Best Internet Providers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Looking for a new internet connection in the City of Brotherly Love? These are the ISPs CNET's experts recommend.
What is the best internet provider in Philadelphia?
Verizon Fios review is CNET's top recommendation for internet service in Philadelphia and for good reason. It's the city's only fiber provider and reaches roughly 95% of addresses, which is impresssive coverage for a major metro area. Plans start at just $50 a month making it a great choice for families or anyone who needs consistent performance. Especially at a time when 63% of Americans are paying more for worse services. Verizon offers symmetrical upload and download speeds giving it a clear edge over cable.
In case you don't have access to Fios, Xfinity remains the most practical alternative thanks to faster speeds and better reliability than satellite or fixed wireless options. Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet review are also worth a look if you prefer wireless service, or just don't have access to other options.
Philadelphia internet providers compared
Provider
Internet technology
Monthly price range
Speed range
Monthly equipment costs
Data cap
Contract
CNET review score
Xfinity
Read full review
Cable
$40-$70
300-1,200Mbps
Varies
None
Varies
7
PhillyWisper
Fixed wireless
$50
25-500Mbps (varies by location)
None
None
None
N/A
T-Mobile Home Internet
Read full review
Fixed wireless
$50-$70 ($35-$55 for eligible customers)
87-415Mbps
None
None
None
7.4
Verizon 5G Home Internet
Read full review
Fixed wireless
$50-$75
85-300Mbps
None
None
None
7.2
Verizon Fios
Read full review
Fiber
$35-$110 ($20-$95 with select mobile plans)
300-2,000Mbps
None
None
None
7.6
Show more (1 item)
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 it's 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 by location, but 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 87 to 415Mbps starting at $50 per month ($35 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 has improved in recent years, though, as its fixed wireless services are available to about 81% of the city now, compared to about a third of Philly before.
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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.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Philadelphia?
Provider
Starting price
Max download speed
Monthly equipment fee
Xfinity 300 Mbps
Read full review
$40
300Mbps
None
PhillyWisper
$50
25-100Mbps
None
Verizon 5G Home Internet
Read full review
$50 ($35 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans)
300Mbps (varies by location)
None
T-Mobile Home Internet
Read full review
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans)
87-318Mbps
None
Verizon Fios 300
Read full review
$35 ($20 with select mobile plans)
300Mbps
None
Show more (1 item)
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.
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How fast is Philadelphia broadband?
Even with a high availability of gigabit plans from Xfinity and Verizon throughout the area, median download speeds are slightly lower in Philly (280Mbps) than in the average of Pennsylvania (275Mbps). 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 276/171Mbps. Xfinity, for comparison, has average speeds of 206/24Mbps.
Fastest internet plans in Philadelphia
Provider
Starting price
Max download speed
Max upload speed
Data cap
Connection type
Verizon Fios 2Gig
Read full review
$110 ($95 with select mobile plans)
2,300Mbps
2,016Mbps
None
Fiber
Xfinity 1.2 Gig
Read full review
$70
1,200Mbps
35Mbps
None
Cable
Xfinity 1 Gig
Read full review
$50
1,000Mbps
35Mbps
None
Cable
Verizon Fios 1Gig
Read full review
$90 ($75 with select mobile plans)
940Mbps
910Mbps
None
Fiber
Show more (0 item)
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.
If you haver Verizon or T-Mobile cell service, home internet plans from Verizon Fios, Verizon 5G and T-Mobile can start at $35 monthly. Otherwise, it's basically a $50 per month tie between all local providers -- except Xfinity, which starts at $55.
The fastest plan in the Philadelphia area is Verizon Fios's 2,300Mbps "2 Gig" plan. Verizon Fios has both 2-gig and 1-gig plans with nearly symmetrical upload speeds, while Xfinity's 1-gig and 2-gig plans only have a maximum upload speed of around 120 and 300Mbps, respectively.
Yes. According to the most recent FCC data, approximately 95% of Philadelphia residents are eligible for fiber service, with Verizon Fios being the predominant fiber internet provider in the area.
A fiber-optic connection, like Verizon Fios, is the gold standard. Keep in mind that fiber availability may be limited to a smaller percentage of households in the area. Otherwise, a connection from one of the cable internet providers is your best bet. Cable internet can't match fiber's speed or reliability, but it's far more accessible and available to most households in Philadelphia.
I'm partial to the reliability and fast upload speeds of a 100% fiber connection, so given the choice between Verizon Fios or Xfinity, I'd likely go with Verizon. This means your upload speeds will be magnitudes faster with Verizon than with Xfinity, which has a typical upload speed of 120Mbps. Don't just take my word for it, though; check out our breakdown of Verizon vs. Xfinity.