Best Internet Providers in Daytona Beach, Florida [CNET]

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What is the best internet provider in Daytona Beach?

With broad coverage and low broadband prices, CNET recommends Spectrum as the best internet service provider for most Daytona Beach households. According to data from the Federal Communications Commission, Spectrum is available to approximately 91% of addresses in Daytona Beach, meaning it’s a likely option for home internet wherever you’re located in the area. Other ISPs, such as AT&T Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet, also serve Daytona Beach, so the best provider might come down to which is accessible at your location.

Although Daytona Beach’s download speeds won’t conjure up images of the fastest racers on the track, AT&T Fiber does offer symmetrical speeds up to 5,000 megabits per second for $255 monthly — the speediest service available. If you’re looking for the cheapest plan in Daytona Beach, Spectrum Internet costs $30 per month for download speeds of 100Mbps.

Best internet in Daytona Beach, Florida

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Daytona Beach

• EarthLink: While this internet provider offers cable and satellite services, its fiber-optic connection (which uses AT&T Fiber’s network) takes the trophy. EarthLink’s fiber tier features speeds up to 5 gigabits in some areas. That’s not all — plans come with unlimited data and coverage across Florida. Customers should expect a 1-year contract; however, in the second year, they can enter a month-to-month agreement instead. Pricing will vary depending on your location.
• Hotwire Communications: This Florida-based internet provider offers fiber-optic services to most Central Florida, Broward County, the Miami-Dade area and more. Pricing will vary depending on your specific address but standard service starts at $170 monthly for 300Mbps in download speeds. Some customers may have access to Hotwire’s top-notch multigigabit speeds, which feature symmetrical download and upload speeds, with select areas reaching up to 5 gigabits. Watch out for additional fees, such as a $30 installation fee.
• Wire 3: A local internet provider based in Daytona Beach, Florida, offering fiber coverage in Volusia County into Brevard, Indian River and St. Lucie counties. Coverage is still rising and is not widely available in these counties. The good news is that plans are contract-free, and service starts at $60 a month with download speeds of up to 10 gigabits in some areas.
• Satellite internet: Typically, I’d tell anyone to save this for last. You won’t be getting nearly the same speeds as you would from a fiber or cable internet provider, but providers like Hughesnet, Viasat and newcomer Starlink are available almost everywhere. Unlike Hughesnet, Starlink and Viasat customers don’t have to worry about being tied down by a two-year contract. However, Starlink offers the fastest speeds out of the three.

Cheap internet options in Daytona Beach

Most internet options in Daytona Beach start at around $50 per month for standard service. The cheapest internet plan is Spectrum’s $30-a-month plan for 100Mbps in download speeds. Once the promo period ends after 12 months, expect that rate to jump to $50 a month. The next best thing, if it’s available at your address, is a fixed wireless connection from Verizon 5G Home Internet’s $60-a-month plan for 100Mbps. Verizon and T-Mobile also offer lower rates for eligible mobile customers.

What’s the cheapest internet plan in Daytona Beach?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Daytona Beach

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

Daytona Beach internet providers, such as Spectrum and T-Mobile, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, such as AT&T and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

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

How fast is Daytona Beach broadband?

In the latest Ookla speed test data, Daytona Beach came in with a robust fixed median download speed of 328Mbps. That’s better than nearby Orlando, which came in at 302Mbps. Other nearby cities like Palm Coast and Melbourne came in with fixed median download speeds of 366Mbps and 344Mbps, respectively.

Fastest internet plans in Daytona Beach

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 FCC. 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, 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 online 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 Daytona Beach

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 FCC.gov.

But 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 answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that 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 also 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.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Daytona Beach?

Daytona Beach has several broadband options, but it all depends on what you can get at your address. Cable connections are widely available throughout the city. However, as we usually say here at CNET, if fiber is available at your address, it beats cable almost every time.

Daytona Beach internet provider FAQs