Best Internet Providers in Horseheads, New York

What is the best internet provider in Horseheads, New York?

Located just outside the Finger Lakes in upstate New York, Horseheads offers its residents more than one decent option for getting online, including a small fiber optic network from Empire Access. Despite the price increases, CNET’s pick for best internet provider in Horseheads is Spectrum InternetWe chose Spectrum because of its overall availability in the village, its clear pricing, and its reliable speeds compared to fixed wireless providers or satellite internetAccording to the latest data from the Federal Communications CommissionSpectrum is available to 92% of Horseheads, so if you live within the city limits, you are likely eligible for Spectrum internet service.

If your home qualifies for fiber from Empire Access, you can’t go wrong with a fiber optic connection. Empire Access offers the fastest internet speeds in the city, up to 2,000 Mbps download and upload for some lucky residents. It also offers two other plans: $55 per month for 500 Mbps and $70 for 1,000 Mbps. These are pretty affordable prices, which works out to a cost per Mbps of 11 and seven cents respectively.

If your address doesn’t qualify for fiber from Empire Access and you’d rather cut the cord, Verizon and T-Mobile both offer significant 5G home internet footprint in Horseheads. Based on wider availability, Verizon 5G Home Internet is the best fixed wireless option in townVerizon’s 5G internet service is available to 69% of the city, compared to T-Mobile Home Internet 50%, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Verizon offers faster speeds than T-Mobile Home Internet, topping out at 1,000 Mbps in some areas. In addition to offering faster speeds and being more widely available than T-Mobile Home Internet, Verizon’s 5G Home Internet also has a few perks, like a two- to three-year price guarantee, depending on which plan you choose and streaming bundle add-ons for just $10 extra per month.

If you are on the hunt for cheap internetYour best option is to bundle your fixed wireless internet plan with a compatible phone plan from T-Mobile or Verizon, which can reduce your monthly cost by $10 to $25, depending on the provider. Otherwise, most internet plans in Horseheads start at $50 per month. After the end of the Affordable connectivity programNew York recently made it mandatory for internet providers to offer internet for only $15 per month for qualifying low-income householdsbut while we wait for the law to come into effect, some providers are already offering a number of discounts to eligible households. Spectrum internet accessFor example, offers 50 Mbps for just $25 per month for qualifying households enrolled in eligible government assistance programs. T-Mobile offers low-income students 100 GB of free hotspot internet per year with Project 10 millionand Verizon offers rebate options to reduce your monthly costs by up to $20 in some cases with Verizon Forward. If none of these discounts apply to you and you are still looking for a cheaper internet option in Horseheads, your best option is to Negotiate your price with your internet provider.

Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.

Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Horseheads

The best internet deals and top promotions in Horseheads depend on what discounts are available at any given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we regularly search for the latest offers.

Horseheads’ ISPs, such as Spectrum and Verizon, may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including Empire Access and T-Mobile Home Internet, maintain the same standard pricing year-round.

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

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 Picked the Best Internet Providers in Horseheads

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 do it? To start, we use a proprietary price, availability, and speed database based on our own historical ISP data, partner data, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission on 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:

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 layered and complex, but 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 like 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 Horseheads