Internet providers in Boston, MA

What’s a good internet speed?

Take our quiz to find out how much internet speed you need. Or use our internet speed test to test your current speeds.

0–5 Mbps

Works for:

Checking email
Streaming music on one device
Searching on Google

5–40 Mbps

Works for:

Streaming video on one device
Video calling with Skype or FaceTime
Online gaming for one player

40–100 Mbps

Works for:

Streaming HD video on a few devices
Multiplayer online gaming
Downloading large files

100–500 Mbps

Works for:

Streaming video in UHD on multiple screens
Downloading files quickly
Gaming online for multiple players

500–1,000+ Mbps

Works for:

Doing a lot of almost anything

Best internet providers in Boston

Astound: Best overall
Xfinity: Best for speed
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: Best customer feedback
Verizon Fios: Best fiber
Starlink: Best satellite

Fastest internet service providers in Boston

Verizon Home Internet was the highest-rated nationwide internet provider in Boston in our annual customer satisfaction survey, taking second place overall; however, T-Mobile Home Internet actually earned a higher overall customer satisfaction score than the bigger nationwide providers with its 5G home internet.

Xfinity came in fifth place, placing it squarely in the middle of the pack. Astound did rather poorly in the survey, coming in near the bottom at tenth place.

Provider	Price	Speed	Rating	View on Provider Site
Xfinity	$30.00–$80.00/mo.*	1,200 Mbps	3.5/5.0	View Xfinity Plans
Astound	$20.00–$70.00/mo.^†	Up to 1,500 Mbps	3.7/5.0	View Astound Broadband Plans
Verizon Home Internet	$49.99–$119.99/mo.^‡#	Up to 2,048 Mbps	3.8/5.0	View Verizon Plans

Prices and availability vary by region and are subject to change.

Read disclaimers.

Looking for an easy way to test and track your internet speed anywhere?

Download our free, easy-to-use speed test app for quick and reliable results.

Cheapest internet service providers in Boston

The cheapest internet you can get in Boston is Astound, which starts at just $20 per month. It’s important to note, however, that this is a promotional price. The price jumps considerably afterwards.

Provider	Price	Speed	Rating	View on Provider Site
Astound	$20.00–$70.00/mo.*	Up to 1,200 Mbps	3.7/5.0	View Astound Broadband Plans
Xfinity	$30.00–$80.00/mo.^†	1,200 Mbps	3.5/5.0	View Xfinity Plans
Verizon Home Internet	$49.99–$119.99/mo.^‡#	Up to 2,048 Mbps	3.8/5.0	View Verizon Plans
Starry Internet	$30.00–$80.00/mo**	Up to 1,000 Mbps	N/A	View Starry Plans

Prices and availability vary by region and are subject to change.

Read disclaimers.

Internet deals and promotions in Boston

We no longer recommend Hughesnet for residential internet service. For more information on affordable satellite internet, see our overview of satellite providers, including Starlink.

Provider	Available Deal	View on Provider’s Site
	Choose a three-year price lock guarantee with any new internet plan from Verizon Get discounts on mobile and home internet service from Verizon when you sign up as a teacher, military family, nurse, or first responder Get a $20 monthly discount for six months on a new YouTube TV subscription when you sign up through Verizon	Get the Deal
	Get a 300Mbps plan for $40 per month from Xfinity, including WiFi equipment, unlimited data, and one line of Xfinity Mobile for a year Get free perks like Disney+, Hulu Bundle and Peacock Premium included with a new 1 Gig plan from Xfinity, now with a 5-year price guarantee Get free Wi-Fi with all Xfinity Internet plans, no promo required	Get the Deal
	Get a 5-Year Price Guarantee with any T-Mobile 5G Home Internet plan Get one month free when you order a new T-Mobile 5G Home Internet plan, plus up to $200 back Get Hulu (With Ads) and Paramount+ Essential included on a new All-in plan from T-Mobile 5G Home Internet	Get the Deal
	Get a Gig Wifi for $40 per month for life plus a $200 gift card when you sign up with Astound Broadband and use the code WIFIDEAL at checkout Get a $100 service credit when you refer a friend to Astound Internet and earn up to $1,200 annually Qualifying households can get a 50Mbps plan for just $9.95 per month from Astound Internet, with Wi-Fi gear included	Get the Deal
	Get free professional installation of home internet from Hughesnet, including Wi-Fi setup and device connection Save up to $25 every month during your first year of home internet service with Hughesnet
	Get free professional installation (with credit qualification) when you sign up for a qualifying home internet plan from Viasat Get a $300 Mastercard™ Reward Card when you switch to Viasat from another satellite internet provider by May 17 Save $30 per month for three months when you sign up for a new Viasat Essentials plan and mention this deal	Get the Deal
	Try Starry Internet free for 30 days and if you like it, Starry will cover up to $200 in early termination fees from your old provider Get a free month of internet service when you refer a friend to Starry Internet Get a $5 debit discount on select plans when you sign up with a valid debit or prepaid card	Get the Deal

Highest-rated internet providers in Boston

Verizon Home Internet is the highest-rated internet provider in Boston according to our annual customer satisfaction survey. Verizon took third place overall, but it was scored second-highest in all categories except customer service (where it was ranked third). Verizon customers rate it particularly highly for satisfaction with reliability—75% of customers surveyed reported that they’re “very satisfied” or “100% satisfied” with their internet in that category.

Fiber internet in Boston

Verizon Home Internet is the only provider to offer fiber internet connections in Boston. Fiber connections are important because they boast not only lightning-fast download speeds, but also have equally fast upload speeds. Upload speed is important for livestreaming, video chat, and many other online activities. Fiber is also one of the most reliable types of internet connection, which means fewer outages and other problems to worry about.

Boston residential internet coverage

Through Verizon Home Internet, about half of Boston has access to high-speed fiber internet. Verizon Fios is available in some central neighborhoods, including Back Bay, Downtown, and Beacon Hill. In the north, the ISP serves Charlestown and Allston. Southern neighborhoods in the Verizon Fios service area include South Dorchester and Mattapan. Verizon’s DSL network is slightly larger and covers the entire city.

Cable internet provider Xfinity has a significant presence in Greater Boston, bringing high-speed internet coverage to neighborhoods as far north as Charlestown and as far south as Hyde Park.

Astound has decent coverage areas around Boston and covers most of the central neighborhoods including Beacon Hill, Downtown, Chinatown, Leather District, Back Bay, and Fenway.

How much speed do you need?

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Discover the speed you need

Wanna know more? Compare internet providers head-to-head.

Verizon vs. Xfinity

Xfinity has Wi-Fi hotspots all over Boston, but Verizon Fios offers much faster upload speeds. Read our comparison review to figure out which ISP is the better deal for you.

Best Internet for Gaming

If you need high-performance internet for gaming (or anything else), check out why Xfinity, Verizon, and RCN get our stamp of approval.

Your Guide to Xfinity Installation

Leaning towards Xfinity internet? Let us run you through the pros and cons of professional vs. self-installation options.

Provider	Type	Download speeds up to	User rating	Order online
Xfinity	Cable	2000 Mbps	3.5/5	View Plans for Xfinity
Astound	Cable & Fiber	1200 Mbps	3.0/5
EarthLink	5G Home & Fiber	1000 Mbps	4.0/5	View Plans for EarthLinkor call 833-811-8858
T-Mobile Home Internet	5G Home	498 Mbps	4.0/5	View Plans for T-Mobile Home Internetor call 833-469-4276
Verizon Home Internet	DSL & Fiber	2048 Mbps	4/5
Viasat	Satellite	150 Mbps	3/5
Starlink	Satellite	400 Mbps	4.0/5	View Plans for Starlinkor call 833-970-5017
Starry Internet	Fixed Wireless	1000 Mbps	4.0/5
ispMint	5G Home	5 Mbps	4.5/5	Link not provided
netBlazr Inc.	Fixed Wireless	1000 Mbps	N/A

Availability and speeds displayed are not guaranteed and are subject to change.

Technology Type

DSL:

DSL provides internet service via phone cables and is up to ten times faster than dial-up service.

Cable:

Cable provides internet speeds faster than DSL through the same cables used for cable TV.

Satellite:

Satellite internet is widely available, but offers slower speeds due to a far-traveling signal.

Fiber:

Fiber relies on glass strands to relay digital code and is much faster than both DSL and cable.

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Featured customer reviews

“The service is good. Polite and responsive in this area. Pricing is fair. Speed could be better, but do-able for basic streaming.”

–Robert W.

“Blazing fast, no hassle, no downtime to date, and very little package pressure.”

–Christopher R.

“Uverse internet/TV bundle is a very good option…”

–Carlos Sorzano

Methodology

HighSpeedInternet.com compares internet providers within cities and metro areas to give customers the most relevant insights into their internet options. When comparing providers, we consider the following:

Provider coverage areas
Advertised speeds
Real-world speeds (speed test data)
Customer feedback
Other relevant localized data

We source localized coverage data displayed on our coverage maps from the FCC coverage database, which is updated every six months. For the most current summary of providers in your area, we recommend you use our zip code search tool, which offers the most recent coverage data straight from internet service providers (ISPs).

Our city overviews compare advertised provider speeds. We may also include real-world speed data gathered from millions of annual speed test results. To process our speed test data, we first filter out outliers and providers with low test counts. We then calculate speed averages with every ISP subject to the same parameters.

We gather ISP customer feedback data from our comprehensive annual surveys and direct customer feedback submitted to HighSpeedInternet.com. Unless stated otherwise, average ratings are calculated nationally.

Disclaimers

Highest-rated internet providers in Boston

*For the first 12 months with a 1-year agreement. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount. Excludes Xfinity Gigabit Pro.

^†Regional price differences may apply. No contract required. 24 Month Internet Pricing. Equipment priced separately. Includes $5 discount for 12 months w/ ebill & autopay. Observed speeds may vary. Excludes surcharges and fees. New residential customers only.

^‡w/ Auto Pay. Available in select areas.

^#w/ Auto Pay and select 5G mobile plans. Available in select areas.

Cheapest internet providers in Boston

*Regional price differences may apply. No contract required. 24 Month Internet Pricing. Equipment priced separately. Includes $5 discount for 12 months w/ ebill & autopay. Observed speeds may vary. Excludes surcharges and fees. New residential customers only.

^†For the first 12 months with a 1-year agreement. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount. Excludes Xfinity Gigabit Pro.

^‡w/ Auto Pay. Available in select areas.

^#w/ Auto Pay and select 5G mobile plans. Available in select areas.

**Available in select areas only. Price per month with Auto Pay & without select 5G mobile plans. Fios plan prices include taxes & fees.

Internet providers in Boston, MA

What’s a good internet speed?

Best internet providers in Boston

Fastest internet service providers in Boston

Looking for an easy way to test and track your internet speed anywhere?

Cheapest internet service providers in Boston

Internet deals and promotions in Boston

Highest-rated internet providers in Boston

Fiber internet in Boston

Boston residential internet coverage

How much speed do you need?