Best Internet Providers in Santa Monica, California

What is the best internet provider in Santa Monica?

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

For the best internet deals in Santa Monica, check out Frontier. The company has a 200Mbps fiber plan for just $30 per month, along with its fastest option of 5,000Mbps for $130 per month.

Best internet in Santa Monica, California

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Santa Monica

• AT&T Fiber: You’ll find a small area of AT&T Fiber coverage southeast of the Brentwood Country Club, but it’s more common in nearby communities like Beverly Hills and Inglewood. Plans start at $55 per month for 300Mbps and top out at $250 for 5,000Mbps. There are no data caps, contracts or equipment fees. 
• AT&T Internet Air: AT&T has only a tiny pocket of fiber coverage in Santa Monica, but it services a wider area with its 5G fixed wireless internet called AT&T Internet Air. There’s one plan at $55 monthly with no data cap, equipment fees or contracts. Expect typical download speeds in the 75-225Mbps range, which is competitive with T-Mobile’s home internet service. 
• Frontier Internet: Frontier offers DSL internet in some parts of town where its fiber network doesn’t reach. The plan may offer download speeds up to 115Mbps (speeds will vary with location) for $65 monthly. It’s pricey and slow considering what you get, so look to Spectrum before you sign up for DSL.
• T-Mobile Home Internet: Consider T-Mobile Home Internet if you’re already a phone customer and want to bundle plans for savings. There’s one home internet plan at $60 monthly (sometimes discounted to $50) with typical speeds of 72-245Mbps. T-Mobile has strong 5G Ultra Capacity network coverage all across Santa Monica. There are no data caps or contracts and equipment is included.
• Satellite internet: If all other internet types fail, look to satellite internet from Starlink, Hughesnet 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 decent fixed wireless.

Cheap internet options in Santa Monica

Santa Monica residents can access some good home internet deals, starting with Frontier’s $30-per-month 200Mbps fiber plan. If you need more speed, look to Frontier’s $45-per-month 500Mbps plan. That’s a good value. Not everyone in Santa Monica can get fiber, but most homes are eligible for Spectrum and its entry-level $50-per-month 300Mbps cable plan. You won’t get the speedy uploads of fiber, but that’s a reasonable introductory deal for cable. Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T — the 5G home internet providers in Santa Monica — are competitive on pricing, especially when you bundle with an eligible phone plan. 

What’s the cheapest internet plan in Santa Monica?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Santa Monica

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

Santa Monica internet providers, such as Spectrum, T-Mobile Home Internet and Frontier, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including Starry and Verizon, tend to run the same standard pricing year-round. 

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

How fast is Santa Monica broadband?

Santa Monica is a good place to live if you need fast home internet. A recent Ookla speed test report shows the city pulling down a median fixed internet speed of nearly 286Mbps. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) California overall had 254Mbps downloads and Los Angeles logged 222Mbps. Frontier’s fast fiber network helps Santa Monica’s numbers. Even if you can’t get fiber, Spectrum still offers gig downloads all across town. If fast uploads are a must for you, prioritize fiber when shopping.

Fastest internet plans in Santa Monica

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 and 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 Santa Monica

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov. 

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: 

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? 
• Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying? 
• Are customers happy with their service? 

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, although 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.

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

What’s the final word on internet providers in Santa Monica?

Frontier ticks a lot of boxes for home internet. You get fast, symmetrical speeds and affordable, no-fuss plans. 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 an availability advantage but much slower upload speeds and maxes out a gig for downloads. If the option is available to you, give fiber a shot. If not, go with Spectrum or look into 5G home internet, especially if you can get fast downloads from Verizon. Apartment dwellers should check with Starry to see if the ISP reaches your building. It has good speeds, simple plans and a solid customer service reputation.

Internet providers in Santa Monica FAQs