Best Internet Providers in Akron, Ohio – CNET [CNET]

What is the best internet provider in Akron, Ohio?

Akron has high-speed fiber internet all around. However, AT&T Fiber stands out as the best internet service provider in Akron, according to CNET. Between reasonable rates, fast speeds going up to 5000Mbps, and free equipment, AT&T is your best bet in the city. Moreover, you can save $20 or more monthly by bundling the service with an eligible cellphone plan.

Spectrum is the cheapest internet provider in Akron by a long shot, with plans starting as low as $30 per month. Unfortunately, those rates skyrocket after two years. Spectrum doesn’t require contracts, so you can always switch before the price hike kicks in. 

It’s only available in the suburb of Fairlawn, but FairlawnGig is an excellent regional internet option if you can get it. It’s owned by the city, which means it can offer incredibly fast speeds as high as 5000Mbps at affordable rates. Verizon 5G Home Internet is a wireless internet option worth considering. Its wireless internet isn’t a great fit for bigger households that connect many devices simultaneously, but you can get excellent discounts by bundling with an eligible Verizon cellphone plan.

Best internet in Akron, Ohio

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Akron

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

Akron internet providers, such as Verizon 5G Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including Spectrum and AT&T Fiber, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

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

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 Federal Communications Commission. 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 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 Akron

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from FCC.gov.

It doesn’t end there: We use 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:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. Are customers happy with their service?

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though 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.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Akron internet provider FAQs