Best Internet Providers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [CNET]

Philadelphia is big, but the choice of internet in the city is not. Even still, we’ve found the best internet providers in the area.

What is the best internet provider in Philadelphia?

Verizon Fios is the best internet provider in Philadelphia. It’s the only fiber provider in the city. It’s available at around 9 in 10 addresses. It offers generous discounts for Verizon Wireless customers. For most people, the search begins and ends with Verizon.

Xfinity is the cheapest internet provider in Philadelphia. The cable internet provider doesn’t quite offer the same upload speed, and a 100% fiber-optic service is likely to provide you with more reliable internet, but Xfinity offers you more — and cheaper — internet options.

If you don’t want a wired connection for some reason, you can opt for wireless internet in Philadelphia, with Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet widely available. The only real reason to go with wireless is if you’re a T-Mobile cellphone customer looking to take advantage of bundling discounts.

Philadelphia internet providers compared

Provider	Internet technology	Monthly price range	Speed range	Monthly equipment costs	Data cap	Contract	CNET review score
Xfinity Read full review	Cable	$30-$75	300-1,200Mbps	Varies	None	Varies	7
PhillyWisper	Fixed wireless	$50	25-500Mbps (varies by location)	None	None	None	N/A
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review	Fixed wireless	$50-$70 ($40-$50 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max mobile customers)	72-245Mbps	None	None	None	7.4
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review	Fixed wireless	$60-$80 ($35-$45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans)	100-300Mbps	None	None	None	7.2
Verizon Fios Read full review	Fiber	$50-$90 ($25-$85 with select mobile plans)	300-1,200Mbps	None	None	None	7.6

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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Philadelphia

Satellite internet: A satellite connection is available pretty much anywhere, including throughout Philadelphia but is best suited for rural internet connections. Philadelphia residents will have faster, cheaper internet options than Hughesnet or Viasat.

PhillyWisper: Local fixed wireless provider PhillyWisper advertises a single residential internet plan starting at $50 monthly for minimum speeds ranging from 25 to 500Mbps. Different speeds will vary on your location, single-family homes can expect a minimum of 100Mbps, whereas, apartment buildings can expect up to 500Mbps. Since PhillyWisper doesn’t lock you into a contract, there’s no risk to seeing what kind of speeds are available at your address.

T-Mobile Home Internet: Another major 5G home internet provider, T-Mobile offers speeds ranging from 72 to 245Mbps starting at $50 per month ($40 for qualifying T-Mobile customers). Like Verizon 5G, equipment and unlimited data are included, and no contracts are required, but T-Mobile doesn’t quite deliver the same speed potential for the price as Verizon. T-Mobile home internet coverage is also somewhat spotty throughout Philadelphia, covering only about a third of homes in the area.

Cheap internet options in Philadelphia

Xfinity and 5G home internet from Verizon or T-Mobile (if you qualify for a discount with either) will be your cheapest internet options in the Philadelphia area. Aside from those providers and circumstances, expect to pay at least $50 monthly for home internet.

What’s the cheapest internet plan in Philadelphia?

Provider	Starting price	Max download speed	Monthly equipment fee
Xfinity Connect More Read full review	$30	300Mbps	$15 (optional)
PhillyWisper	$50	25-100Mbps	None
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review	$60 ($35 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans)	300Mbps (varies by location)	None
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review	$50 ($40 with eligible mobile plans)	245Mbps	None
Verizon Fios 300 Read full review	$60 ($45 with select mobile plans)	300Mbps	None

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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Philadelphia

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

Philadelphia internet providers, such as T-Mobile, Xfinity and Verizon, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including Philly Wisper, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

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

How fast is Philadelphia broadband?

With a high availability of gigabit plans from Xfinity and Verizon throughout the area, median download speeds are slightly higher in Philly than in the average of Pennsylvania. Depending on your chosen provider and plan, your speeds could be much higher. Verizon Fios is the fastest Philadelphia internet provider, with average speeds of 249/170Mbps. Xfinity, for comparison, has average speeds of 189/22Mbps.

Fastest internet plans in Philadelphia

Provider	Starting price	Max download speed	Max upload speed	Data cap	Connection type
Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review	$75	1,200Mbps	35Mbps	None	Cable
Xfinity Gigabit Read full review	$50	1,000Mbps	35Mbps	None	Cable
Verizon Fios 1Gig Read full review	$100 ($75 with select mobile plans)	940Mbps	880Mbps	None	Fiber

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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 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 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 Philadelphia

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov. 

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 publication. 

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

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

The answers to those questions are often layered and complex, but the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet providers, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, 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.

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

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

When it comes to the best internet providers, the ones that I would recommend and consider if I lived in Philadelphia would be Verizon and Xfinity. While Xfinity offers the same top speeds as Verizon, Verizon’s fiber-optic service can’t be beaten for upload speeds, pricing and service details.

Internet providers in Philadelphia FAQs