Best Internet Providers in Boston, Massachusetts

What is the best internet provider in Boston? Verizon Fios is CNET's top recommendation for anybody looking for an internet provider in Boston, Massachusetts. Its blazing-fast symmetrical speeds and 100% fiber-optic network make it our top pick. You also get a wide variety of plans starting at $50 and going up to $90, which means there's a plan for every need and budget. Verizon Fios also offers simple service terms, which means you won't face any unexpected headaches. The provider also has great coverage, reaching over 89% of Boston households. If Verizon Fios doesn't cover your area or you need a cheaper ISP, you can consider Xfinity . Like Verizon, it offers several plans and you can get speeds of up to 2,100Mbps, depending on the area where you live. Looking for cheaper internet providers? You should consider Astound and T-Mobile Home Internet . Both offer plans at around the $30-35 mark, though T-Mobile has the faster internet overall speeds of up to 318Mbps at the $35 point. Comparing all Boston residential internet providers The ISPs featured above aren't the only options for internet in Boston, but they are the ones I'd recommend most and consider if I were to leave the South for Beantown. Here's a quick comparison of all Boston internet providers, followed by a look at some of the cheapest and fastest plans available in the area. Boston internet providers compared Provider Connection type Monthly price range Download speed range (Mbps) Monthly data cap Contract Astound Cable $30-$70 300-1,500 None None T-Mobile Home Internet 5G fixed wireless $50-70 ($35-$55 with eligible mobile plans) 87-415 None None Verizon 5G Home Internet 5G fixed wireless $50-$70 ($35-$55 with eligible mobile plans) 50-250 None None Verizon Fios Fiber $50-$90 300-940 None None Xfinity Cable $35-$105 400-2,100 None None What other internet options are there in Boston? There aren't many other options outside our picks for the best ISPs in Boston. Here's a brief look at what to expect from other internet services in the area. T-Mobile Home Internet : T-Mobile's 5G rollout has been impressive, covering some 50 million homes nationwide, including many in Boston. Pricing is about the same as Verizon's 5G home internet service in Boston. Verizon 5G Home Internet : Service terms are the same (no data caps, equipment fees or contracts), so if you're interested in 5G home internet , you might as well go with the higher speed potential of Verizon. That said, T-Mobile does offer a $15 discount to qualifying mobile customers, so if you fall into that category, T-Mobile Home Internet may be worth considering. Satellite internet : Hughesnet and Viasat are available nearly everywhere, so they technically are options for home internet in the Boston area. The high-priced, low-data services are best for rural areas, so I'd recommend considering other providers unless you plan on living in a remote cabin on Walden Pond. If so, you'll want to stay there about as long as Thoreau did -- satellite internet from Hughesnet and...

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