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Hallie Seltzer is an associate writer with CNET’s broadband team, covering ISP reviews, provider comparisons and a little bit of everything related to home internet. She is a recent graduate from Rogers State University in Oklahoma with a degree in strategic communications. In her spare time, Hallie enjoys trying new restaurants, watching scary movies and snuggling with her two kitties.
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What is the best internet provider in Towson?
For most households in Towson, Verizon Fios is the best internet service provider. With symmetrical speeds and reasonable prices, Verizon Fios is a solid pick for home broadband if you’re looking for contract-free plans and flat-rate pricing. However, Verizon Fios may not cover every address in Towson, so we recommend checking out Xfinity or Verizon 5G Home Internet instead if you’re not serviceable.
Xfinity is the best ISP for price and speed in Towson, Maryland. This cable giant offers rates as low as $25 per month for download speeds up to 300 megabits per second, much lower than the average internet price in the area ($44 monthly). Xfinity Gigabit Extra costs $70 for 1.2 gigabits — or 1,200Mbps — and includes unlimited data for the area’s speediest connection.
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Towson across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers’ terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider’s website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider’s pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what’s available in Towson. The prices referenced within this article’s text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month — a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might also be available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Towson, Maryland, in 2024
Speed range
300 – 2,000Mbps
Price range
$50 – $120 per month
Our take – As one of CNET’s best fiber providers for 2024, Verizon Fios is a reliable and speedy option for home internet in Towson. Verizon Fios offers three plans: 300Mbps for $50, 500Mbps for $70 or 1 gig for $90, all including equipment and unlimited data. Plus, there are no required contracts or set price increases.
Our take – According to the FCC, Xfinity covers over 99% of residents in Towson — meaning most addresses can get 300Mbps and up to 1,200Mbps of download speed through this ISP. Prices start at $25 per month, and all plans are contract-free. While there are no data caps, you’ll have to pay between $15 and $25 monthly if you rent your equipment through Xfinity.
Our take – If Fios isn’t available at your household, Verizon’s fixed wireless network might be. Verizon 5G Home Internet costs between $50 and $70 per month (or $35 and $45 for eligible mobile customers) and reaches speeds up to 1,000Mbps. Like Fios, this fixed wireless service has no data caps, equipment fees or contracts.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Towson
The best internet deals and top promotions in Towson depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Towson internet providers, such as Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, such as Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
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.
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 Towson
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 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?
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.
Internet providers in Towson FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Towson?
Thanks to its wide coverage, symmetrical speeds and simple term agreements, Verizon Fios is CNET’s pick for internet service in Towson, Maryland.
Is fiber internet available in Towson?
Fiber internet is widely available in Towson, mostly through Verizon Fios. Between 84% and 89% of households are eligible for fiber connectivity, depending on what speed you need at your address.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Towson?
Xfinity’s Connect More tier is the cheapest plan in Towson, costing only $25 monthly for 300Mbps download speed. Just watch out for an additional $15 to $25 monthly fee if you rent equipment through Xfinity.
Which internet provider in Towson offers the fastest plan?
Xfinity offers the fastest service in Towson: 1.2 gigabits for $70 per month, which includes unlimited data.
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