To interpret all the jargon, browsing online can feel like you need a computer science degree. Between the perplexing sales, hidden charges and miles of fine print, it’s hard to figure out what you’re actually getting for your money each month when you pick an online service.
However, it’s a judgement that’s worthwhile investing some time in right away. Inertia frequently manifests itself once you’ve chosen a company: the prospect of having to schedule a new setup and equipment can keep you locked up for years.  ,
I’ve written hundreds of pages about the best online options in particular cities and covered the wifi industry for many years. I’m incredibly envious of your computer, Idaho, in Idaho. I’ve spent more time on online suppliers ‘ websites than I care to think about and, over the years, I’ve learned what’s essential to look for and what methods companies use to obscure that information. What is all you need to know about purchasing digital service.
Consider every provider in your area.
You should always cast a wide net when you’re fishing for online services in your area, and the best place to start is the Federal Communications Commission’s website. Companies must provide basic information, such as the names they cover and the speeds they offer, according to federal regulations. The FCC therefore displays this data in its .
When you enter your address, you’ll notice a map of your town, with all the online providers available at your site listed on the right-hand side of the screen, along with their relationship form and the utmost download and upload speed they offer.
Connection type is the king.
The that each provider offers will almost certainly provide you with all the information you need to make a decision. With a few exceptions, fiber is better than cable, which is better than fixed wireless. ( You can now cross off your list without having any other choices if you don’t already have DSL and satellite. )
Here’s a quick rundown of each different internet connection type.
Fiber
The gold standard for internet service is fiber. It refers to the fiber-optic cables that send internet to your home, which are made out of long, thin strands of glass or plastic. The result is the fastest and most trustworthy internet you can get because data passes through them as light signals.  ,
Because it’s so desirable, ISPs like to claim their network is fiber as often as possible. Some providers use “fiber-to-the-node” connections, which rely on slower coaxial cables for the “last mile” home, while others use “fiber-to-the-home” connections. 40 % of the US has access to fiber-to-the-home internet, according to FCC data.  ,
The fast upload speeds of fiber internet are its main selling point. The only internet connection with symmetrical upload and download speeds is Fiber, which is a big plus if you enjoy playing video games online or working from home. If you aren’t sure whether the ISP you’re looking at offers fiber-to-the-node or fiber-to-the-home, look at the upload speeds. Upload speeds on true fiber internet will be comparable to those on downloads.  ,
Top fiber internet providers: AT&, T Fiber, , , ( formerly Century Link ),
Cable
Since dial-up days, cable internet has always been the preferred method of internet access, and roughly two in three US homes still have cable internet connections. Additionally, it’s the most widely used connection type. According to FCC data, 83 % of the country has access to at least one cable provider.
The term” cable” in cable internet refers to the copper cores used to transmit radio frequency signals. These cables can’t handle as much data as fiber-optic cables, which results in slower speeds. This is almost entirely on the upstream side of the equation, though. ( Read more about that later. ) Compared to fiber providers, upload speeds from cable ISPs typically reach up to 30 Mbps.
Top cable internet providers: , , ,
5G home internet access is fixed wireless.
Prior to a few years ago, was only a slower connection that primarily served rural areas with few other choices, on par with DSL and satellite. But with the rollout of faster 5G networks, cellphone providers have started to utilize this infrastructure for home internet too. The cellular towers send data to a gateway device inside your home, which connects all of your devices to the internet, rather than your phone picking up that connection.
Fixed wireless speeds are typically slower than cable and fiber. T-Mobile says its download speeds average up to 245Mbps, while Verizon’s get as high as 1, 000Mbps in some areas. Fixed wireless is more susceptible to network congestion and disruption than cable or fiber because the connection is wireless. In the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index survey, T-Mobile received the highest score of any nonfiber provider. However, the majority of users reported positive 5G home internet.  ,
Top fixed wireless providers: Verizon 5G and .
DSL
, abbreviated as “digital subscriber line,” is a wired connection that is typically used in rural areas without cable or fiber internet access. The connection goes through copper phone lines, and speeds are usually very slow. Only about 5 % of the country’s connections adhere to the FCC’s : 100 Mbps of download and 20 Mbps of upload speeds. Even simple things like streaming and videoconferencing might be difficult, but checking your email or browsing the internet is sufficient.  ,
Top DSL providers: AT&, T, Century Link, , Kinetic, and Windstream
Satellite
Simply put, this connection type frequently hits the bottom of the barrel. is usually the slowest and most expensive option in any given area, and it often comes with bitter pills like stingy data caps, long-term contracts and expensive equipment. Its only positive aspect is availability. Any home with a clear view of the southern sky can access satellite internet, which is what 99.9 % of households do, .  ,
Top satellite providers: , , and
Most fiber providers also provide DSL.
With the exception of Google Fiber, most fiber internet providers also offer DSL service. For instance, AT&T’s DSL service serves 23 % of the nation, compared to only 11 % for fiber. It might not be immediately obvious whether you’re considering DSL or fiber plans because ISPs don’t like to boast about their DSL service.  ,
Speed will always be the telltale sign. When it’s DSL, you’ll only see one plan available, and the speed will typically be much lower than 150Mbps. Fiber, on the other hand, will show multiple plans, with much faster upload and download speeds.  ,
On ISP websites, enter your address.
Once you’ve pulled up the FCC list of internet providers at your address, it’s time to start comparing the plans each provider offers. You’ll need to enter your address separately on each ISP’s website to see what prices and speeds you can get because the plans available can vary from street to street. However, internet service providers don’t always make it simple to access the essential details of their plans. Here’s what you should look for.  ,
Upload vs. download speed
When you see internet providers talking about their speed, they’re almost always referring to download speed. And that’s because most people download more files than upload. While downloading download speeds are used for things like streaming TV, Instagram scrolling, and installing apps, online gaming, videoconferencing, and live streaming require you to send data in the other, upstream direction.  ,
As of 2019, . Because of this, you typically see such skewed internet plans. According to Ookla data, the average household in the US gets 254Mbps of download speed but just 31Mbps of upload speed. That means a 2-hour movie can be downloaded in HD for about 24 seconds, but it can be uploaded in more than 3 minutes.
You’ll need faster upload speeds if there are going to be multiple people in the house playing video games or meetings at once. Fiber is the only connection type that gives you” symmetrical” upload and download speeds.  ,
price increases
Anyone who’s paid an internet bill for long enough has probably had to deal with price increases at some point. How painful they are largely depends on the organization. AT&, T, Frontier, and Verizon Fios are the most straightforward phone companies: they don’t automatically raise prices after a “promotional period” ends. T-Mobile Home Internet even gives you a price-lock guarantee.  ,
The cable providers are the ones you need to watch out for. ISPs like Xfinity, Cox and Spectrum all increase prices significantly after a year or two, and they don’t exactly make it easy to find out by how much– or when– your bill will increase.
For instance, Spectrum, for example, claims that its 300Mbps plan costs$ 50 per month for 12 months, but there is no word on how much that will cost after that. You must go to to see that the standard price is$ 85. It’s not always that complicated– you can often find what you’re looking for by clicking a “view details” link– but if you’re unsure about it at all, it’s a good idea to call or chat with a customer service representative to ask about price increases directly.
Data caps
Most internet providers these days offer unlimited data, but some still impose data caps on their plans. This isn’t always a deal-breaker, though. Some plans have a 1. 2TB data cap, while Cox and Xfinity both have one. The typical US home uses per month, which is less than half the amount permitted by Cox and Xfinity. With 1.2TB, you’d be able to stream Netflix in HD for 13 hours per day and still have some data left over. Compared to cable or fiber, DSL and satellite providers typically have much tighter data caps.  ,
Contracts
Like data caps, contracts are largely a thing of the past in the broadband world, but some companies still have them. The satellite providers are the most stringent: cable companies like Xfinity occasionally require you to sign a contract to get the lowest price, but HughesNet and Viasat both require two-year contracts on all plans.
Some ISPs offer contract buyouts as an incentive when you switch to them if you do find yourself stuck in a contract you want to leave. Spectrum, Optimum, T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon Fios give you a bill credit or a check to help cover early termination fees, usually up to$ 500.
Equipment costs
Many internet service providers charge a fee of around$ 10 to rent a modem and/or , but you can essentially always use your own equipment without paying the equipment rental fee. Some providers, like AT&, T Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet, include equipment at no extra charge.
satisfaction of the client
Some internet service providers are more unpopular than others, but they are a notoriously unpopular bunch. If you want to get a sense of what it’s like to have service with an ISP, the and J. D. Power both conduct annual surveys on customer satisfaction with ISPs. You’ll also need a subscription to access the detailed scores provided by , which are based on reader surveys. And it’s never hurt to conduct a web search on Reddit or ask your friends and neighbors for an in-depth analysis of the local ISPs.  ,
How to think about internet speeds
What does fast internet actually mean, though, as we all do? Internet speed is measured in megabits per second, or Mbps, which tells you the rate at which information is downloaded or uploaded to or from the internet.  ,
A higher speed indicates a faster speed, but the majority of non-high-speed activities are not. You need only in 4K, and less than . Therefore, 1000 Mbps won’t feel any faster than 100 Mbps for the majority of activities.
However, your internet speed is like a pie: each of those activities will use a different amount of the available bandwidth. Higher speeds are more about the amount of devices you can use at once than how quickly you can load a web page.  ,
There are some situations where the words “fast” and” slow” are used. It would take you about 3 seconds to download a 2-hour movie with a 1, 000Mbps connection, with 100Mbps, that would increase to around 30 seconds.  ,
Wi-Fi is always slower.
When you see internet speeds advertised by providers, that number always refers to the speeds you’d get through a wired connection or . Although the gap has been narrowed down by the more recent , accessing the internet via Wi-Fi is still much slower than using your modem directly.  ,
How much slower depends on your router model, its placement in your home and obstacles like walls and shelves, but a good rule of thumb is to expect about half the speed through Wi-Fi that you’re advertised with your internet plan.
The bottom line is this:
Shopping for internet service is frustrating and purposefully confusing in some ways. That’s one of the reasons the on their plans in the vein of nutrition labels on food products. However, you’ll still need to do some of the legwork on your own. Although there are a lot of details to think about, the majority of people will be able to find an internet plan they’re happy with. For more help with choosing an internet provider, check out .  ,