Best Internet Providers in Buffalo, New York

What is the best internet provider in Buffalo?

If the fastest internet speeds are your priority, you can’t go wrong with Verizon Fios. In fact, according to CNET, Verizon Fio’s is considered the best internet provider in Buffalo. It has symmetrical upload and download speeds speeds, great customer satisfaction scores and affordable prices. Availability is quite limited though.

If you can’t get into Fios, your next best option is Spectrum, Buffalo’s cheapest internet provider. That said, prices go up by $20 to $58 after a year or two for most plans. T-Mobile Home Internet guarantees that it will never raise your rates, but its wireless internet isn’t as fast as Verizon’s Fios or Spectrum, making it a better fit for smaller homes.

Best internet in Buffalo, New York

Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.

Other available internet providers in Buffalo

• Satellite internet: You can get satellite internet at almost any address in the country, but it’s only worth considering in rural areas with few other options. HughesNet and Viasat work in Buffalo, but they’re expensive and don’t offer much speed. SpaceX’s Starlink internet is a faster satellite option, but requires a $599 equipment purchase to get started.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Like T-Mobile Home Internet, Verizon offers fixed wireless internet in the region. The plans reach higher top speeds than T-Mobile’s, but are less widely available. That said, you can get a great discount when you bundle with a qualifying Verizon Wireless plan.

Cheap Internet Options in Buffalo

Buffalo has five different internet plans available for $50 a month or less. While Spectrum has the cheapest plan in the area, prices for all plans increase significantly after one or two years.

Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.

How to Find Online Deals and Promotions in Buffalo

Buffalo’s best internet deals and top promotions depend on what discounts are available at the time. Most deals are short-lived, but we regularly check for the latest offers.

Internet providers in Buffalo, such as Spectrum and Verizon Fios, may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including T-Mobile Home Internet, 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 broadband in Buffalo?

According to Ookla speed test dataBuffalo residents see a median download speed of 217.89 Mbps and upload speed of 18 Mbps. That puts Buffalo at 70th among the top 100 most populous cities in the country, below cities like Cleveland (42nd) but just above Pittsburgh (73rd) and Philadelphia (74th).

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 participate in high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.

How CNET Chose the Best Internet Providers in Buffalo

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 approach this? 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.

This guide uses an in-house artificial intelligence tool called RAMP, which is trained on our own writing and uses our database to generate content about specific ISPs that our writers can use in determining and presenting our picks for a given guide. Check out CNET’s AI Policy for more information about how our teams use (and don’t use) AI tools.

Because our database is not exhaustive, we go to the FCC website to check the primary data ourselves and make sure we consider every ISP that offers service in an area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we enter local addresses into provider websites to find the specific options available to 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 prices are subject to frequent change; all information provided is accurate as of our pre-publication fact check.

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?

While the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, the providers that come closest to “yes” to all three questions are the ones we recommend. When 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 consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla And FCC Reports.

Want to dive deeper into our process? Visit our How We Test ISPs page.

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

When it comes to internet service in Buffalo, there’s Verizon Fios and all that. Verizon is the only company that offers fiber internet in the area, the fastest and most reliable type of connection available. If you can’t get Verizon Fios at your address, Spectrum, T-Mobile Home Internet, and Verizon 5G Home Internet are all solid backup options, but each has its own drawbacks.

Frequently Asked Questions About Internet Providers in Buffalo