Best Internet Service Providers in Buffalo, New York

What is the best internet provider in Buffalo?

For fastest internet speeds in Buffalo, ranked by CNET Verizon Views As the best providerThanks to identical upload and download speeds, strong customer satisfaction, and competitive pricing. However, Fios availability in Buffalo is limited.

If Fios is not available in your area, range It is a solid alternative as the lowest-cost provider in Buffalo, although prices typically rise by $20 to $30 after the first year. For a stable price option, T-Mobile home internet Promises no price increases Although it’s slower than Verizon Fios and Spectrum, it’s a reliable option for small households.

Best Internet in Buffalo, New York

Compare Internet Service Providers in Buffalo

provider	Internet technology	Monthly price range	Speed ​​range	Monthly equipment costs	Data ceiling	a contract	CNET Review Score
range Read the full review	cable	$30-$70	100-1,000 Mbps	$10 (optional)	no one	no one	7.2
T-Mobile home internet Read the full review	Fixed wireless	$50 – $70 ($35 – $50 with qualifying mobile plans)	72-245 Mbps	no one	no one	no one	7.4
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review	Fixed wireless	$50 – $70 ($35 – $45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers)	50-1,000 Mbps	no one	no one	no one	7.2
Verizon Views Read the full review	Fiber	$50 – $90 ($35 – $65 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers)	300-940 Mbps	no one	no one	no one	7.6

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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other ISPs available in Buffalo

• Satellite Internet: You can get satellite Internet at almost every address in the country, but it’s only worth considering in rural areas with few other options. Hughes Net and Visat It works in Buffalo but is expensive and doesn’t provide a lot of speed. SpaceX Starlink Satellite Internet is a faster option, but only requires a $349 equipment purchase to get started.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Like T-Mobile Home Internet, Verizon provides fixed wireless Internet service in the area. Its plans reach faster speeds than T-Mobile’s but are less widely available. However, you can get a huge discount when you sign up with a qualifying Verizon Wireless plan.

Cheap Internet Options in Buffalo

Buffalo has five different internet plans available for $50 per month or less. While Spectrum has the cheapest plan in the area, prices go up significantly on all plans after a year or two.

What is the cheapest internet plan in Buffalo?

provider	Starting price	Maximum download speed	Monthly equipment fees
Spectrum advantage of the Internet Read the full review	$30	100 Mbps	$10 (optional)
Excellent internet spectrum Read the full review	$50	500 Mbps	$10 (optional)
T-Mobile home internet Read the full review	$50 ($35 with qualifying mobile plans)	245 Mbps	no one
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review	$50 ($35 with qualifying mobile plans)	250 Mbps	no one
Verizon Views Read the full review	$50 ($35 with qualifying mobile plans)	300 Mbps	no one

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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Buffalo

The best online deals and best promotions in Buffalo are based on the discounts available during that period. Most offers are short-term, but we frequently check for the latest offers.

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How many members of your family use the Internet?

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Buffalo ISPs, such as Spectrum and Verizon Fios, may offer lower introductory rates or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including T-Mobile Home Internet, run the same standard rates year-round.

For a more comprehensive list of promotions, see our guide to Best offers online.

How fast is broadband in Buffalo?

according to Ookla speed test dataBuffalo residents see an average download speed of 218 Mbps and an upload speed of 18 Mbps. This places Buffalo 70th out of the top 100 most populous cities in the country and lower than cities like cleveland (42) But a little above it pittsburgh (73) And Philadelphia (74). (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Fastest internet plans in Buffalo

provider	Starting price	Maximum download speed	Maximum download speed	Data ceiling	Connection type
Spectrum party online Read the full review	$70	1,000 Mbps	35 Mbps	no one	cable
Verizon Vios 1 gig Read the full review	$90 ($65 with qualifying mobile plans)	940 Mbps	880 Mbps	no one	Fiber

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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What is 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 video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll get a better experience with a more robust connection. Below is an overview of the minimum recommended download speeds for various applications, According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).. Note that these are just guidelines – and that internet speed, service, and performance vary by connection type, provider, and address.

For more information, see our guide about How much internet speed do you really need.

• Speeds of 0 to 5 Mbps let you handle the basics: browsing the Internet, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality videos.
• 5 to 40 Mbps gives you high-quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• A speed of 40 to 100 Mbps should give a single user enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern remote work, video streaming, and online gaming.
• Speeds of 100 to 500 Mbps allow one or two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming, and online gaming.
• Speed ​​of 500 to 1000 Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best ISPs in Buffalo

ISPs are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest Smartphone, Laptop, Router or Kitchen toolit is impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what is our approach? For starters, we leverage a proprietary database of pricing, availability, and speed information drawn from our own historical ISP data, partner data, and mapping information from the FCC at FCC.gov.

This guide leverages an internal AI tool called RAMP, which is trained on our writing and uses our database to generate content about specific ISPs that our writers can use in determining and presenting our picks for a particular guide. Checks CNET’s AI Policy For more information on how our teams use (and don’t use) AI tools.

Because our database is not comprehensive, we go to the FCC’s website to check the raw data ourselves and make sure we take into account every ISP that offers service in an area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we enter local addresses on provider websites to find the specific options available to residents. We look to sources, including the US Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with their ISP service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; All information provided is accurate and has been verified prior to publication.

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

1. Does the provider provide access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Are customers getting adequate value for what they pay?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

While the answers to these questions are often multi-layered and complex, the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three questions are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for plans with the lowest monthly fees, although we also take into account things like price increases and equipment and contract fees. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and take into account real-world speed data from sources such as Okla and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, you can visit our website How we test ISPs page.

What’s the final word for ISPs in Buffalo?

When it comes to internet service in Buffalo, there’s Verizon Fios and everything else. Verizon is the only company in the region offering fiber Internet, which is the fastest and most reliable type of connection available. If you can’t get Verizon Fios at your address, Spectrum, T-Mobile Home Internet, and Verizon 5G Home Internet are all solid backup options, but each have their own drawbacks.

Frequently Asked Questions for Internet Service Providers in Buffalo