The Best Internet Providers in Ithaca, NY

What is the best ISP in Ithaca?

Spectrum is CNET’s pick for the best ISP in Ithaca, New Yorkthanks to its high availability, fast speeds and clear prices. Spectrum’s two plan options in Ithaca – 500 megabits per second and 1000 Mbps – offer the best value of any ISP in the area and come with unlimited data and a free modem (router not included).

Verizon Fios is also excellent value, offering free equipment rental, unlimited data and a long price guarantee with each of its plans, but availability is severely limited in Ithaca. Verizon’s wireless home Internet service is more widely available and offers many of the same benefits as Verizon Fios, but the speeds available are less consistent.

If you are looking for a high speed internet alternative or shopping for internet in a rural area outside Ithaca, T-Mobile Home Internet is probably your best choice. The service includes free equipment, unlimited data and no contracts, and your price is fixed for as long as you maintain your service.

Spectrum, T-Mobile Home Internet, and both Verizon services start at $50 a month, but you’ll get more speed for the price with Spectrum, making it the better choice for cheap internet. Spectrum also offers the fastest download speeds in Ithaca, up to 1000Mbps, though Verizon Fios is close behind with a 940Mbps plan that comes with significantly faster upload speeds, up to 880Mbps compared to Spectrum’s 35Mbps.

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Ithaca

The best internet deals and the best promotions in Ithaca 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.

Ithaca ISPs, such as Verizon Fios, may offer lower introductory rates or promotional gifts for a limited time. However, many, including Spectrum and T-Mobile Home Internet, maintain the same standard rates throughout the year.

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 emails, 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 satisfy 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 Ithaca

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 relatively fast internet access?
2. Are customers getting decent value for what they pay?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

While the answer to these questions is often 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. (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.

Internet Providers in Ithaca, NY FAQ