What is the best internet provider in Lakewood?

Quantum Fiber is CNET’s pick for the best internet service provider in Lakewood, Colorado. For the best internet connection, it takes our top spot because it’s a fiber internet connection with symmetrical and fast upload and download speeds, unlimited data, free equipment rental and no contract requirements.

Be warned, however, that Quantum Fiber’s high-speed internet plan options are rather limited in Lakewood. Most residents only get access to two plans: $50 and $75 per month, for speeds of up to 500 and 940 megabits per second, respectively. If you want a wider selection of plans, including cheaper and faster plans, Xfinity might be the way to go.

Xfinity is Lakewood’s primary cable internet provider and also has the cheapest internet plan you can find in the suburb. The cheapest plan comes in at $20 monthly and offers download speeds up to 150Mbps. If you want fast internet, Xfinity also has a 2,000Mbps plan, although upload speeds over the cable connection are much slower, at 200Mbps.

Fixed wireless internet providers Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet are worth considering for their decent speeds, low pricing and simple service terms, including unlimited data, free equipment and no contracts. You’ll likely get faster speeds with Verizon 5G Home Internet, but T-Mobile Home Internet has greater availability in Lakewood and the surrounding areas.

Best internet in Lakewood, Colorado

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Lakewood

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

Lakewood internet providers, such as Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including Quantum Fiber, run the same standard pricing year-round.

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

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 Federal Communications Commission. 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 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 Lakewood

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. 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.

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 the time of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. Are customers happy with their service?

The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When it comes to 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 also take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

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

Internet providers in Lakewood FAQs