Xfinity is the best internet service provider in Vancouver, with widespread availability, a variety of plan options and low starting prices. Unfortunately, those prices increase significantly after a year or two. Still, Xfinity users are relatively happy with the service — the ISP received above-average customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power in Vancouver’s region.
Quantum Fiber is the fastest internet in Vancouver, offering symmetrical upload and download speeds up to 8,000Mbps. If it were more widely available, it would be an easy choice for our top pick. Currently, only about one in five Vancouver residents can get it.
If you can’t get Quantum Fiber and don’t want to deal with Xfinity’s price increases, T-Mobile Home Internet is a nice backup option. Its single plan costs $50 a month and provides plenty of speed for most homes. What’s most attractive about T-Mobile is that there are no hidden fees, and your price is locked in for as long as you stay a customer.
Xfinity is available virtually everywhere in Vancouver, and for most people, it’s the best home internet option. Plans start at just $20 per month for 75Mbps download speeds, and Wi-Fi equipment and unlimited data are included on most plans. The main downsides are price increases — your bill could go up by as much as $31 in the second or third year — and low upload speeds.
If it were more widely available, Quantum Fiber (formerly branded as CenturyLink Fiber) would likely be our top choice in Vancouver. As it stands, only about one in five homes in the city are eligible for it. If you can get it, Quantum Fiber offers excellent value, with plans starting at $50 per month for 500Mbps upload and download speeds. The ISP received the second-highest provider score in the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s most recent survey.
T-Mobile offers home internet service to 77% of Vancouver, according to FCC data. It only has one plan available for $50 a month, with all fees and equipment included. Wireless internet is more prone to congestion and disruptions than cable or fiber. Still, customers have largely been happy with the service: T-Mobile has the highest score of any non-fiber provider in the ACSI survey.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Vancouver
The best internet deals and top promotions in Vancouver depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Vancouver internet providers, such as Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including Quantum Fiber and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promotions, 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 Vancouver
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:
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 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 it comes to 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 take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
Internet providers in Vancouver FAQs
according to FCC data. Quantum Fiber and Ziply Fiber both offer fiber internet in the area.
Home Internet Guides
Internet Providers by City
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Helpful Internet Resources
Updated on Oct. 29, 2023
CNET staff — not advertisers, partners or business interests — determine how we review the products and services we cover. If you buy through our links, we may get paid. Reviews ethics statement
Joe Supan is a senior writer for CNET covering home technology, broadband, and moving. Prior to joining CNET, Joe led MYMOVE’s moving coverage and reported on broadband policy, the digital divide, and privacy issues for the broadband marketplace Allconnect. He has been featured as a guest columnist on Broadband Breakfast, and his work has been referenced by the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, National Geographic, Yahoo! Finance and more.
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