Best Internet Providers in Santa Fe, New Mexico
What is the best internet provider in Santa Fe?
unlimited Is the best internet provider in Santa Fehas the fastest and cheapest plans in the city. These plans start at $20 per month (150 Mbps) and go up to $80 per month (1,200 Mbps plan). It’s available almost everywhere, but be prepared for your monthly bill to skyrocket once you get into your second or third year.
If you don’t want to worry about these headaches T-Mobile Your price won’t go up as long as you maintain service, but its speeds may not be enough for households with lots of devices using the internet at the same time. NMSurf is down from Xfinity and T-Mobile, but it still offers better value than satellite or DSL service 21Vianet.
Best Internet in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe Internet Providers Comparison
provider | Internet technology | monthly price range | speed range | Monthly equipment cost | data cap | contract | CNET Review Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
21Vianet Read full review |
DSL | $55 | Up to 100Mbps | $15 (optional) | without any | without any | 6.7 |
web surfing | fixed wireless | $60-$105 | 100-400Mbps | $10-$15 | without any | 1-2 years (optional) | That |
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($40-$50 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | without any | without any | without any | 7.4 |
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 85-1,000Mbps | without any | without any | without any | 7.2 |
unlimited Read full review |
cable | $20-$80 | 150-1,200Mbps | $15 (waived on most plans) | Unlimited Xfinity devices | Elective | 7 |
Show more(1 item)
Buy suppliers at my address
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Other available internet providers in Santa Fe
- 21Vianet: CenturyLink only offers DSL plans in Santa Fe, which is considered a slower connection type. Speeds are up to 100Mbps, which is a good choice for a small home, but depending on your address, speeds may be much lower. If you can’t get Xfinity or T-Mobile, I’d still recommend NMSurf, but CenturyLink is a big step up from satellite providers.
- satellite internet: Usually reserved for rural areas without any other options, satellite providers such as HughesNet and Viasat Santa Fe has services everywhere but not much to recommend. They’re more expensive than other options, and slow speeds and data caps make things like streaming and video conferencing difficult. Starlink is a faster option with unlimited data, but it’s priced at $120 per month, with a prepaid device costing $499 and currently discounted to $299.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: If it had wider coverage, Verizon would easily be one of our top picks in Santa Fe. It offers the city’s fastest internet speeds at an affordable price, but is currently only available in 9% of households.
Cheap internet options in Santa Fe
Santa Fe has four internet plans to choose from, costing $50 or less per month. This is less than nearby cities albuquerque and colorado springs. Xfinity’s Connect is currently the cheapest plan at just $20 per month, but when you factor in the $15 per month device, the 300Mbps Connect More plan costs the same.
What are the cheapest internet plans in Santa Fe?
provider | starting price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
---|---|---|---|
Xfinity connection Read full review |
$20 | 150Mbps | $15 |
Xfinity connects more Read full review |
$35 | 300Mbps | without any |
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($40 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | without any |
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 300Mbps | without any |
Show more(0 items)
Buy suppliers at my address
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
How to Find Santa Fe Internet Deals and Promotions
The best internet deals and top promotions in Santa Fe depend on the discounts available during that time. Most offers are short-lived, but we’re often on the lookout for the latest deals.
Santa Fe internet providers like Xfinity may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many companies, including T-Mobile and NMSurf, use the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of offers, check out our guide Best Internet Deals.
How fast is Santa Fe broadband?
Santa Fe residents don’t have as many high-speed internet plan options as other similarly sized cities. Only Xfinity and Verizon offer gig speeds, with the latter only available to about 1 in 10 residents. Most homes can use download speeds well below 1,000Mbps, although 40Mbps upload speeds may still be limiting for homes with multiple people video conferencing or online gaming.
Fastest Internet Plans in Santa Fe
provider | starting price | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | data cap | Connection type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review |
$80 | 1,200Mbps | 40Mbps | without any | without any |
Xfinity Gigabit Read full review |
$65 | 1,000Mbps | 20Mbps | without any | without any |
Verizon 5G Home + Internet Read full review |
$70 ($45 with eligible Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | without any | fixed wireless |
Show more(0 items)
Buy suppliers at my address
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
What is a good internet speed?
Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate video conferencing, streaming video, or gaming, you’ll get a better experience with a stronger connection. The recommended minimum download speeds for various applications are outlined below, According to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Please note that these are guidelines only and internet speeds, service and performance vary based on connection type, provider and address.
For more information, see our guide How much internet speed do you really need?.
- 0 to 5Mbps allows you to handle the basics: browsing the Internet, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
- 40 to 100Mbps should provide one user with enough bandwidth to meet the needs of modern remote working, video streaming, and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one or two users to participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming simultaneously.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming simultaneously.
CNET How to choose the best internet provider in Santa Fe
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. different from the latest cell phone, laptop, router or kitchen toolsit is impractical to personally test every Internet service provider in a specific city. What is our approach? First, we leverage a proprietary database of pricing, availability, and speed information drawn from our own historical ISP data, partner data, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission’s FCC.gov.
This guide utilizes an in-house AI tool called RAMP, which is trained on our own writing and uses our database to generate content about specific internet service providers that our writers can use to identify and present our Selection of a given guideline. Check CNET’s AI policy Learn more about how our team uses (and doesn’t use) AI tools.
Since our database is not exhaustive, we head to the FCC website to check the primary data ourselves and make sure we account for every ISP offering service in a certain area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we entered our local address on the provider website to find the specific options available to residents. We evaluate customer satisfaction with ISP services by looking at sources such as the US Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power. ISP plans and prices may change frequently; all information provided is accurate as of the time of our pre-publication fact-checking.
Once we have localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Are customers getting value for money?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
While the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, we recommend the provider that comes closest to a “yes” on these three questions. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plan with the lowest monthly fee, although we also consider factors 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 the following sources: Okla and Federal Communications Commission Report. (Disclaimer: Ookla and CNET are owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis.)
To explore our process in more depth, you can visit our How we test ISPs Page.
What is the final decision from Santa Fe Internet Providers?
For a city the size of Santa Fe, internet options are limited. Xfinity is the best internet provider by a long shot – it offers the cheapest and fastest plans in the area, and customers are generally happy with its service. If you don’t have access to Xfinity, or you’re just tired of price increases after promotional periods, T-Mobile is a solid backup option with speeds up to 245Mbps for a flat monthly fee of $50. NMSurf is a little behind T-Mobile and Xfinity, but local providers still offer better value than DSL or satellite options.
Santa Fe Internet Providers FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Santa Fe?
Xfinity is Santa Fe’s best internet service provider, offering six cable internet plans with speeds up to 1,200 Mbps and prices ranging from $20 to $80 per month. Prices for all plans increase after a year or two. T-Mobile’s fixed wireless service is also available in Santa Fe with speeds up to 245 Mbps for $50 per month with no device fees, data caps or contracts.
Is there fiber optic internet in Santa Fe?
Quantum Fiber and NMSurf both offer fiber optic internet service in Santa Fe, but only 3% of households currently have access, According to FCC data.
Which is the cheapest internet provider in Santa Fe?
Xfinity is Santa Fe’s cheapest internet provider, with plans starting at $20 per month for 150Mbps, not including equipment fees.
Which internet provider in Santa Fe offers the fastest plans?
Xfinity offers the fastest plans in Santa Fe, with download speeds of up to 1,200 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 40 Mbps.