What is the best internet provider in Irvine?

The best internet provider in Irvine is AT&T Fiber. It offers the fastest speeds in the area, with upload speeds just as fast as download speeds. However Google Fiber provide similar speeds, AT&T’s plans are generally cheaper and receive higher ratings in customer satisfaction surveys.

If you can’t get AT&T or Google Fiber at your address, Cox has the widest coverage in Irvineand some neighborhoods have access to Cox’s fiber internet service. Whether you get fiber or standard cable internet with Cox, its plans are reasonably priced, and they all include unlimited data and free equipment for the first two years.

Wireless internet from T-Mobile and Verizon also widely available in the area. These connections don’t reach the same top-end speeds as cable or fiber internet, but they provide plenty of bandwidth for most homes.

Best internet in Irvine, California

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Irvine

The best deals on the internet and the top promotions in Irvine depend on what discounts are available at that time. Most deals don’t last, but we’re always on the lookout for the latest offers.

Irvine internet providers like Verizon may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including Cox, Google Fiber and AT&T Fiber, run the same base price year-round.

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

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What is a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you are looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you will have a better experience with a stronger connection. Here is an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for different applications, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Note that these are only guidelines and internet speed, service and performance will vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, see our guide to how much internet speed do you need?.

• 0 to 5Mbps allows you to deal with 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 provide a user with enough bandwidth to satisfy the needs of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as videoconferencing, streaming and gaming.
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to participate in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET picks the best internet providers in Irvine

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphones, laptop, router or kitchen utensilsit is not practical to personally test every ISP in a city. What is our approach? We started by researching pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, provider sites and mapping information from FCC.gov.

It doesn’t end there: We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we consider every ISP that provides service in one area. We also input local addresses into provider websites to find specific options for residents. We looked at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to assess how happy customers are with ISP service. ISP plans and prices are subject to constant change; All information provided is accurate at the time of publication.

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

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Are customers getting decent value for what they paid for?
3. Are customers happy with their service?

The answer to those questions is often layered and complicated, but the providers who are closest to “yes” to all three are the ones we recommend. When it comes to choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fees, 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 consider real world speed data from sources such as Ookla and FCC reports. (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 Irvine FAQs