Best Internet Providers in Ocala, Florida

What is the best internet provider in Ocala?

Our CNET experts recommend Cox as the top internet provider in Ocala. It provides competitive starting prices, is widely available compared to other providers like Spectrum and offers the fastest speeds at 2,000Mbps for $150 per month. It does have a few drawbacks, such as potential price hikes, data caps and being a little pricey, but ultimately it stands head and shoulders above its competitors.

Residents looking for more affordable options should consider T-Mobile Home Internet. It stands out as our top budget pick in Ocala due the service’s price-lock guarantee, its monthly rate including equipment and the promise of unlimited data. Cox also offers $30 per month with its ConnectAsist bundle, but it’s only available for those on government assistance.

Unfortunately, while Cox and T-Mobile provide speed, there’s a sharp decline in speed in other competitors. Our third pick, CenturyLink, is a DSL provider that offers speeds up to 80Mbps or 100Mbps, but this largely depends on your location. Even so, these speeds are best suited for those in smaller households, whereas those with larger families or inhabitants will struggle to make the most out of this ISP. It at least offers a flat rate of $55, no matter what speed you pick.

Best internet in Ocala, Florida

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Ocala

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

Ocala internet providers, such as Verizon, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including Cox, CenturyLink 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 person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Ocala

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 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 consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Internet providers in Ocala FAQs