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What is the best internet provider in Ithaca?
Spectrum is CNET’s choice for the best internet service provider in Ithaca, New Yorkthanks to high availability, fast speed and straightforward pricing. Spectrum in Ithaca’s two plan options — 500 megabits per second and 1,000Mbps — offer the best value of any ISP in the area and have unlimited data and a free modem (router not included).
Verizon Fios is also an excellent value, offering free rental equipment, unlimited data and a high price guarantee on each of its plans, but availability is very limited in Ithaca. Verizon’s wireless home internet service is more widely available and has many of the same benefits as Verizon Fios, but available speeds are less consistent.
If you are looking for and high-speed internet alternative or purchase for internet in rural areas outside of Ithaca, T-Mobile Home Internet probably your best choice. The service includes free equipment, unlimited data and no contracts, and your price is locked in for as long as you keep your service.
Spectrum, T-Mobile Home Internet and both Verizon services have a starting price of $50 per month, but you get much faster speed for the price of Spectrum, making it the best choice for cheap internet. Spectrum also offers the fastest download speeds in Ithaca, up to 1,000Mbps, although Verizon Fios comes close with a 940Mbps plan with faster upload speeds, up to 880Mbps compared to 35Mbps from Spectrum.
Ithaca, New York, internet providers compared
| giver | internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | The monthly cost of equipment | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum Read the full review |
Cable | $50-$70 | 500-1,000Mbps | $10 (optional) | nothing | nothing | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$55 with eligible mobile plans) | 87-415Mbps | nothing | nothing | nothing | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 50-1,000Mbps | nothing | nothing | nothing | 7.2 |
| Verizon Fios Read the full review |
ravelled | $50-$90 ($25-$65 with eligible mobile plans) | 300-940Mbps | nothing | nothing | nothing | 7.6 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Ithaca?
| plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum Internet Read the full review |
$50 | 500Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| Verizon Fios 300 Read the full review |
$50 | 300Mbps | nothing |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 300Mbps | nothing |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 318Mbps | nothing |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Ithaca
The best internet deals and top promotions in Ithaca depend on which discounts are available at a given time. Most deals don’t last, but we’re always on the lookout for the latest offers.
Internet providers in Ithaca, such as Verizon Fios, may offer lower introductory prices or promotional giveaways for a limited time. Many, however, including Spectrum and T-Mobile Home Internet, run the same base price year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, see our guide to best deals on the internet.
Fastest internet plans in Ithaca
| plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum Internet Gig Read the full review |
$70 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | nothing | Cable |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read the full review |
$70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | nothing | Fixed wireless |
| Verizon Fios 1 Gig Read the full review |
$90 ($65 with eligible mobile plans) | 940Mbps | 880Mbps | nothing | ravelled |
| Spectrum Internet Read the full review |
$50 | 500Mbps | 20Mbps | nothing | Cable |
| Verizon Fios 500 Read the full review |
$70 | 500Mbps | 500Mbps | nothing | ravelled |
| T-Mobile Home Internet All-In Read the full review |
$70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) | 415Mbps | 55Mbps | nothing | Fixed wireless |
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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 FCC. 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 lets you tackle the basics — browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, 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 online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to participate in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET picked the best internet providers in Ithaca
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. So what is our approach? We started by researching price, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission in FCC.gov.
But 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 an 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 in the publication.
Once we have this local information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Are customers getting decent value for what they paid for?
- Are customers happy with their service?
While the answer to these questions is often layered and complex, providers who are close to “yes” to all three are the ones we recommend. When 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 consider real world speed data from sources like 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 Ithaca, New York, FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Ithaca?
Spectrum is the best internet service provider in Ithaca, mostly because of its high-speed availability throughout the area but also because of its competitive pricing for fast speeds and simple terms of service. Spectrum speeds range from 500 to 1,000Mbps in Ithaca, and both plans come with free modem rental, unlimited data and no contract requirements.
Is fiber internet available in Ithaca?
Fiber availability is limited to about 20% of the city, or roughly 1,000 households in Ithaca, according to the latest. FCC data. Service is greatest in southeast Ithaca, in neighborhoods along Six Mile Creek and south of Cornell University. Verizon Fios is the leading fiber internet provider in Ithaca.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Ithaca?
The top Ithaca internet providers all have a monthly starting price of $50. Spectrum offers the fastest speeds for the price, up to 500Mbps, but renting a router adds $10 to the monthly cost. While Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet have slower max speeds than Spectrum, both offer a mobile discount that can lower the cost by $35 per month. Plus, there’s no equipment fee and both providers have a higher price guarantee than Spectrum — T-Mobile’s monthly rate is locked in until you keep your service.
Which internet provider in Ithaca offers the fastest plan?
Spectrum has the fastest speed tier in Ithaca, offering a maximum download speed of 1,000Mbps. Verizon 5G Home Internet also advertises a maximum download speed of 1,000Mbps, but that’s the high end of a range that could be anywhere between 50 and 1,000Mbps.
Verizon Fios offers a 940Mbps plan in Ithaca. Although slightly slower than Spectrum’s fastest plan in terms of max download speed, the 940Mbps plan from Verizon Fios comes with a max upload speed of 880Mbps, much faster than the 35Mbps max which you can get on Spectrum.
