Best Internet Providers in Albany, New York
Albany, NY offers residents a variety of reliable internet options. But which one is right for you? According to CNET, Verizon Fios Albany’s top choice for Internet service provider, Delivering fast fiber optic connections, symmetrical speeds and outstanding customer satisfaction. Prices start at $50 per month, with gig plans going up to $90. However, spectrum This is closely followed by its widespread availability across the city. at the same time, T-Mobile and Verizon We’ve also expanded our offering in the area, giving residents a variety of options.
While New York’s capital city only offers a handful of ISPs, many of them don’t even have high speed planAs the internet landscape continues to change, what’s available in Albany is sure to change too; Verizon’s 5G home internet service availability continues to grow with T-Mobile 5G service.
CNET examines customer service, speed, pricing and overall value before recommending the best broadband in your area. Below, find everything you need to know best internet provider Albany, including affordable options, high-speed plans and more.
Albany’s Best Internet Options
Albany doesn’t offer widespread internet service, but it does have some of the largest (and most reliable) ISPs. It should be noted that all prices listed on this page include any applicable discounts for using paperless billing. If you choose not to go that route, you’ll pay more.
notes: Prices, speeds, and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed on the product detail card, which represents the provider’s country offerings. Your specific Internet service options, including price and speed, depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.
Overview of Internet Providers in Albany
provider | Internet technology | monthly price range | speed range | Monthly equipment cost | data cap | contract | CNET Review Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
hudson valley wireless | fixed wireless | $25-$100 | 25-200Mbps | without any | without any | not applicable | |
hughes network Read full review |
satellite | $50-$95 | 50-100Mbps | One-time purchase of $15 or $300/$450 | 100-200GB (no hard data cap) | 2 years | 5.7 |
spectrum Read full review |
cable | $50-$70 | 500-1,000Mbps | Free modem; $10 router (optional) | without any | without any | 7.2 |
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
fixed wireless | $65 ($50 for qualified customers) | 72-245Mbps | without any | without any | without any | 7.4 |
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
fixed wireless | $60-$80 | 85-1,000Mbps | without any | without any | without any | 7.2 |
Verizon Fios Read full review |
fiber | $50-$90 | 300-1,000Mbps | without any | without any | without any | 7.6 |
Via Satellite Read full review |
satellite | $99 | 50Mbps | One-time purchase of $15 or $250 | without any | without any | 6.1 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
All available Albany residential internet providers
In addition to Albany’s top ISPs, there are several other smaller companies to choose from. These companies cater to rural customers and those looking for something a little different.
- hudson valley wireless: Hudson Valley Wireless is a local service in upstate New York that provides fixed wireless service, particularly in rural areas. Prices range from $25 to $100 per month, with speeds from 25 to 200Mbps.
- satellite internet: hughes network, Via Satellite and Starlink All offer satellite plans in Albany. Prices start at $50 for HughesNet and Viasat, and $120 per month for Starlink. Viasat’s plan speeds range from 12 to 50 Mbps, while Hughesnet’s speeds range from 25 Mbps to 50 Mbps, but offers a range of higher-priced data. Starlink’s average download speed is 53Mbps. Prices and contracts for HughesNet and Viasat can rise quickly, while Starlink is more flexible.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon’s 5G home internet is widely available around Albany and starts at just $60 per month. With speeds ranging from 85 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps, Verizon Wireless customers can save money on their bills each month. Best of all, there are no contracts, fees, or data caps, and Verizon offers a price guarantee for at least two years.
Pricing details for Albany home internet services
Internet in Albany is reasonably priced. The average price starts at just under $43 per month, which puts it in the middle of all the cities CNET has covered so far. Just a little more expensive than it new york city ($41 per month), but slightly less than austin, dallas and Philadelphia. Overall, every ISP in Albany has plans for $50 or less.
Cheap Internet Options in the Albany Metro Area
Hudson Valley Wireless offers affordable options starting at $25 per month. This plan is designed for people without demanding internet needs (casual web browsing, checking email, and connecting with family). However, Spectrum’s 500Mbps regular Internet plan ($50 per Mbps) and Verizon Fios 300Mbps plan ($50 per Mbps) are both better deals, costing just 10 cents and 17 cents per Mbps, respectively, while the Hudson Valley Wireless costs $1 per Mbps.
What are the cheapest internet plans in Albany?
provider | starting price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment fee | contract |
---|---|---|---|---|
hudson valley wireless | $25 | 25Mbps | without any | without any |
Spectrum Internet Top 500 Read full review |
$50 | 500Mbps | Free modem; $10 router (optional) | without any |
Verizon Fios Read full review |
$60 | 300Mbps | without any | without any |
Via Satellite Read full review |
$100 | Up to 50Mbps | $15 | 2 years |
hughes network Read full review |
$50 | 50Mbps | $15 | 2 years |
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$65 ($50 for qualified customers) | 245Mbps | without any | without any |
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible cell phone plans) | 300Mbps | without any | without any |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Albany’s fastest internet provider
Unfortunately, there isn’t much true high-speed internet in Albany. Verizon Fios is the best choice due to symmetrical download and upload speeds, but not everyone can use it. Spectrum offers 1 gig cable plans with more availability, but other than that you won’t find any Multiple performance plans.
What is the fastest internet plan in Albany?
provider | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | starting price | data cap | contract |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Verizon Fios 1Gig Read full review |
1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $90 | without any | without any |
Spectrum Internet Performance Read full review |
1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | $70 | without any | without any |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
What’s the final decision on Albany’s internet providers?
Spectrum, Verizon, and T-Mobile all offer really reliable internet options in Albany, with good network coverage throughout the capital city. While Verizon Fios is your best choice, Spectrum is a solid choice if the service isn’t available at your address. Wild card? T-Mobile Home Internet is an interesting option that you can take risk-free to see if it’s right for the needs of your Albany home.
CNET How to choose the best internet provider in Albany
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. different from the latest cell phone, laptop, router or kitchen toolsit is impractical to personally test every ISP in a specific city. So what is our approach? We first looked at pricing, availability, and speed information based on our own historical ISP data, provider sites, and map information from the Federal Communications Commission. fcc.gov and Okla. (Ookla and CNET are owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis.)
But it didn’t end there. We went to the FCC’s website to check our data and make sure we accounted for every ISP offering service in a certain area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for 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 publication time.
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. Among these recommendations, we also look for the cheapest and fastest ISPs in the area. To explore our process more thoroughly, check out our How we test ISPs Page.
Albany Internet Providers FAQs
Is there fiber optic internet in Albany?
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Albany?
Hudson Valley Wireless offers a low-cost 25Mbps plan for $25 per month. However, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless customers may be able to find their own great deal. For example, Verizon customers with a qualifying mobile plan can get a Verizon Fios 300Mbps plan or Verizon 5G home Internet for $35 per month. Eligible T-Mobile customers can sign up for T-Mobile Home Internet for $50 per month.
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Which internet provider in Albany offers the fastest plans?