Best Internet Providers in Burlington, Vermont

What is the best internet provider in Burlington?

The big names aren’t at the top of our list. Instead, Burlington Telecom is the best internet provider for most homes in Burlington, Vermont. The ISP has extensive coverage throughout the city and offers symmetrical fiber speeds up to a gig with no-frills pricing. The more popular options like Xfinity and T-Mobile Home Internet can also be solid choices, depending on which providers serve your address.

Xfinity offers temptingly low prices, with introductory deals starting at $35 per month. However, you’ll need to factor in the cost of the equipment and be prepared for the price to go up once the honeymoon period is over. If you don’t fancy that but still need an alternative to Burlington Telecom, check out T-Mobile Home Internet with its hassle-free $50 per month plan. You can try it out to see if it works for your location.

Best internet in Burlington, Vermont in 2024

Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.

Other available internet providers in Burlington

• Consolidated Communications: Consolidated Communication’s DSL network covers much of the Burlington metropolitan area, but speeds and prices vary by location. On the high end, you can get up to 100 Mbps for $84 per month (including a router). The 20 Mbps speed tier costs $57 per month. There’s a two-year contract. While Consolidated has rolled out a fiber network to some locations in Vermont, Burlington isn’t on that list at this time. Consider DSL as a fallback option if other ISPs can’t reach your home. Otherwise, you’re better off with Burlington Telecom or Xfinity.
• VTel Wireless: Fixed wireless ISP VTel is a local provider that serves the entire Burlington area. Speeds range from 10 to 300 Mbps, although most locations will average 25 Mbps. Plans are based on the data you purchase, ranging from $30 for 10 GB to $110 for 500 GB. If you reach your limit, your speeds will be throttled. Contracts are optional. You can sign a two-year contract and pay a $20 monthly fee for an antenna or bring your own. Fixed wireless is especially interesting for rural households with few internet options. Here’s how fixed wireless compares to other connection types.
• Satellite internet: Starlink, HughesNet and Viasat compete to provide satellite internet to the U.S., with a focus on rural homes that can’t get satisfactory connections through other ISPs. Starlink has the potential to deliver faster speeds than its rivals, but it comes with an upfront equipment cost of $599. If you can stomach that initial investment, Starlink is one of the better options for satellite internet in the Burlington area.

Cheap Internet Options in Burlington

Home internet prices in Burlington range from $35 to over $110. There are viable options around the $50 level, though you may want to shop around for cheaper plans. Burlington Telecom’s $58-per-month 150 Mbps plan is your best bet for fiber at an affordable price. Xfinity’s $35-per-month 300 Mbps is a reasonable deal, though you’ll need to factor in the cost of equipment. Also keep in mind that the price goes up after your one-year introductory period.

Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.

How to Find Online Deals and Promotions in Burlington

The best internet deals and top promotions in Burlington depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we regularly search for the latest offers.

Burlington ISPs like Xfinity may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. However, Burlington Telecom typically maintains the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more comprehensive overview of all offers, please consult our guide to the best online deals.

How fast is the broadband internet in Burlington?

Burlington doesn’t have the multi-gig home internet plans available in some other areas, but gig speeds are widespread throughout the city thanks to Burlington Telecom and Xfinity. Ookla Speedtest.net Data for Burlington shows that the city has a median download speed of about 143 Mbps for fixed internet like fiber and cable. Xfinity’s 1,200 Mbps Gigabit Extra plan offers the fastest downloads, but Burlington Telecom boasts symmetrical gig speeds for fast uploads.

Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.

What is a good internet speed?

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

For more information, check out our guide to how much internet speed you really need

• With 0 to 5 Mbps you can perform basic tasks: surfing the web, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality videos.
• 5 to 40 Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100 Mbps should provide enough bandwidth for a single user to meet the demands of modern teleworking, video streaming, and online gaming.
• With 100 to 500 Mbps, one or 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 simultaneously participate in high-bandwidth activities such as videoconferencing, streaming, and online gaming.

How CNET Picked the Best Internet Providers in Burlington

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router, or kitchen utensil, it’s impractical to personally test every Internet service provider in a given city. So how do we do it? To start, we use a proprietary database of pricing, availability, and speed information based on our own historical ISP data, partner data, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

And it doesn’t stop there: We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we account for every ISP that offers service in an area. We also enter local addresses into carrier websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power to evaluate how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and pricing are subject to frequent change; all information provided is accurate at the time of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask ourselves three main questions:

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
• Do customers get value for their money?
• Are customers satisfied with their service?

While the answers to these questions are often multi-layered and complex, the providers that come closest to “yes” to all three questions are the ones we recommend. When it comes to selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fees, though we also consider things like price increases, equipment costs, and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised upload and download speeds, and also consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla And FCC Reports.

Want to take a closer look at our process? Visit our How We Test ISPs page.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Burlington?

The two main competitors for home internet in the city are Burlington Telecom and Xfinity. Local ISP Burlington Telecom has the edge because of its good customer service reputation, symmetrical fiber speeds, and simple plans. Xfinity has plenty of plan options, but those tempting introductory rates don’t last long and upload speeds are significantly slower than fiber. T-Mobile Home Internet is an outsider, and it’s easy enough to test the service to see if it works well for you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Internet Providers in Burlington