Best Internet Providers in New York, New York

What is the best internet provider in New York?

The best internet provider in New York comes down to what you’re looking for and where you live in the city. Verizon Fios, with its fast, symmetrical speeds and competitive pricing, will be the best internet provider for many New Yorkers, but Spectrum, Astound and others are top options as well.

Verizon Fios boasts the fastest home internet speeds in New York, up to 2,300 megabits per second, though the plan is also one of the most expensive at $120 a month. Other Verizon Fios plans are priced lower, but cable internet provider Astound has the cheapest internet of any major provider in New York. It’s 300Mbps plan starts at just $20 a month and currently includes unlimited data, free modem rental and a free month of service.

Which New York internet provider is best for your home? We’ve listed details on the top providers in Manhattan below to help you decide. If you’re looking for internet around New York City, be sure to check out our roundups of the best internet in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.

Best internet providers in New York City

Speed range

300 – 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $80 per month

Our take – Spectrum is the primary cable provider in Manhattan. Service is fast and reliable, but cable internet comes with significantly slower upload speeds (Spectrum’s top out at 35Mbps), and your connection will be susceptible to slowed speeds due to network congestion during peak usage times, which could be anytime in a city that never sleeps.

... Or call to learn more: (833) 464-0962

Check with Spectrum

Speed range

300 – 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $80 per month

Show more details

Speed range

300 – 2,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $120 per month

Our take – Verizon Fios has the speeds and pricing you’d expect from a leading ISP, but it goes a step further with unlimited data, no contract requirements, free equipment and some of the best signup bonus offers.

... Or call to learn more: (877) 545-6781

Check with Verizon

Speed range

300 – 2,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $120 per month

Show more details

Speed range

100 – 1,500 Mbps

Price range

$20 – $80 per month

Our take – If you’re looking for cheap internet in New York City, Astound has the lowest introductory rates of any major ISP in the area. New customers may also be able to score a free month or two of service, free equipment or other signup bonuses.

... Or call to learn more: (877) 725-7935

Check with Astound

Speed range

100 – 1,500 Mbps

Price range

$20 – $80 per month

Show more details

Connection

Fixed wireless

Speed range

85 – 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $70 per month

Our take – 5G technology is great for our phones, but what about for home internet? With Verizon 5G Home Internet, getting speeds and pricing rivaling a cable or fiber internet connection is possible. 

... Or call to learn more: (877) 545-6781

Check with Verizon

Connection

Fixed wireless

Speed range

85 – 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $70 per month

Show more details

Connection

Fixed wireless

Speed range

50 – 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$30 – $80 per month

Our take – Starry Internet service works by beaming wireless internet signals to a fixed location, typically a receiver at the top of a building. The wireless delivery method helps keep operational costs relatively low, especially compared with the high cost of laying fiber lines. Starry passes those savings on to customers with its high-speed, low-cost, low-hassle internet service.

... Or call to learn more: (877) 230-8569

Check with Starry

Connection

Fixed wireless

Speed range

50 – 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$30 – $80 per month

Show more details

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in New York City

• Consolidated Communications: Largely a DSL-based rural internet provider, Consolidated Communications also offers fiber internet service in select parts of New York City. Availability is spotty in Manhattan, but those in the Bloomingdale and Lincoln Square districts will have the best coverage. Where available, the provider is worth considering for its $70-per-month gig service, but you’ll probably want to pass on lower speed tiers in favor of Spectrum or Verizon Fios.
• Optimum: The second-largest cable internet provider in the greater New York City area, Optimum is available to much of Brooklyn and the Bronx but not Manhattan. Optimum speeds and pricing are comparable to Astound, including a gigabit plan starting at $80 per month. Optimum also employs a fiber network through much of New York City, with 100% fiber connections available to roughly 1 million residents.
• T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: Like Verizon’s 5G home internet service, T-Mobile’s coverage area reaches a good portion of New York City, save for the dead zones between and inside tall buildings. Though the two are in a similar price range and share roughly the same service features, T-Mobile isn’t as fast as Verizon 5G, with max speeds ranging from 72 to 245Mbps.
• Xchange Telecom: Available in Central Park and throughout much of Lower Manhattan, Xchange Telecom primarily uses a fixed wireless network, but fiber or DSL service may also be available at select addresses. Pricing and speeds will vary by location.
• Satellite internet: To truly cover all your internet options, satellite internet from Hughesnet and Viasat belong here. Technically, they are available, but there are too many other faster, cheaper and all-around better internet options in New York City to seriously consider satellite internet.

Cheap internet options in New York City

The average price for broadband in New York City is around $40, but there are a few cheaper options if you’re looking for more affordable home internet. Astound Broadband offers the cheapest plan: 300Mbps for $20 per month, just over 8 cents per Mbps.

Most providers we’ve mentioned also participate in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which gives eligible low-income households a $30 monthly discount (or up to $75 for households on tribal lands) for high-speed internet. You can use the ACP toward any internet plan — not just the cheapest ones — from participating providers. 

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in New York City

The best internet deals and top promotions in New York City depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

New York City internet providers, such as Astound Broadband, Spectrum and T-Mobile, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including Verizon Fios and Starry Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

How fast is New York City broadband?

Ookla speed test data reports New York City ranks 52nd for internet speed among the 100 most populous cities in the country. With median download speeds of 225Mbps and upload speeds of 31Mbps, NYC’s broadband is faster than the state’s average speed of 215Mbps.

If you’re looking for the speediest plan in New York City, Verizon Fios offers speeds up to 2.3Gbps in select areas for $120 per month. If you’re unable to get Verizon Fios, Astound Broadband has the second-fastest plan: 1,500Mbps for $150 month.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Internet providers in popular cities near NYC

See all results for internet providers in New York state

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 and 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 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 New York City

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov. 

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, although 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.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

What’s the final word on internet providers in New York City?

NYC has a few reliable broadband options, but your best bet is any provider that offers fiber connection, like Verizon Fios. If fiber is unavailable in your area, other providers like Astound Broadband, Spectrum and Starry Internet offer fast speeds and decent pricing as well. Local provider Consolidated Communications is also available as an alternative if you’re not happy with your service from the bigger competitors.

Internet providers in New York City FAQ