when ISPs advertise their speeds, they’re referring to speeds they can deliver through a wired connection — that is, hooked up through an Ethernet cable. If you’re connecting through Wi-Fi — which most of us are — you can expect those advertised speeds to be cut in half. That means on a 200 Mbps plan, you’ll be working with around 100 Mbps on your smartphone or tablet. 

How can I get faster internet?

If your internet is on the slow side, there are a few things you can do to help speed it up:

• Take a speed test and compare the results with the plan you’re paying for. If your speed test is significantly lower, try the following steps and retake the test.
• Reboot your modem and router. It sounds simple, but sometimes giving your system a hard reset allows your router’s software to clear any temporarily stored data that might be slowing it down.
• Move your router to a clear, elevated spot. Wi-Fi can get cut off by material like concrete and bricks and if your router is on the floor, it will have trouble spreading its signal to every area of the home. 
• Purchase a new Wi-Fi router. If you’ve had your router for more than a few years, it might be holding back your internet speeds. You can also ask your ISP for an equipment upgrade if you’re leasing your old router.
• Find a faster internet plan. If nothing else is working, upgrading your internet plan may be your last option. 

The bottom line

We’re hearing a lot about fast internet speeds these days. And while actual speeds have nearly doubled over the past five years, Americans are getting just 139/41 Mbps on average — a long way from the new 10,000 Mbps plans that providers are launching in some areas. To learn more about the state of broadband in the U.S., check out Allconnect’s Research Hub for our latest reports.