Best Internet Service Providers in Erie, Pennsylvania

What is the best internet provider in Erie?

Erie is home to the oldest amusement parks in the US. It may not be as exciting as Waldameer, but it has everything you need, including fast internet. According to CNET research and testingSpectrum is the best internet provider in Erie, Pennsylvania. It takes first place thanks to its wide local high-speed coverage and clear pricing. Spectrum, the area’s largest cable internet provider, has excellent coverage, covering nearly 95% of households in Erie. It offers plans with speeds ranging from 500 to 1,000 megabits per second, including free modem rental, unlimited data, and no contract requirements.

If you’re looking for the cheapest internet in Erie, Spectrum connects Verizon 5G Home Internet for $50 per month. Spectrum offers more speed and better reliability, but Verizon includes free equipment rental (a $10 monthly value compared to Spectrum) and a potential discount for qualifying Verizon mobile customers.

T-Mobile Home Internet also offers a mobile bundle discount, although standard prices are higher while potential maximum speeds are lower than Verizon 5G Home Internet. Still, the fixed wireless provider has the local availability and customer-friendly service terms to be a practical broadband alternative to Spectrum.

VNET fiber optic is the largest fiber optic provider in the region if you are looking for fiber optic connectivity. Availability is limited, but if your address is usable, VNET Fiber may be the best choice in Erie for speed, reliability, and overall value. VNET Fiber pairs Spectrum for the fastest download speeds in Erie, up to 1,000 Mbps, but also has the advantage of offering symmetrical upload speeds.

Best internet in Erie, Pennsylvania

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Erie

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

Erie internet providers, such as Spectrum, may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including VNET Fiber and Verizon 5G Home Internet, have the same standard prices year-round.

For a more comprehensive list of promos, check out our guide to the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What is a good internet speed?

Most internet plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that’s suitable for video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here you will find an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for different applications, according to the FCC. Please note that these are guidelines only and internet speed, service and performance will vary by connection type, provider and address.

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

• With 0 to 5 Mbps you can handle the basics: surfing the web, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40 Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100 Mbps should give a single user enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
• With 100 to 500 Mbps, one to 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 perform high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.

How CNET chose the best Internet providers in Erie, Pennsylvania

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? We’ll start by researching the price, availability, and speed information, based on our own historical ISP data, carrier sites, and Federal Communications Commission mapping information at 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:

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

Although the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, we recommend the providers who come closest to ‘yes’ to all three questions. 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. (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.

Frequently Asked Questions About Internet Service Providers in Erie, Pennsylvania