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Best Internet Providers in Albany, New York – CNET [CNET]

July 19, 2023 Hedy Phillips technology

Find out why Spectrum, Verizon and T-Mobile are the best broadband in Albany and learn which providers cater to rural customers.

View Article on CNET

Verizon Fios – Best overall among internet providers in Albany

• Prices: $50 – $120 per month
• Speeds: 300 – 2,000Mbps
• Unlimited data

Spectrum – Best availability among internet providers in Albany

• Prices: $50 – $90 per month
• Speeds: 300 – 940Mbps
• Unlimited data

T-Mobile Home Internet – Best fixed wireless among internet providers in Albany

• Prices: $50 per month
• Speeds: 72 – 245Mbps
• Unlimited data

Albany, New York, has seen an expansion of T-Mobile’s internet service and Verizon Fios. However, even still, Spectrum is arguably the area’s most readily available internet service provider. That being said, Verizon Fios is the top ISP in Albany for its fiber connection — thanks to its symmetrical upload and download speeds and its stellar customer satisfaction.

New York’s capital city only offers a handful of ISPs for customers, many of which don’t even have high-speed plans, but as the internet landscape continues to change, what’s available in Albany certainly will too — considering Verizon’s 5G home internet availability continues to grow alongside T-Mobile’s 5G service.

CNET examines customer service, speed, pricing and overall value before recommending the best broadband in your area. Ahead, find everything you need to know about the best internet providers in Albany, including budget-friendly options, high-speed plans and more.

Best internet options in Albany

Albany doesn’t have a wide range of internet offerings, but it does have a few of the largest (and most reliable) ISPs. It should be noted that all prices listed on this page include all applicable discounts for using paperless billing. If you choose not to go that route, you’ll pay more.

Note: The prices, speeds and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed in the product detail cards, which represent providers’ national offerings. Your particular internet service options — including prices and speeds — depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.

Verizon Fios

Best overall among internet providers in Albany

Product details

Price range $50 – $120 per month Speed range 300 – 2,000Mbps Connection Fiber Highlights Unlimited data, no contracts, free equipment with gig service

Fiber internet is still hard to come by in Albany, but Verizon Fios has been making its way through the area since 2006.

Availability: Your best bet for finding fiber internet in Albany is in the areas surrounding downtown. It also tends to be more widely available in the West Albany area.

Plans and pricing: Verizon’s fiber internet services include three plans from 300Mbps to 1Gig, ranging in price from $50 to $90 monthly. Verizon Wireless customers can also save money on their monthly bills.

Fees and service details: No data caps, contracts or monthly fees. Verizon Fios also offers a price-lock guarantee of two to four years, depending on your selected tier.

Read our Verizon Fios review.

Spectrum

Best availability among internet providers in Albany

Product details

Price range $50 – $90 per month Speed range 300 – 940Mbps Connection Cable Highlights Unlimited data, simple pricing, no contracts, modem included, free access to nationwide Wi-Fi hotspots

Spectrum has a wide range of speeds and plans for customers in Albany, whether you’re on a budget or looking for something high-speed for gaming. 

Availability: Spectrum is almost 100% available in Albany, though you might find different speeds available in different areas.

Plans and pricing: Plans start at $30 per month for 100Mbps and go up to $90 monthly for 1Gbps. 

Fees and service details: With Spectrum, you’ll have no data caps or contracts, and plans come with a free modem. Prices will be locked in for at least a year as well.

Read our Spectrum Internet review.

T-Mobile Home Internet

Best fixed wireless among internet providers in Albany

Product details

Price range $50 per month ($30 for eligible T-Mobile Magenta Max customers) Speed range 72 – 245Mbps Connection Fixed wireless Highlights Unlimited data, equipment included, no contracts, no additional fees

T-Mobile continues to expand its internet coverage, including in Albany. It’s available in patchy areas throughout Albany — but in more than 90% of the city.

Availability: T-Mobile’s coverage spans much of the city, especially downtown. You’ll find some pockets where coverage hasn’t been extended yet. Note: Even if T-Mobile is available in your area, you’ll still need to check your availability here.

Plans and pricing: T-Mobile Home Internet features one plan, at $50 per month, with speeds that range from 72 to 245Mbps. T-Mobile customers with a Go5G, Go5G Plus or Magenta Max phone plan can get internet for $30 monthly.

Fees and service details: No data caps, contracts or fees with T-Mobile Home Internet.

Read our T-Mobile Home Internet review.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

All available Albany residential internet providers

Aside from the top ISPs in Albany, there are a couple other smaller companies to choose from. These companies cater to rural customers and those looking for something a little different.

• Hudson Valley Wireless: Hudson Valley Wireless is a local service for Upstate New York that offers fixed wireless service, especially in rural areas. Prices range from $25 per month to $100 monthly for 25 to 200Mbps.
• Satellite internet: HughesNet, Viasat and Starlink all offer satellite plans for Albany. HughesNet and Viasat’s plans start at $50, with Starlink starting at $120 per month. Viasat’s plans range in speed from 12 to 30Mbps, while Hughesnet’s speed sits at 25Mbps but has a range of data available for higher price points. Starlink’s average download speed is 53Mbps. HughesNet and Viasat are subject to quick price hikes and contracts while Starlink is a bit more flexible.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon’s 5G Home Internet is widely available around Albany, and prices start at just $50 per month. Speeds range from 85Mbps to 1,000Mbps, and Verizon Wireless customers are eligible to save money each month on their bill. Best of all, there are no contracts, fees or data caps, and Verizon offers a price guarantee of at least two years. 

Pricing details on Albany home internet service

Albany’s internet prices are reasonable. The average starting price is just under $43 per month, putting it right in the middle of all the cities CNET has covered thus far. It’s just a bit more expensive than New York City ($41 per month), but just under Austin, Dallas and Philadelphia. Overall, every ISP in Albany has a plan at $50 or less.

Cheap internet options in the Albany metro area

Spectrum and Hudson Valley Wireless both offer budget-friendly options in the $25 to $30 range for customers. These are designed for people without high-demand internet needs (casual web browsing, checking email and keeping up with family). Spectrum’s regular internet plan of 300Mbps for $50 and the Verizon Fios 300Mbps tier for $50, however, are both better deals with a cost per Mbps of just 17 cents compared with $1 for Hudson Valley Wireless and 30 cents for the Spectrum 100 plan. Customers looking to save even more money can also check to see if they qualify for a low-cost internet plan through the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

Fastest internet providers in Albany

Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the way of true high-speed internet in Albany. With symmetrical download and upload speeds, Verizon Fios is the best option, but not everyone has access to it. Spectrum offers a 1 gig cable plan and has more availability, but beyond that, you won’t find any multi-gig plans.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

What’s the final word on internet providers in Albany?

Spectrum, Verizon and T-Mobile all offer really solid internet options for Albany and have good coverage throughout the capital city. While Verizon Fios would be your best bet, if it’s not available at your address, Spectrum is a reliable alternative. The wild card? T-Mobile Home Internet is an intriguing option you could without risk to see if it would work for your household’s needs in Albany.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Albany

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. So 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 the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But 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 the time 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. Within those recommendations, we also look for the cheapest and fastest ISPs from that region. To explore our process more thoroughly, check out our How we test ISPs page.

Internet providers in Albany FAQs