Best Internet Providers in Medford, Oregon

What is the best internet provider in Medford, Oregon?

Medford, nicknamed the Pear Blossom City, is a popular destination for retirees and tourists. Whether you’ve lived in the city for decades or are new to this southern Oregon town, CNET has compiled a list of the best internet providers in the area.

CNET’s pick for best internet provider in Medford is Spectrum Internetbased on its wide availability, competitive introductory pricing and reliable speeds. With 90% city availability (according to the latest data from the Federal Communications Commission), a starting rate of $50 per month, and the ability to get gigabit speeds, Spectrum’s internet plans are a lot to like.

The fastest internet speed in Medford is 2,500 megabits per second, thanks to local provider Hunter Communications and its fiber optic internet. As the fastest internet provider in town and with a average cost per Mbps At eight cents, Hunter Communications could easily have taken over Spectrum Internet’s crown as the best provider in the city. However, Hunter Communications is only available to about 29% of the city, according to the FCC. If your address is available for fiber from Hunter Communications or Quantum fiberWe recommend fiber over cable because of the guaranteed symmetrical download and upload speeds.

If you are looking for cheap internet plans in Medford, most plans start at $50 per month, but there are a few ways to lower that price. First, if you opt for home internet from T-Mobileyou can lower your monthly bill by bundling internet with a suitable phone plan. Some ISPs, such as Hunter Communications, participate in Oregon’s Lifeline Programwhich offers discounts of up to $19 to eligible households.

Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.

Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.

How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Medford

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

Medford internet providers like Spectrum and T-Mobile may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, like Hunter Communications, 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 Medford.

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? 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.

But 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 JD 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?

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.

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 Medford