Best internet providers in NYC
New York City internet provider comparison
New Yorkers have many choices of speed and type of internet connection, but not all providers listed are available in all areas of the city. We share the percentage of availability in the chart below to show you how many New York addresses are covered by a certain provider. For example, at 96%, nearly all addresses have T-Mobile 5G internet available, but Starry’s 5G internet reaches just under half of NYC addresses.
This is why it’s important to search for providers with your address. Just because a plan is available for your neighbor doesn’t mean you will also have access.
| Provider | Starting price* | Speed range | Internet type | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon Fios | $49.99/mo. | 300 – 2,000 Mbps | Fiber | 88% |
| Spectrum | $49.99/mo. | 300 – 1,000 Mbps** | Cable | 63% |
| Astound | $25.00/mo. | 250 – 1,200 Mbps | Cable, fiber | 19% |
| Starry Internet | $50.00/mo. | 200 Mbps | Fixed wireless | 36% |
| Optimum | $40.00/mo. | 300 – 5,000 Mbps | Cable, fiber | 38% |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | $35.00/mo.*** | 85 – 300 Mbps | 5G | 82% |
| T-Mobile 5G Home Internet | $50.00/mo. | 72 – 245 Mbps | 5G | 72% |
*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 06/12/24.
**Speed based on wired connection. Wireless speeds may vary. Available Internet speeds may vary by address. Gig capable modem required for Gig speed. For a list of Gig capable modems, visit spectrum.net/modem.
***For existing 5G Do More, 5G Play More or 5G Get More mobile customers who then add and maintain a home internet plan. Availability varies. Price guarantee applies to base monthly rate only. Auto Pay & paper-free billing req’d. Add’l $10/mo. w/o Auto Pay. Subj. to credit approval & may require a deposit. Other terms may apply. Wired speeds advertised. Wireless speeds may vary due to device limited, multiple users, networks & other factors. See Verizon.com/yourspeed for more info. Updated 06/12/24.
What speed do you need?
Before locking down an internet plan, consider what speed you need. For a small household of one to two users, a 75 to 100 Mbps plan will allow you to stream on one device at a time, check emails, shop and browse your social media.
A slightly faster 200 to 400 Mbps plan will keep a family of four or five online, with the ability to stream or game on multiple devices.
If you live in a connected smart home with four or more heavy internet users, you’ll most likely need a 500 Mbps plan and over. Gamers and work-from-home users in a large households should consider at least 800 – 1,000 Mbps.
Cheapest internet providers in NYC
Looking to save money on your internet bills? It can be hard to know where to start, especially in a place like New York City, where there are many providers available. Astound, Optimum, Verizon Fios and Spectrum are the cheapest internet service providers in NYC, each offering plans for less than $50.00/mo.
Fastest home internet providers in NYC
According to Ookla’s speedtest.net, NYC has a median download speed of 266 Mbps. Spectrum and Verizon had the highest speed test results in NYC, too with over 270 Mbps. High-speed plans in New York City start at $60/mo. and can reach $200/mo. Fiber plans are your best bet for fast internet. Smart homes with five or more heavy internet users or small businesses can benefit from the symmetrical download and upload speeds, but be careful not to buy more speed than you really need. Verizon, Spectrum, Optimum and Astound offer the fastest internet in NYC with gigabit speeds ranging from 1,000 – 2,000 Mbps.
Allconnect Rating
4.31 / 5
Verizon Fios: Best overall
If you’re looking for great, reliable internet at an affordable price with no hassles, then Verizon Fios is the way to go. Verizon Fios uses fiber optic cable where you can get gig speeds starting at $89.99/mo. If you don’t want to spend this much, you can get a 300 Mbps plan starting at $49.99/mo. or a 500 Mbps plan for $69.99/mo. Verizon Fios rolled out a 2 gig plan in NYC last year as well. Verizon gets some of the fastest internet in NYC, according to Ookla, with a median download speed of 270 Mbps but really shines when it comes to its 176 Mbps of upload speed.
You won’t have to worry about rate increases with Verizon Fios, but the equipment rental fees are on the high side.
Verizon Customer Reviews:
Astound: Most affordable plans
For the most affordable Internet in NYC — and the best bang for your buck — we recommend Astound. Not only do they have a very inexpensive starting plan of 300 Mbps for $25.00/mo., they also offer some of the highest speeds up to 1,500 Mbps for around $60.00/mo. No contract is required, and installation is included with select plans.
Learn more about Astound
Spectrum: Low-equipment fees
Spectrum charges $5/mo. for router rental — the modem is free — whereas most providers charge around $10-15/mo. You can get Spectrum internet in NYC starting at $49.99/mo. for 300 Mbps with no data caps — just watch out for year two price increases. Spectrum has a median download speed of over 270 Mbps in NYC according to Ookla, but lacks in upload speed at 18 Mbps.
Spectrum Customer Reviews:
T-Mobile: Best for availability
T-Mobile is available to nearly all of New York City with one affordable plan starting at $40/mo. if you bundle cellphone services. You can start or stop your T-Mobile service anytime since there is no contract requirements. There are also no data caps with T-Mobile. You must be near a cell tower to get 5G home internet from T-Mobile and speeds do only reach around 245 Mbps.
T-Mobile Customer Reviews:
Our methodology
We evaluate broadband providers in four categories: affordability, performance, value and customer satisfaction. Each category contains multiple sub-factors, all of which are weighted differently to impact the provider’s overall score.
For each sub-factor, we score all providers on a continuous scale of one to five, relative to the industry as a whole. Because the average download speed in America is currently 180 Mbps, for example, we assigned all plans with download speeds between 100 and 299 Mbps a score between three and four. Xfinity’s 200 Mbps plan received a 3.50 score for download speed, while Spectrum’s 400 Mbps plan got a 4.16.
We only considered standardized data points in our scoring system. More abstract data like consistency of service and brand reputation is still part of our analysis, but we opted to let our writers address them in the context of each review.
Compare internet providers near New York City
NYC internet service availability by ZIP code
NYC internet provider store locations
New York City internet FAQs
Yes, Verizon 5G Home and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet are available to nearly all areas of New York City.
Yes, about 70% of NYC residents have access to a fiber connection.
Yes, NYC government provides resources for residents to apply for federal assistance programs like the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides $30/mo. to qualifying households. Once you sign up with a participating provider, you can pick their 100 Mbps plan for $30/mo., making your bill zero.
ISPs typically offer deals and promotions and switch up their offers regularly. Check our best internet deals of the month page to stay up to date on provider deals.
When it comes to getting the internet into your home in New York City, there are different types of connections. NYC customers have access to many different types of internet, including fiber, cable, satellite and DSL. The most common types are cable internet at 95% coverage and fiber at about 70%. 100% of NYC can access satellite internet.
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Written by:
Robin LaytonEditor, Broadband Content
Robin Layton is an editor for the broadband marketplace Allconnect. She built her internet industry expertise writing and editing for four years on the site, as well as on Allconnect’s sister site MYMOVE.com. …
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