New York City is an important economic center with a plethora of opportunities. The city has everything you could ever want, from its flourishing art culture, delicious food, and trendy fashion to entertaining nightlife scenes. Besides entertainment, the city is a financial hub and houses many leading industries in the country. Therefore it attracts people from all over the world and has numerous internet service providers to keep them connected.
The city boasts a well-developed network infrastructure, which allows you to find numerous high-speed internet options. However, choosing a single provider is difficult with so many ISPs in one place. We have compiled a list of some of the top internet providers in this city to make your selection process easier. Here is everything you need to know about them!
Internet Providers in New York City
The city is well connected, and regardless of the location, you can find fiber, cable, satellite, and fixed wireless internet options. Spectrum, Verizon, RCN, and Optimum are the prominent providers in this city, while HughesNet and Viasat are available satellite internet options.
Fiber-optic connections are becoming more common in this city as 75% of the residents can now access this service. New Yorkers also have access to more than one provider, as many apartment buildings are wired for Spectrum and Verizon Fios. Overall, the city has excellent coverage with high-speed internet plans. Let’s explore the top internet providers in NYC.
| Internet Service Provider | Service Type | Maximum Speed |
| Spectrum | Cable | 940 Mbps |
| Verizon Fios | Fiber | 2.3 Gbps |
| RCN | Cable | 1000 Mbps |
| Optimum | Cable/Fiber | 940 Mbps |
| HughesNet | Satellite | 25 Mbps |
Spectrum: Best Value
Spectrum is the most common choice of New Yorkers with its expansive coverage and speeds up to 1000 Mbps. It covers most of Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, and some areas of Brooklyn. Spectrum internet plans are the most popular because they focus on delivering the best services across its locations.
Spectrum offers three simple plans with straightforward prices to New Yorkers. It stands out as a top provider because it doesn’t enforce any data caps or contracts with these plans. You also get a free modem and Security Suite with Spectrum’s internet service. Furthermore, it provides its customers free access to numerous Spectrum WiFi hotspots, allowing them to use the internet anywhere.
Price Range: $49.99 – $109.99/month
Speed Range: 200 Mbps – 940 Mbps
Perks: no data caps, no contracts, free modem, and Security Suite
Verizon Fios: Best Fiber Internet
Verizon has the second-best coverage in New York, but its fiber service may not be available in all locations. Verizon Fios covers 90% of Manhattan, most of Chelsea, SoHo, and the Lower East Side. It offers three plans with simple prices and symmetrical download and upload speeds.
Some areas of New York are also eligible for Verizon’s multi-gig plan with speeds up to 2.3 Gbps. Verizon Fios doesn’t enforce any contracts or data caps with its plans. Moreover, depending on your chosen plan, it offers special promotional offers like gift cards, free WiFi equipment, and streaming services. Verizon is also known for its remarkable customer service and is considered one of the prominent providers in this city.
Price Range: $39.99 – $89.99/month
Speed Range: 300 Mbps – 940 Mbps
Perks: no data caps, no contracts, free equipment, and remarkable promotional offers
RCN: Best Cheap Internet Service
Although RCN is not as widely available as Spectrum, you can find it in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. It is one of the most affordable ISPs, offering three simple plans with impressive speeds at lower prices. For example, you can get 1000 Mbps speed for just $49.99 with RCN.
RCN is also one of the no-contract internet providers, and it also doesn’t enforce any data caps. RCN is one of the top choices of New Yorkers because of its high-speed plans and reliable service.
Price Range: 34.99 – 49.99/month
Speed Range: 250 Mbps – 1000 Mbps
Perks: no contracts, no data caps, and free modem
Optimum: Reliable Service
Optimum is the second-largest cable internet provider in New York, covering most of Brooklyn and Bronx but not Manhattan. It also has a fiber network employed in New York, and its fiber connection is available to almost 1 million New Yorkers.
Optimum is a reliable internet provider that offers three internet plans with different speed tiers catering to the needs of various households. These plans come with unlimited data, allowing you to connect multiple devices simultaneously and enjoy unlimited streaming without interruption. It also offers impressive upload speeds ranging from 35 Mbps to 50 Mbps.
Price Range: $45 – $80/month
Speed Range: 300 Mbps – 940Mbps
Perks: no data caps, no contracts or hidden fees
HughesNet: Best Availability
HughesNet is the best satellite internet provider because of its reliable speed and 100% coverage. It is an impressive option if you live in the suburbs of NYC with limited ISPs. It offers much simpler plans than its counterpart, Viasat. You get the same consistent speed, the only difference being the amount of data.
Unlike other providers, HughesNet enforces data caps and throttles your speed after you exceed your data limit. However, it provides additional 50 GB of data to every user regardless of their chosen plan. Customers can use this data between 2 am to 8 am. It also proposes various Data Tokens, which you can buy to add additional data after exceeding the set limit.
Price Range: $59.99 – $149.99/month
Data Caps Range: 10 GB – 50 GB
Perks: Bonus Zone, consistent speed
Final Words
The internet is a basic necessity for economic development. Understandably, this financial hub of America has numerous ISPs working to provide quality internet services to its residents. You can easily find cable, fiber, DSL, satellite, and fixed wireless services in this city. However, choosing a single best provider can be difficult with numerous options.
Therefore, we have provided a list of some of the top ISPs in NYC based on their coverage, speed, internet plans, pricing, and perks. You can use websites like BestCableTV to check the availability of these ISPs and other options.
