What is the best internet provider in Philadelphia?

Despite being a major city in the US, Philadelphia has fewer broadband options than others. CNET recommends Verizon Fios as the best internet provider. It’s the only ISP in the city that offers a fiber connection, and it has wide coverage — available at approximately 90% of addresses in the city. Additionally, Verizon Wireless customers can benefit from generous discounts. For many residents, the search for internet service begins and ends with Verizon.

For residents looking for the cheapest internet in the city, we’ve also got you covered. Xfinity is the cheapest internet provider in Philadelphiathough since it’s a cable provider, you don’t quite get the same upload speed, and it’s less reliable than a 100% fiber-optic service. However, Xfinity offers more — and cheaper — internet options.

If you prefer not to use a wired connection, you can choose other wireless internet options in Philadelphia, such as Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet. But frankly? The only real reason to go with wireless is if you’re a T-Mobile cellphone customer looking to take advantage of bundle discounts.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Philadelphia

Satellite internet: A satellite connection is available pretty much anywhere, including throughout Philadelphia but is best suited for rural internet connections. Philadelphia residents will have faster, cheaper internet options than Hughesnet or Viasat.

PhillyWisper: Local fixed wireless provider PhillyWisper advertises a single residential internet plan starting at $50 monthly for minimum speeds ranging from 25 to 500Mbps. Different speeds will vary on your location, single-family homes can expect a minimum of 100Mbps, whereas, apartment buildings can expect up to 500Mbps. Since PhillyWisper doesn’t lock you into a contract, there’s no risk to seeing what kind of speeds are available at your address.

T-Mobile Home Internet: Another major 5G home internet provider, T-Mobile offers speeds ranging from 72 to 245Mbps starting at $50 per month ($40 for qualifying T-Mobile customers). Like Verizon 5G, equipment and unlimited data are included, and no contracts are required, but T-Mobile doesn’t quite deliver the same speed potential for the price as Verizon. T-Mobile home internet coverage is also somewhat spotty throughout Philadelphia, covering only about a third of homes in the area.

Cheap internet options in Philadelphia

Xfinity and 5G home internet from Verizon or T-Mobile (if you qualify for a discount with either) will be your cheapest internet options in the Philadelphia area. Aside from those providers and circumstances, expect to pay at least $50 monthly for home internet.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Philadelphia

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

Philadelphia internet providers, such as T-Mobile, Xfinity and Verizon, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including Philly Wisper, run the same standard pricing year-round.

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

How fast is Philadelphia broadband?

With a high availability of gigabit plans from Xfinity and Verizon throughout the area, median download speeds are slightly higher in Philly than in the average of Pennsylvania. Depending on your chosen provider and plan, your speeds could be much higher. Verizon Fios is the fastest Philadelphia internet provider, with average speeds of 249/170Mbps. Xfinity, for comparison, has average speeds of 189/22Mbps.

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 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 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 Philadelphia

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?

The answers to those questions are often layered and complex, but the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet providers, 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. (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.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Philadelphia?

In evaluating the leading internet service providers in Philadelphia, I would recommend considering both Verizon and Xfinity. While Xfinity provides comparable top speeds to Verizon, Verizon’s fiber-optic service surpasses in terms of upload speeds, pricing, and quality of service.

Internet providers in Philadelphia FAQs