Best ISPs in Pasadena, CA

What is the best ISP in Pasadena, CA?

AT&T Fiber is CNET’s pick for the best ISP in Pasadena. A major reason why it’s our top pick is that it’s the only provider in town that offers fiber internet. As a result, there are symmetrical upload and download speeds, which is essential for remote workers and gamers. However, it is not available throughout the city, with only about one in five Pasadena residents having access to AT&T Fiber.

on the other hand, The spectrum cable internet plans are available to almost everyone. Spectrum also has the advantage of having the cheapest starting prices in the area of ​​$50 per month for 500Mbps speeds. However, those prices don’t stick around forever—prices increase by $35 a month after a year or two, and Spectrum also scores below average in terms of customer satisfaction. Wireless internet from T-Mobile is a solid alternative, with download speeds of up to 245Mbps for $50 per month, which gets an additional discount if you have a T-Mobile cell phone plan.

The best internet in Pasadena, CA

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Pasadena

The best internet deals and the best promotions in Pasadena depend on what discounts are available during a given time period. Most deals are short-lived, but we’re often on the lookout for the latest deals.

Pasadena ISPs like Spectrum and Verizon may offer lower introductory rates or streaming add-ons for a limited time. However, others, including T-Mobile Home Internet and AT&T Fiber, have the same standard rates year-round.

For a more extensive list of promotions, see our guide to the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

What is 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 include video conferencing, streaming video, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more stable connection. Here’s an overview of recommended minimum download speeds for different apps, according to the FCC. Note that these are guidelines only — and that Internet speed, service, and performance vary by connection type, provider, and address.

For more information, see our guide to how much internet speed do you really need?.

• 0 to 5 Mbps lets you handle the basics – surfing the web, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40 Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100 Mbps should provide a single user with enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one or two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
• 500 to 1000 Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.

How CNET chose the best ISPs in Pasadena

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest ones smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen toolit is not practical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what is our approach? We start by researching pricing, availability, and speed information, drawing on our own historical data from ISPs, provider sites, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission on FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we’re looking at every ISP that provides service in an area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power to gauge how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent change; all information provided is accurate at the time of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider offer access to relatively fast internet speeds?
2. Are customers getting decent value for what they pay?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

While the answers to these questions are often multi-layered and complex, the vendors that come closest to saying yes to all three are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also take into account things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively easy. 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.)

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

ISPs in Pasadena FAQ