Best Internet Providers in Cincinnati, Ohio

What is the best internet provider in Cincinnati?

CNET experts researched and evaluated Cincinnati’s internet service providers to find the best option for you, whether you value speed or affordability. Cincinnati residents mostly have two choices when it comes to internet providers: spectrum and alta fiber. (Although some families can T-MobileVerizon or AT&T Internet Air. alta fiber As Cincinnati’s best internet provider, Thanks to its combination of fast speeds and reasonable pricing.

If you want an affordable option, Spectrum offers plans starting at $50 per month for 500Mbps. If speed is your priority, Alta Fiber has a 2 GB plan for $100 per month. But remember, ultimately your choice will depend on the providers and plans available at your address.

Source: CNET analysis of provider profiles.

Other available internet providers in Cincinnati

• hughsnett: If you’re in Cincinnati or its suburbs, you probably don’t need satellite internet. Its speeds are only 50-100Mbps, and pricing starts at $50, including a two-year contract and equipment fee.
• Starlink:Starlink starts at $120 per month, with equipment fees as high as $349, and offers speeds that exceed some of the top fiber and cable providers. The satellite provider’s obvious appeal is its availability to rural residents, low latency and unlimited data. In addition, Starlink’s new network options, Starlink Miniallowing you to connect to the Internet anytime, anywhere.
• T-Mobile Home Internet: Cincinnati residents can access 5G networks from Verizon and T-Mobile. T-Mobile’s home internet service costs $50 to $70 per month and offers speeds of up to 245Mbps.
• Via Satellite: Viasat, the other major satellite network company, has monthly plans starting at $130 for speeds of up to 150Mbps, depending on the plan.

Cheap internet options in Cincinnati

Cincinnati residents can expect to pay $35 to $50 for Internet service, not including expensive satellite Internet options. The most affordable plan in the city is from Alta Fiber ($35 per month), which offers 100Mbps speeds.

What are the cheapest internet plans in Cincinnati?

Source: CNET analysis of provider profiles.

How to Find Online Deals and Promotions in Cincinnati

Cincinnati’s best online deals and top promotions depend on the discounts available during that time period. Most offers are short-lived, but we’re often on the lookout for the latest deals.

Cincinnati’s internet providers, such as Alta Fiber and Verizon, may offer lower promotional prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. However, some services, including T-Mobile Home Internet and AT&T Internet Air, have the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide Best Internet Deals.

How fast is Cincinnati Broadband?

With limited options, it’s no surprise that Cincinnati’s median download speeds are lower than other U.S. cities and even Ohio. Queen City ranked 90th Ookla’s Internet Speed ​​List Among the nation’s 100 most populous cities, the median download speed is about 183 megabits per second and the upload speed is about 29Mbps. Not bad, but not great either. Fortunately, High-speed internet options All can be found in the city. (Disclosure: Ookla and CNET are owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis.)

Looking for fast download speeds? Consider Alta Fiber’s 2,000Mbps plan, available at select addresses for $100 per month. If that plan isn’t available to you, Alta Fiber also offers a 1,000Mbps plan for $70 per month, which is the same price as Spectrum’s 1,000Mbps plan.

Cincinnati’s Fastest Internet Plans

Source: CNET analysis of provider profiles.

What is a good internet speed?

Most Internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for a network plan that can accommodate video conferencing, streaming video, or gaming, you’ll get a better experience with a stronger connection. The following outlines the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, According to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Please note that these are guidelines only – Internet speeds, service and performance vary based on connection type, provider and address.

• 0 to 5Mbps lets you handle the basics: browse the Internet, send and receive email, and stream low-quality videos.
• 5 to 40Mbps provides you with higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should provide one user with enough bandwidth to meet the needs of modern remote working, video streaming, and online gaming.
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one or two users to participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming media, and online gaming at the same time.
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.

For more information, see our guide How much internet speed do you really need?.

CNET How to Choose the Best Internet Provider in Cincinnati

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. different from the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen toolsit is impractical to personally test every ISP in a specific city. So what is our approach? We started by looking at pricing, availability, and speed information, utilizing our own historical ISP data, provider sites, and map information from the Federal Communications Commission: fcc.gov.

But it didn’t end there. We visited the FCC’s website to check our data and make sure we accounted for every ISP serving an area. We will also enter your local address on the provider website to find specific options for residents. We evaluate customer satisfaction with ISP services by looking at sources such as the US Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power. ISP plans and prices may change frequently; all information provided is accurate as of publication time.

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

1. Does the provider offer reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Are customers getting value for money?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

While the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, we recommend the providers who come closest to a “yes” on these three questions. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for plans with the lowest monthly fees, although we also consider factors like price increases, equipment fees, and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from the following sources: Okla and Federal Communications Commission Report.

To explore our processes in more depth, visit our How we test ISPs Page.

What’s the Final Decision About Cincinnati Internet Providers?

For most Cincinnati residents, the ISP choice will come down to Alta Fiber or Spectrum. However, residents in some cities can access 5G networks from T-Mobile and Verizon. Pricing starts at around $50, and you can enjoy higher speeds if you’re willing to pay $100 per month.

Cincinnati Internet Provider FAQs