Best ISPs in Reading, PA

What is the best internet provider in Reading?

Xfinity is the best internet service provider in Reading, PA. It tops our list because it’s the only practical cable internet option in the area. Xfinity offers the cheapest internet in Reading ($25 per month for speeds up to 150 megabits per second) and the fastest speeds, up to 2000Mbps for $95. However, if you’re looking for Xfinity alternatives in Reading, there’s not much to choose from. Frontier offers DSL Internet in parts of Reading, but speeds may be slower what qualifies as broadbandand at $65 per month, the price is higher than what you’d pay for up to 800Mbps from Xfinity.

Wireless internet, from Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internetis the only reasonable broadband choice besides Xfinity in Redding. Verizon’s 5G home internet has better prices, while T-Mobile’s home internet boasts better coverage. Both providers offer a discount for bundling with mobile service.

The best internet in Reading, PA

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Reading

The best internet deals and top promotions in Reading depend on what discounts are available at the time. Most deals are short-lived, but we’re often on the lookout for the latest deals.

Reader internet providers such as T-Mobile Home Internet and Xfinity may offer lower introductory rates or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including Verizon 5G Home Internet and Frontier, have the same standard prices 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 Federal Communications Commission. Note that these are guidelines only and that internet speed, service and performance will 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, and 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 Reading, PA

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. 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 FCC.gov.

It doesn’t stop there: We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we account for 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 relatively fast internet access?
2. Are customers getting decent value for what they pay?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

The answers to these questions are often multi-layered and complex, but 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.

Reading, PA ISP FAQs