Best Internet Service Providers in Santa Monica, California

What is the best internet provider in Santa Monica?

CNET’s top recommendation for the best ISP in Santa Monica is border. It’s the best service for most households in the city, mainly because of its fast and affordable fiber plans. Whether you’re interested in streaming the latest shows or games, Frontier has the speed you need. However, keep in mind that Frontier service may not be available in every area of ​​Santa Monica. If it is not available at your address, range and Starry They are excellent alternatives to consider.

For the best internet deals in Santa Monica, visit Frontier. The company has a 200Mbps fiber plan for just $30 per month, as well as its faster 5,000Mbps option for $130 per month.

Best Internet in Santa Monica, California

Compare ISPs in Santa Monica

provider	Internet technology	Monthly price range	Speed ​​range	Monthly equipment costs	Data ceiling	a contract	CNET Review Score
AT&T Internet Air Read the full review	Fixed wireless	$55 ($35 with eligible mobile plan)	75-225 Mbps	no one	no one	no one	nothing
border Read the full review	Fiber	$30 – $130	200-5,000 Mbps	no one	no one	no one	6.7
range Read the full review	cable	$50-$80	300-1,000 Mbps	Free modem $7 router (optional)	no one	no one	7.2
Internet of stars Read the full review	Fixed wireless	$40 – $55	200-500 Mbps	no one	no one	no one	7
T-Mobile home internet Read the full review	Fixed wireless	$60 ($40 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

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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other Internet Service Providers Available in Santa Monica

• AT&T Fiber: You’ll find a small area of ​​AT&T Fiber coverage southeast of Brentwood Country Club, but it’s more common in neighboring communities like Beverly Hills and Inglewood. Plans start at $55 per month for 300 Mbps and go up to $250 for 5,000 Mbps. There are no data limits, contracts, or equipment fees.
• AT&T Internet Air: AT&T only has a small area of ​​fiber coverage in Santa Monica, but it serves a broader area with 5G fixed wireless internet called AT&T Internet Air. There is one plan at $55 per month with no data caps, equipment fees, or contracts. Expect typical download speeds between 75 and 225 Mbps, which rivals T-Mobile’s home internet service.
• Frontier Internet: Frontier offers DSL Internet service in some parts of the city not reached by its fiber network. The plan may offer download speeds of up to 115 Mbps (speeds vary by location) for $65 per month. It’s expensive and slow considering what you get, so look into Spectrum before subscribing to DSL service.
• T-Mobile home internet: Consider T-Mobile Home Internet if you’re already a phone customer and want to bundle plans to make savings. There is one home internet plan for $60 per month (sometimes discounted to $50) with typical speeds between 72 and 245 Mbps. T-Mobile has strong ultra-high capacity 5G network coverage throughout Santa Monica. There are no data limits or contracts and equipment is included.
• Satellite Internet: If all other types of internet fail, look for satellite internet from Starlink, husnet or Viasat. You’re unlikely to go this route if you live in Santa Monica, but it’s an option for remote homes that can’t get fiber, cable, DSL, or a decent fixed wireless network.

Cheap Internet Options in Santa Monica

Santa Monica residents have access to some good home internet deals, starting with Frontier’s $30 per month 200 Mbps fiber plan. If you need more speed, check out Frontier’s $45 per month 500Mbps plan. This is good value. Not everyone in Santa Monica has access to fiber, but most homes qualify for Spectrum and its $50 per month 300 Mbps cable plan. You won’t get the fast downloads of fiber, but this is a reasonable introductory deal for cable. Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T — Santa Monica’s 5G home internet providers — are competitive on pricing, especially when you sign up with a qualifying phone plan.

What is the cheapest internet plan in Santa Monica?

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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Santa Monica

The best online deals and best promotions in Santa Monica are based on discounts available during a specific time 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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Santa Monica ISPs, such as Spectrum, T-Mobile Home Internet, and Frontier, may offer lower introductory rates or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including Starry and Verizon, tend to run the same standard prices throughout the year.

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

How fast is broadband in Santa Monica?

Santa Monica is a good place to live if you need fast home internet. Modern Ookla speed test report It shows the city cutting its average fixed internet speed by approximately 286 Mbps. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) ca Total downloads were 254 Mbps and Los Angeles 222Mbps recording. Frontier’s fast fiber network helps Santa Monica numbers. Even if you can’t get fiber, Spectrum still offers party sales around town. If fast downloads are a must for you, prioritize fiber when shopping.

Fastest internet plans in Santa Monica

provider	Starting price	Maximum download speed	Maximum download speed	Data ceiling	communication
Frontier Fiber 5GB Read the full review	$130	5,000 Mbps	5,000 Mbps	no one	Fiber
Frontier Fiber 2GB Read the full review	$100	2,000 Mbps	2,000 Mbps	no one	Fiber
Frontier Fiber 1GB Read the full review	$65	1,000 Mbps	1,000 Mbps	no one	Fiber
Spectrum party online Read the full review	$80	1,000 Mbps	35 Mbps	no one	cable
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read the full review	$70 ($45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans)	1,000 Mbps	75 Mbps	no one	Fixed wireless

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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 Santa Monica

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. 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.

And it doesn’t end there: We go to the FCC’s website to verify our data and make sure we take into account every ISP that offers service in an area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for 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 as of the date of publication.

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

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

The answer to these questions is often multi-layered and complex, and the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three 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, visit our website How we test ISPs page.

What’s the final word for Santa Monica ISPs?

Limits ticks a lot of boxes for home internet. You get fast, consistent speeds, affordable plans, and no fuss. Frontier’s customer service has improved in recent years, but it still doesn’t have the strongest reputation. Spectrum is Frontier’s main competitor in Santa Monica. It has the advantage of availability but the upload speeds are much slower and it increases the size of your downloads. If you have the option, try fiber. If not, go to or search Spectrum 5G home internetespecially if you can get fast downloads from Verizon. Apartment residents should check with Starry to see if their ISP reaches your building. It has good speeds, simple plans, and a good reputation for customer service.

Frequently Asked Questions for Internet Service Providers in Santa Monica