Which Internet Providers are in my area?

InternetAdvisor helps you to compare Internet Providers by State, City, Zip Code, and Address.
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Learn about Internet Providers in your area

When shopping for Internet Service it is important to understand the types of connections that are available in your area. Internet Service can vary greatly in both speed and price depending on whether you are in a more rural or urban area of the United States. Typically users in more metropolitan areas or big cities will have access to Fiber and Cable connections, which have the fastest speeds available at affordable prices. However, if you are in a more rural location you might be restricted to slower DSL connections or Satellite connections, which can be very expensive and may also have data limitations. If you are moving to a new area, our Internet Experts can help set realistic expectations for the options available in your area and help get you the best package for your needs.

How Do I Compare Internet Providers In My Area?

The first thing that you need to do is check the availability or coverage of providers in your location. Once you have determined the providers that are offering service in your area, it is important to know the best ways to compare the services offered. Internet plans can have different monthly prices, download speeds, upload speeds, contract terms, latency, and data limitations.

What type of Internet Service do I need?

Depending on the activities that you are doing online, there may be some types of service that are not compatible. For example Satellite Internet Services like HughesNet and Viasat are not compatible with online multiplayer games and VPNs (Virtual Private Networks). If you are doing excessive streaming and gaming, we always recommend looking for either a Fiber or Cable connection, opposed to DSL or Satellite. Another important factor to consider is your budget, when choosing services. Generally most users will find that Cable or DSL plans offer the best value, if they are available in your area.

Cable

Using the same infrastructure as cable television, cable internet access has quickly grown in popularity among ISPs and consumers alike. Generally offering faster speeds than a DSL line, it's often the first choice when looking to use the internet for things such as streaming, gaming, or just visiting some of your favorite sites.

Pros

  • Increased download speeds
  • Widely available

Cons

  • Shared bandwidth
  • Reduced upload speeds

Fiber

With the fastest speeds available through fiber, it's the perfect choice for the modern user. Through fiber internet, fiber-optic lines carry the signal back and forth from your home or business at near instantaneous speeds. It's one of the newest technologies on the market and demand is growing faster and faster.

Pros

  • Lightning fast download speeds
  • Highest upload speeds

Cons

  • Higher cost
  • Lower Availability

DSL

A Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is a method of connecting to the internet through an existing telephone line. Faster and more reliable than dial-up, DSL has been the choice for most Americans ever since it gained traction in the late 1990's. Seeing as all that's needed is a telephone line, most households and businesses will have some form of DSL to choose from.

Pros

  • Available to most addresses
  • Highly reliable connection
  • Affordability

Cons

  • Reduced upload speeds
  • Slower than other lines

Satellite

Really meant for homes or businesses without grounded lines available, satellite internet access can be found almost anywhere. Using a geostationary satellite to connect you with the wider world online, all that is needed is a clear line of site to the southern sky and you'll have no problem connecting to the web.

Pros

  • Available almost anywhere
  • Multiple plans available

Cons

  • Lag when gaming
  • VPN incompatible
  • Data restrictions

Fixed Wireless

Fixed wireless is a form of internet that uses directional radio antennas to connect to your home or business. Great for areas that don't have access to cable, DSL, or fiber, it allows you to have internet access without the often prohibitory price tag that getting those lines laid would cost.

Pros

  • Fast download speeds
  • No lines required

Cons

  • Weather affected
  • Antenna required

What is InternetAdvisor?

InternetAdvisor was built to help educate customers on the Internet Service that is available in their area and compare the available providers and plans to best meet your needs.

Search for Internet Providers in your area.

How does InternetAdvisor Work?

Our Internet and Data experts have put together a number of resources and done countless hours of proprietary research to make a database of all Internet Providers across the US. One of the major resources is the Broadband Deployment Data from the FCC Form 477, which is submitted by all ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to create more transparency on the Broadband access of U.S. Citizens.

What is Broadband Internet?

Broadband Internet has been classified by the FCC as being an Internet Connection with minimum upload and download speeds of 3Mbps and 25Mbps respectively.

What do Mbps and Gbps mean?

When looking at the download and upload speeds of Internet Plans you will most likely encounter two abbreviations, which are Mbps and Gbps. These stand for Megabits per second and Gigabits per second. This is a measurement of the data transfer rates of files being both uploaded and downloaded. An important distinction to make is the difference between bits and bytes, as there are 8 bits in a byte. When calculating the time required to download a file, you must multiply the bitrate by 8 in order to get a corresponding file size.

Search the Largest Database of ISPs and TV Providers

We think you'll love the ease of searching Internet providers in your area. We show you the types of Internet access (example: fiber, cable, DSL) and all the plan details, including pricing, download speeds, leasing fees and data caps. When searching for the TV options in your area, wherever it's available, you'll find all your TV plan options and details including: plan pricing (including any pricing changes) and the channels available in that plan.

Ratings, Reviews and the Fine Print

In our quest to give you as much information as possible on every provider, we can now give you User Ratings, impartial Reviews from our team members and details on the fine print you need to know about in many Subscriber Agreements. User Ratings have come from you, the users of the services and are a great indicator of the quality of a service. But we wanted to go further and so we started investigating and for many providers our team of four researchers have produced reviews based on: Reliability, Customer Service, Pricing, Ease of Installation, Account Management, Technology & Equipment and Contract Terms. Lastly, unfortunately we all know what it is like to be caught in a contract with a service provider based on terms that were hidden in the fine print of the contract. That's why our team has researched long and hard to find the fine print within the subscriber agreements that you really need to know about.

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