Best Internet Service Providers in Kent, Washington

What is the best internet provider in Kent, Washington?

Xfinity is CNET’s pick for the best Internet provider in Kent. It has the fastest and cheapest plans in town (starting at $20) and is available almost everywhere. However, there are also disadvantages: the main ones are the presence of data caps and the fact that Xfinity prices increase sharply after a year or two.

Quantum Fiber offers the best fiber optic internet in Kentwith four plans ranging from $45 to $95 per month, but it’s not widely available. You get upload speeds that are just as fast as download speeds, and equipment is included in every plan. For smaller households, wireless internet from Verizon or T-Mobile is another good option, and you can save by bundling with a qualifying cellular plan.

Best internet in Kent, Washington

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Kent?

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

Kent internet providers like Xfinity and Verizon 5G Home Internet may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including Quantum Fiber, 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 Kent, Washington

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 using 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?

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 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. (Disclaimer: 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 Kent