Best Internet Providers in Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham may have one of the greatest unofficial city nicknames ever: the City of Understated Excitement. It dates from a mural painted in the 90sbut it lingers as a loving tribute to a more relaxed city than its big-city neighbor to the south, Seattle. When it comes to high-speed home internet, it can be difficult to generate much enthusiasm due to a lack of ISP competition in the area.

What is the best internet provider in Bellingham?

The heavyweight competitors in home internet in Bellingham are CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber and Xfinity. Thanks to the fiber optic network Quantum Fiber squeaks into the position of best internet provider. It also offers the fastest plan, giving you 2,000 Mbps for $95 per month.

When you’ve finished your scenic cruise along Chuckanut Drive or returned from your visit to the Whatcom Museum, take a moment to join us for a tour of the best ISPs in Bellingham. Let’s see if we can achieve some subdued excitement about fiber, cable, DSL and 5G home internet.

Best internet in Bellingham

Most Bellingham residents (I can’t quite bring myself to call them Bellinghamsters) will choose between DSL, cable, or fiber. Quantum Fiber’s fast uploads and simple plans earn Quantum Fiber a special distinction among the best ISPs in town.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Bellingham

Xfinity, CenturyLink, and Quantum Fiber are the biggest competitors in Bellingham, but they aren’t the only ISP options in town. Rural residents with few options should consult local provider PogoZone or consider satellite internet if other ISPs don’t work.

• Amazing broadband: A few households in the Bellingham area may be able to get Astound cable internet (formerly Wave Broadband), but that’s unlikely. “Although Astound serves a significant number of business customers in Bellingham, the company’s network reaches a much more limited residential footprint – and a majority of residential consumers in and around Bellingham do not have access to Astound’s network and services,” said one spokesperson for Astound. me. It is still worth mentioning the presence of the ISP in the area.
• PogoZone: Bellingham is primarily served by major ISPs, but there is a local alternative with PogoZone. PogoZone specializes in fixed wireless networks and serves most of Whatcom County, so it should be on the radar for rural residents who need to get online. Speeds vary depending on location. The ISP also offers some fiber optic services in the area. PogoZone does not advertise speeds, so you will need to speak to a sales representative to learn more about pricing and plans for your address.
• Ziply: You won’t find Ziply in most of Bellingham, but it is an option for some surrounding areas, mainly through the ISP’s DSL network. This has the usual disadvantages of DSL, with slow speeds being the main problem. For example, I found Ziply DSL service to a Bellingham address up north with a maximum speed of just 18 Mbps for $75 per month. Ziply’s fiber optic network requires you to go to another city, such as Ferndale.
• Satellite internet: When even DSL and fixed wireless internet don’t reach your home, you may need to consider satellite service from Starlink, Hughesnet or Viasat. The downside is that the speeds aren’t always great and can be expensive. Starlink has the potential for faster speeds than its competitors, but be prepared for a high upfront equipment cost of $299.

Bellingham Broadband at a Glance

Xfinity and CenturyLink dominate Bellingham home internet, but you may find an alternative home internet with T-Mobile or PogoZone. Prices vary by ISP, but there are some very affordable ways to get online and some low-cost plans to consider.

Bellingham Home Internet Service Pricing Information

Limited choice among ISPs also means limited options for subscriptions. Xfinity has a wide variety of plans and prices, with the cheapest options costing less than $40 per month. If you have breathing room in your budget, check out Quantum Fiber’s intro-level 500Mbps fiber plan for $50 per month. That’s a decent price, but you might also consider going up to the $95 per month level for the full 2,000 Mbps upload and download speeds.

Cheap Internet Options in Bellingham

When it comes to low introductory prices for home internet, Xfinity has you covered. It’s hard to find anything cheaper than the Xfinity Connect 150Mbps plan, but it’s only a good deal if you have your own equipment and don’t need to spend an extra $15 a month on equipment rental. Instead, get a 300 Mbps plan for $35 per month, including modem. Make sure you brush up on your negotiating skills in case your price increases later.

What is the cheapest internet plan in Bellingham?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How fast is broadband in Bellingham?

A recent look at Ookla’s Speedtest.net data showed that Bellingham had an average wired internet download speed of just under 198 Mbps. It’s possible to exceed download speeds if you choose Xfinity’s fastest plan at 1,200 Mbps. Quantum Fiber comes in just below gig level. CenturyLink’s DSL network may be widespread, but the speeds can be lacking.

Fastest Internet Providers in Bellingham

Quantum Fiber offers the fastest residential internet in the city with a top speed of 2,000 Mbps. Xfinity goes up to 1,200 Mbps for $90. Bellingham residents don’t yet have access to some of the multi-gig plans that have popped up in other cities. If pure download speed is your goal, Quantum Fiber is the ISP to consider.

What are the fastest internet plans in Bellingham?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How CNET chose the best Internet providers in Bellingham

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? To start, we use a proprietary database of pricing, availability, and speed information that is based on our own historical ISP data, partner data, and Federal Communications Commission card information on 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:

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably high internet speeds?
• Do customers get a good price for what they pay?
• Are customers satisfied with their service?

The answers to these questions are often layered and complex, but the providers that come closest to ‘yes’ to all three questions are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look at 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. (Disclaimer: 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.

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

Bellingham tends to be a dual ISP city. There’s Xfinity and CenturyLink (including fiber service from Quantum Fiber). Local provider PogoZone is available as an alternative if you are not satisfied with the service of the larger competitors. Xfinity has reasonable speeds with wide availability. Quantum Fiber is a strong option if you can get it. When it comes to CenturyLink DSL or Xfinity cable, you’ll probably be happier with Xfinity’s faster offering.

Frequently asked questions about internet providers in Bellingham