Best Internet Providers in Ithaca, New York

What is the best internet provider in Ithaca?

Spectrum is CNET’s pick for the best internet service provider in Ithaca, New York, thanks to its high availability, fast speeds and straightforward pricing. Spectrum’s three plan options in Ithaca — 100 megabits per second, 500Mbps and 1,000Mbps — offer some of the best value in the area and come with unlimited data and a free modem (router not included).

Verizon Fios is also an excellent option, offering free equipment rental, unlimited data and a lengthy price guarantee with each of its plans, but availability is limited in Ithaca. Verizon’s wireless home internet service is more widely available and comes with many of the same perks as Verizon Fios, but available speeds are less consistent.

If you’re looking for a high-speed internet alternative or shopping for internet in a rural area outside of Ithaca, T-Mobile Home Internet is likely your best choice. Service includes free equipment, unlimited data and no contracts, and your price is locked in for as long as you keep your service.

Spectrum, T-Mobile Home Internet and both Verizon services have plans for $50 per month (including auto-pay discounts), but you’ll get more speed for the price with Spectrum, making it the better choice for cheap internet. Spectrum also offers the fastest download speeds in Ithaca, up to 1,000Mbps, though Verizon Fios is close with a 940Mbps plan that comes with significantly faster upload speeds, up to 880Mbps compared to 35Mbps from Spectrum.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Ithaca

The best internet deals and top promotions in Ithaca depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Ithaca internet providers, such as Verizon Fios, may offer lower introductory pricing or promotional giveaways for a limited time. Many, however, including Spectrum and T-Mobile Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a 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 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.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

• 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 Ithaca

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:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. 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 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 consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Internet providers in Ithaca, New York, FAQs