Best Internet Providers in Tempe, Arizona

What is the best internet provider in Tempe?

CNET’s pick for the best internet provider in Tempe is Coxwhich offers the fastest speeds, the lowest starting prices and the broadest coverage of any provider. It has some notable drawbacks; upload speeds are much slower than download speeds – unless you have access to the fiber optic network – and the customer satisfaction scores aren’t great, but it’s still the best choice for high-speed internet in the area.

It’s not that widely available, though Quantum fiber is the best fiber optic internet provider in Tempeand fiber optic internet is the best internet connection you can get. Quantum Fiber also offers a ‘Price for Life’ guarantee on all plans.

Verizon 5G home internet is another good option in Tempewith fast speeds and generous discounts for qualifying mobile phone customers. Please note that wireless internet is more sensitive to network disruptions than cable or fiber optic.

Best internet in Tempe, Arizona

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Tempe?

Tempe’s best internet deals and top promotions depend on the discounts available at a specific time. Most offers are short-lived, but we regularly review the latest offers.

Tempe internet providers, like Verizon 5G Home Internet, may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including Cox, Quantum Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet, charge the same standard prices all year round.

For a more comprehensive list of promos, check out our guide to the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What is a good internet speed?

Most internet plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that’s suitable for video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here you will find an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for different applications, according to the FCC. Please note that these are guidelines only and internet speed, service and performance will vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, see our guide to how much internet speed you really need.

• With 0 to 5 Mbps you can handle the basics: surfing the web, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40 Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100 Mbps should give a single user enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
• With 100 to 500 Mbps, one to two users can simultaneously participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
• With 500 to 1,000 Mbps, three or more users can perform high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Tempe

Internet providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What is our approach? We’ll start by researching the price, availability, and speed information using our own historical ISP data, carrier sites, and Federal Communications Commission mapping information at FCC.gov.

It doesn’t stop there: we go to the FCC’s website to check our data and make sure we’re taking into account every ISP that provides service in an area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look to sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to evaluate how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; 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 access to reasonably high internet speeds?
2. Do customers get a good price for what they pay?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

Although the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, we recommend the providers who come closest to ‘yes’ to all three questions. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the subscriptions with the lowest monthly amount, but we also take into account things such as price increases, equipment costs and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively easy. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and take into account real-world speed data from sources such as Ookla And FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Visit our page on how we test ISPs to explore our process in more depth.

Internet Service Providers in Tempe Frequently Asked Questions