Internet providers in Cincinnati, OH

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CenturyLink vs. Spectrum

If you want a national provider, you’ll need to choose between CenturyLink and Spectrum. Find out which is right for you.

Cable vs. Fiber: Which Internet Type Is Right for You?

Both fiber and cable internet are common types of broadband internet, but which connection is right for you?

The Fastest Internet Providers 2020

Internet speeds across the country vary depending on where you live and which plan you get. We break down the fastest ones.

“I have the Fioptics through Cincinnati Bell and it works good. The price package is awesome.”

–Colleen N

“Service is generally very good, but pricing is unfair, being a long term customer of many years I feel I should be getting better pricing”

–Abe W

“The speed is sufficient. I do find that my wi-fi signal gets dropped from time to time which is not good if I am doing work for my online classes.”

—Amy S.

Summary of Cincinnati internet providers

Provider	Type	Download speeds up to	User rating	Order online
T-Mobile Home Internet	5G Home	245 Mbps	4.0/5	View Plans for T-Mobile Home Internet
Spectrum	Cable	1000 Mbps (wireless speeds may vary)	3.5/5	View Plans for Spectrumor call 833-513-4720
Brightspeed	DSL	40 Mbps	3.3/5	View Plans for Brightspeed
Verizon Home Internet	5G Home	300 Mbps	4/5	View Plans for Verizon Home Internet
Mediacom	Cable	1000 Mbps	3.5/5	View Plans for Mediacom
Hughesnet	Satellite	100 Mbps	3/5	View Plans for Hughesnet
Viasat	Satellite	150 Mbps	3/5	View Plans for Viasat
Starlink	Satellite	220 Mbps	4.0/5	View Plans for Starlink
altafiber	Fiber	1000 Mbps	3.0/5	Learn more about altafiber
ispMint	5G Home	5 Mbps	4.5/5	Link not provided
PowerNet Global	Fixed Wireless	100 Mbps	N/A	Learn more about PowerNet Global

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.

What is the best internet provider in Cincinnati?

Spectrum - No data caps
Verizon Home Internet - Fast upload and download speeds
Mediacom - Good for multiple usersAQS Plans for Mediacom
Hughesnet - Perfect for rural areas
Viasat - Widely available
altafiber - Net neutral network

Spectrum is the best option for home internet in Cincinnati, offering speeds up to 1,000 Mbps as well as a variety of more affordable plans. Spectrum provides high-speed cable service with plenty of bandwidth for things like work, school, or just watching Netflix.

CenturyLink offers DSL at slower speeds but more affordable prices. Mediacom AQS Plans for Mediacomis another good option for cable internet service in Cincinnati with fast speeds and reasonable prices from a big provider with a slightly smaller national footprint than Spectrum.

There are also local internet providers like Cincinnati Bell, which offers fiber plans with speeds up to 1,000 Mbps.

If none of these providers serve your area, you can also consider satellite internet. Although it’s far from the fastest option, both Viasat and Hughesnet are available everywhere and have speeds ranging from 50 Mbps to 150 Mbps.

Highest-rated internet providers in Cincinnati

The highest-rated internet provider in Cincinnati in our annual customer satisfaction survey this year was T-Mobile, which came out ahead of the larger nationwide providers.

Among the larger nationwide internet providers, EarthLink once again took the highest ranked position. Spectrum came in third place and Mediacom AQS Plans for Mediacom took seventh place. CenturyLink came in eighth place overall, just behind Mediacom.

In addition to these providers, Cincinnati is also home to local internet providers like Cincinnati Bell, which offers fiber plans with speeds up to 1,000 Mbps.

Fastest internet service providers in Cincinnati

Spectrum and are the fastest internet providers in Cincinnati, both offering download speeds of 1,000 Mbps. For content creators and those who work from home, Cincinnati Bell’s fiber connection has the added bonus of symmetrical upload speeds. This means that you get the same gigabit speeds sending information as you get when downloading information.

Provider	Price	Speed	Rating	View on Provider Site
altafiber	$39.99–$69.99/mo.*	Up to 1,000 Mbps	N/A	View Cincinnati Bell Plans
Spectrum	$49.99–$89.99/mo.^†	Up to 1,000 Mbps	3.6/5.0	View Spectrum Plans

Data effective as of 6/29/2022. Prices and availability vary by region and are subject to change.

*for 12–36 months.

^†Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter. Spectrum Internet® Gig promotion price is $89.99/mo; standard rates apply after yr. 1. Taxes, fees and surcharges extra and subject to change during and after the promotional period; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra.

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 Cincinnati

The cheapest internet service in Cincinnati is Mediacom AQS Plans for Mediacom, which comes in at under $20 per month. altafiber comes in second at $39.99. While it may be twice the price of Mediacom’s budget plan, Cincinnati Bell’s cheapest option is more than twice as fast, so it’s important to consider value along with overall cost.

Provider	Price	Speed	Rating	View on Provider Site
Mediacom AQS Plans for Mediacom	$19.99–$59.99/mo.*	Up to 100 Mbps	3.6/5.0	View Mediacom Plans
altafiber	$39.99–$69.99/mo.^†	Up to 1,000 Mbps	N/A	View Cincinnati Bell Plans

Data effective as of 6/29/2022. Prices and availability vary by region and are subject to change.

*For the first 12 months. Plus, activation, installation, and monthly modem rental fees.

^†for 12–36 months.

Internet Deals and Promotions in Cincinnati, OH

Provider	Available Deal	View on Provider’s Site
	Get $50–$100 for you and a friend when you refer them to CenturyLink, plus a $10 donation to your choice of charity Get free installation and included Wi-Fi equipment when you sign up for a fiber internet plan with 940Mbps speeds	Get the Deal
	Exclusive offer: Spectrum Internet customers can get a free unlimited mobile line for a year	Get the Deal
	Save $20 per month for a year when you sign up for Earthlink's 100Mbps fiber internet	Get the Deal
	Get up to $300 back when you activate select T-Mobile 5G Home Internet plans, starting April 3 Get Netflix Standard with ads included with most Go5G mobile plans Get a free Ooma Telo Air device with T-Mobile Home Internet when you sign up for an Ooma Premier home phone service	Get the Deal
AQS Plans for Mediacom	Get 300Mbps internet for just $50 per month for a year Get 1 Gig internet and a free unlimited mobile line for a year for just $65 per month	Get the Deal
	Save up to $25 every month in your first year of service Get free professional installation, including Wi-Fi setup and device connection	Get the Deal
	Exclusive offer: Get $20 off per month for six months when you sign up through HighSpeedInternet.com Get free professional installation (with credit qualification) when you sign up for a qualifying home internet plan	Get the Deal

Fiber internet in Cincinnati

Cincinnati currently has only one option for fiber internet—Cincinnati Bell. Besides being local, this small fiber network manages to cover nearly the entire city, making it a very appealing choice. Fiber connections are important because they provide not only lightning-fast download speeds, but also equally fast upload speeds. Upload speed is important for livestreaming, video chat, and many other online activities. Fiber is also reliable, which means fewer outages to worry about.

Cincinnati residential internet coverage

Residential internet coverage in the Over-the-Rhine district varies by provider. Of the major providers in Cincinnati, only two cover the entire area: Spectrum and Cincinnati Bell. This includes both the downtown area near the Krohn Conservatory and Cincinnati Art Museum and outlying suburbs, from Westwood and Mount Airy to Madisonville, Oakley, and Pleasant Ridge, and on down along the Ohio River by Mount Adams and East End.

CenturyLink doesn’t offer coverage in downtown Cincinnati, but it does bring service to some northern neighborhoods like North Avondale near Xavier University, clear up near Lake Erie by Winton Place, and past Columbus and approaching Akron in College Hills.

Viasat and Hughesnet are both available nationwide, so they cover the entire Cincinnati area and even out to the most rural areas and towns, like Yellow Springs, Granville, and Sugarcreek.

Cincinnati internet FAQ

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What is the best internet service provider in Cincinnati?

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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.

Internet providers in Cincinnati, OH

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