Best High-Speed Internet Service Provider Near Me

If you live in an area where you only have a couple of internet service providers available, you may skip this guide. The information provided here is mainly for those who have so many ISPs (internet service providers) offering internet services that they are unable to determine which one to choose for their internet needs. As there are numerous factors worth considering when looking for the best high-speed internet service provider near me, it can be a bit confusing process. To help you determine the most suitable option, you can go through the information provided below.

Guide to Find the Best High-Speed Internet Service Provider NearYou

1. Check the Type of Internet Service Available in Your Area

There are numerous types of internet service that a user can choose for his home. However, it completely depends on the area you live in as not all types of internet are available in all areas. The two terms you should be familiar with when searching for internet service are Broadband and Mbps. While broadband is generally an internet faster than a dial-up connection, Mbps refers to Megabits Per Second, a unit used to denote the speed of the internet.

Usually, a 2 Mbps internet speed is sufficient for common home web-surfing activities, however, if you watch a lot of videos on YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, etc. you may want to go for an internet plan offering more speed. The common recommendations of internet speed for different activities are as follows.

• Required Broadband Connection Speed:5 Mbps
• Recommended Broadband Connection Speed:5 Mbps
• Recommended for DVD Quality: 3 Mbps
• Recommended for HD Quality: 5 Mbps
• Recommended for Super HD Quality: 7 Mbps

Now you know the average internet speed you need for different online activities, you would also want to know the different types of Internet connections (mentioned below) that you can choose from.

• Cable Internet: This type of internet is delivered to your home through your cable service. While the speed advertised by Cable Internet providers is higher than DSL, the limitation with cable service is that the service is actually being shared with other users in your neighborhood. This means that your cable internet might get slower during peak times.
• Satellite Internet: This type of internet is delivered to a user’s home through a satellite service. Satellite Internet offers a speed of around 20 Mbps compared to Cable Internet. This can be a good option (or maybe the only option) if you live in a rural area. Satellite internet can be considered reliable, presenting only a few glitches sometimes.
• Fiber-Optic: Also known as FiOS, Fiber Optic is available in some of the areas and is expanding rapidly. Though this internet type generally functions like DSL service, it is capable of offering speeds up to 1 Gbps (1024 Mbps) in some areas. If you have Fiber-optic internet service available in your area, you can consider its plans.

Services that Are Available in your Area

Once you have known about the different types of internet, the next thing you need to know is the service available in your area. There are numerous websites that provide information about the different ISPs available in your Zip code. Some of these websites also have customer reviews for different ISPs that can help you get an idea about their services. However, as most of the reviews are likely to be negative, as users generally post reviews when they are dissatisfied with a service and not when they are happy.

Alternatively, you can ask friends and family in the community as to what service they are using, whether they are satisfied with it, and whether they have ever experienced any issues with the service. Similarly, you can ask about the condition during peak hours, customer support, price, availability, etc.

Consider Opting for Local Service Providers

There might be numerous popular internet service providers available in your area, but it can be a great option if you give preference to local companies. If there is any local phone company or service provider offering internet service in your area, it is suggested to choose them over others as they are more likely to be available and reliable when it comes to service and support. This is because they would be having a limited area to cover, making them focus proactively on their customers compared to those ISPs having a whole town, city, or state to manage. Moreover, the prices of a local service provider should be reasonable and probably negotiable as well.

Factors to be Considered

There are numerous factors that you would need to consider when choosing the best high-speed internet service provider near you. These factors include:

• Speed: Most of the ISPs are going to boast about the great speed they offer. You should only be concerned with the internet speed if you are looking to spend most of your internet time on streaming videos or playing games online. Even if speed is your concern, make sure to know whether the speed is being offered over the cable of DSL/Fiber as the speed of a cable internet varies a lot depending on the time of the day.
• Data Caps: If you are into large files downloading, streaming videos for hours, or playing games online, you would want to go for an internet plan that offers unlimited data usage. Having an internet plan with data capping is not recommended for you.
• Additional Costs: Some of the ISPs may only talk about the charges you need to pay for your internet plan and not for the rental charges of modem or a router installed on your location. So, to not to get shocked seeing extra charges in your bill, make sure to clear any such hidden charges before buying an internet plan.
• Introductory Offers: If any ISP tries to impress you with their introductory offer, make sure to know the duration of the offer, cancellation policy, and the price that will be charged after the end of the offer. Doing so will help you ascertain if it is a genuine deal or a trap by a service provider to make you pay more after the offer ends.
• Bundles: One of the most common tricks offered by service providers is providing a bundle package that comes with Phone and TV service. While they may seem a great offer, but it is best to stick to the service you only need and not for any extra service like phone connection or TV channels unless you need them.
• Customer Support: Last but not least. The customer support offered by an internet service provider is the factor that you should keep in mind when choosing an ISP for your home or office need. Having a cheap internet service with unreliable customer service may cost you more if it runs into issues frequently. So, do remember to check the service of the customer support of an ISP before buying a plan.

So, these are the suggestions that will help you find the best high-speed internet service provider near you.