Best Internet Providers in Sarasota, Florida

What is the best internet provider in Sarasota?

CNET recommends Xfinity as the best internet provider for most households in Sarasota. Xfinity offers wide coverage in the region, so you can count on speeds of up to 2 gigabit and low monthly costs for home internet.

Other providers, such as Frontier Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet, also serve Sarasota and are worth considering for broadband. Ultimately, it comes down to what is available at your address.

Shopping for affordability or the fastest speeds Sarasota has to offer? Xfinity Connect is the cheapest plan on Florida’s Cultural Coast, costing $30 per month for download speeds of up to 150 megabits per second. Frontier Fiber offers the fastest service: 7,000 Mbps of symmetrical speeds for $300 per month.

Best internet in Sarasota, Florida

Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.

Other available internet providers in Sarasota

• Blue Power Fiber:This DSL, cable, and fiber provider offers a limited network in Sarasota, which less than 1% of addressesSpeeds up to 1 gigabit are available to select homes and prices start at $45 per month.
• Fast systems: Rapid Systems is a local ISP that covers Sarasota, Hardee, Fort Lonesome, Desoto and other small towns in Florida. It is on the pricey side for home internet and speeds only reach 25 Mbps.
• Satellite Internet: No matter where you are in the country, satellite internet is an option. It’s probably not the best option. With high prices and slow speeds, providers like Hughesnet, Viasat, and Starlink shouldn’t be your go-to for broadband.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Similar to T-Mobile, Verizon also offers fixed wireless service in Sarasota. Customers can choose from two plans: $50 per month for 100 Mbps or $70 per month for 300 Mbps. Additionally, qualifying mobile customers can get $15 to $25 off their monthly bill.

Cheap Internet Options in Sarasota

The average cost of residential broadband in Sarasota is $50 per month. That amount may seem high, but there are a few providers in the area that offer internet for less than that.

Xfinity is Sarasota’s cheapest ISP, with a 150-megabit-per-second plan going for just $30 per month. Frontier Fiber and Blue Stream Fiber also offer service for less than the average price, but Frontier’s plan offers a better cost per Mbps compared to Blue Stream.

What is the cheapest internet plan in Sarasota?

Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.

How to Find Online Deals and Promotions in Sarasota

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

Internet providers in Sarasota, such as Xfinity and Blue Stream Fiber, may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, such as Frontier Fiber and Verizon, maintain the same standard prices year-round.

For a more comprehensive overview of all promotions, check out our guide to the best online deals.

How fast is the broadband internet in Sarasota?

According to Ookla SpeedtestSarasota’s median download speed is 237Mbps, with an upload speed of 41.75Mbps. Xfinity and Frontier Fiber compete for speed in this Florida city, with both reaching download speeds of nearly 210Mbps.

If you’re looking for a faster connection in Sarasota, Frontier Fiber is your best bet. This ISP offers symmetrical speeds of up to 7 gigabits — or 7,000 Mbps — for $300 per month.

Fastest internet plans in Sarasota

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.

• 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 participate in high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.

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

How CNET Picked the Best Internet Providers in Sarasota

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router, or kitchen utensil, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So how do we approach this? We start by examining pricing, availability, and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the providers’ websites, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission on FCC.gov.

And it doesn’t stop there: We use the FCC website to review our data and make sure we account for every ISP that offers service in an area. We also enter local addresses into provider 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:

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

The answers to those questions are often multi-layered and complex, and the providers that come closest to “yes” to all three are the providers we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fees, although 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 consider real-world speed data from sources such as Ookla And FCC Reports.

If you would like to take a more detailed look at our process, please visit our How We Test ISPs page.

Frequently Asked Questions About Internet Providers in Sarasota