Best Internet Providers in Pennsylvania

What is the best internet provider in Pennsylvania?

CNET recommends Verizon Fios as Pennsylvania’s best internet service provider overall. Along with a 100% fiber-optic connection, Verizon Fios stands out for its competitive pricing, favorable service terms such as unlimited data and lengthy price guarantees, plus an impressive record of high customer satisfaction. 

While Verizon Fios is CNET’s pick for best overall, it doesn’t have the cheapest internet in Pennsylvania or the fastest. Astound Broadband has the lowest starting price for internet in Pennsylvania at $20 monthly, delivering up to 300 megabits per second with unlimited data. Frontier Fiber offers the fastest internet plan of any major ISP in Pennsylvania, with symmetrical speeds up to 5,000Mbps, starting at $155 a month. Gig service, with speeds up to 1,000Mbps or higher, is available from several Pennsylvania ISPs, including Astound, Kinetic by Windstream, Xfinity and Verizon.

Best internet in Pennsylvania in 2024

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Pennsylvania internet provider honorable mentions

• Brightspeed: After recently acquiring networks from Lumen Technologies (CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber) in Pennsylvania, Brightspeed offers DSL and fiber internet service to areas west and southeast of Harrisburg, north of Pittsburgh and along the New Jersey border. Like any DSL or fiber provider, Brightspeed’s fiber service is worth checking out, but you’ll want to explore other options if your address is only serviceable for DSL internet.
• Kinetic by Windstream: Another DSL provider, Kinetic is available to slightly more Pennsylvania residences than Brightspeed. While the DSL service is better than most, it’s still DSL. Consider Kinetic Fiber if it’s available, but be sure to explore all your options before committing to DSL service.
• Service Electric: Local cable ISP Service Electric offers speeds ranging from 100 to 1,000Mbps, starting at $48 to $147 per month, with no data caps or contracts. Service is available in Allentown and the Lehigh Valley area, as well as Wilkes-Barre, Lewisburg and Mount Carmel. Equipment is included in the plans, but customers have the option to lease equipment for up to $11 per month.
• Spectrum: Xfinity is the top cable provider in Pennsylvania, but Spectrum has a small presence in the northern part of the state, particularly in Erie. Spectrum keeps it simple with four plans ranging from 300 to 1,000Mbps, starting at $40 to $60 per month with no data caps, no contracts, a free modem rental and the option to rent a router for $7 per month. 
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon’s mobile service is available throughout Pennsylvania, but Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Scranton are where you’ll find the best coverage of Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network -- the Verizon network best suited for home internet. Plans start at $50 or $70 per month for speeds of 50 to 300Mbps or 85 to 1,000Mbps. Qualifying Verizon mobile customers can get $15 to $25 off the cost of home internet.
• Satellite internet: It’s always an option provided you have a clear view of the southern sky, but the slow speeds, data restrictions and high costs make satellite internet more of a last resort for broadband. If you have no other internet options, check out popular satellite providers Hughesnet and Viasat, or possibly Starlink.

Internet breakdown by city in Pennsylvania

It’s hard to cover the internet options of an entire state while giving individual cities the in-depth attention they deserve. That’s why we’ve also put together lists of the best internet providers in cities across the US, including those in Pennsylvania. If you don’t see your hometown below, check back later. We’re working to add more every day.

• Best internet providers in Allentown
• Best internet providers in Harrisburg
• Best internet providers in Lancaster
• Best internet providers in Philadelphia
• Best internet providers in Pittsburgh
• Best internet providers in Reading
• Best internet providers in Scranton
• Best internet providers in Wilkes-Barre
• Best internet providers in York

Cheap internet options in Pennsylvania

Cable internet is typically the go-to for cheap internet, and that’s the case in Pennsylvania with the cheapest internet plan coming from Astound Broadband. This cable ISP offers internet service starting at $20 monthly with no required equipment fees. Xfinity, Spectrum, Kinetic by Windstream and Service Electric are the only other major internet providers in Pennsylvania with a starting price below $50 a month.

What's the cheapest internet plan in Pennsylvania?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Pennsylvania

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

Pennsylvania internet providers, such as Astound Broadband or Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or special offers for a limited time. Many, however, including Frontier, Kinetic and Verizon, 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 Pennsylvania broadband?

Ookla speed test data from the fourth quarter of 2023 ranked Pennsylvania 25th among US states and Washington, DC, for the fastest median download speeds at 205Mbps. That’s lower than the national average (242Mbps) and lower than neighboring states New York (226Mbps), Delaware (237Mbps), Maryland (227Mbps) and Ohio (217Mbps), but higher than West Virginia (172Mbps).

There are many factors that can affect speed test data, so state averages aren’t necessarily representative of the speeds you can expect or that may be available in your home. Many Pennsylvania internet providers offer plans with max speeds much higher than the state average.

Fastest internet plans in Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania

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 answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that 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.

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

What’s the final word on internet providers in Pennsylvania?

It’s not the cheapest or the fastest internet provider in Pennsylvania, but Verizon Fios is the best all-around provider in the state. Fast speed tiers with symmetrical (or close) upload and download speeds, competitive pricing with lengthy price guarantees and other perks such as unlimited data, no equipment fees and no contracts make Verizon Fios a top choice for home internet. 

If you’re looking for cheap internet, Astound Broadband has the cheapest internet plan in the state, starting at $20 monthly. Frontier Fiber has the fastest internet plan with symmetrical speeds up to 5,000Mbps starting at $155 a month. The fastest plans from other major providers mostly reach around 1,000Mbps, though Verizon Fios offers a 2 Gig plan and speeds of 1,200Mbps are available from Xfinity.

Whether you’re looking for the cheapest, fastest or best all-around internet provider in Pennsylvania, it’s important to explore all your options before deciding on the best ISP for your home. Along with speeds and pricing, be sure to compare equipment fees, data caps, contract requirements and other conditions that could affect your experience with an internet provider.

Internet providers in Pennsylvania FAQs