Best Internet Service Providers in Fremont, California

What is the best internet provider in Fremont, California?

AT&T Fiber Optic is the best internet provider in Fremont. It’s the only fiber optic provider in the region, meaning it’s the only one to offer symmetrical upload and download speeds – ideal for remote workers and online gamers. AT&T Fiber also includes equipment at no extra cost, and prices don’t automatically increase after a year or two.

If you are looking for the lowest possible prices, Xfinity has the cheapest internet in Fremont. Plans start at just $20 per month for 150 Mbps speeds, but there are some caveats. You must commit to a time-bound contract, equipment is not included, and prices increase significantly after the first year.

Verizon 5G Home Internet is another good option for smaller households. Wireless provider speeds max out at 300 Mbps, but that’s plenty for homes that only connect a few devices at a time.

Best internet in Fremont, California

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Fremont

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

Fremont internet providers, such as Xfinity and Verizon 5G Home internet, may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. However, others, including AT&T Fiber and T-Mobile 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, 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 Fremont

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. So what is our approach? We’ll start by researching the price, availability, and speed information using our own historical ISP data, carrier sites, and Federal Communications Commission mapping information at FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our records and make sure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in a particular 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?

While 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 for 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 providers in Fremont