Find Internet Providers by Zip Code

The best internet providers offer reliable Wi-Fi connections for the home at affordable prices. But internet providers have limited availability, based on infrastructure build-out in specific geographic areas. To find the best internet service in your area, make sure to run a search with your zip code to see the plans, speeds, and prices available to you. 

There are multiple types of internet that internet providers use to connect customers. Some connection types have higher bandwidth capabilities than others, but not all addresses have access to every type of internet, so what you can get depends on the technology and infrastructure in your area. To figure out what type of internet you can get, search your zip code below to see what's available where you live.

Instead of using coaxial cables or phone lines, fiber-optic internet transmits internet signals through bundled strands of fiberglass, using photon signals to deliver a highly efficient and stable connection. Fiber internet providers typically offer packages with speeds ranging between 300Mbps and 10,000Mbps, and while most customers have no need for the fastest speeds fiber can provide, they certainly benefit from the symmetrical upload speeds and top-tier reliability. Building out fiber infrastructure is expensive, so fiber isn’t widely available nationwide; you probably won’t find it outside of big metropolitan areas and select rural areas with municipal co-op services.

Cable internet connects homes using the copper coaxial cable lines used for cable television. A cable internet provider is capable of delivering download speeds ranging from 50Mbps to 1,000 Mbps, and cable’s wide availability in cities and suburbs makes it the go-to option for customers in need of a reliable, high-speed connection. Cable companies sometimes have poor brand reputations because of complicated pricing models and lackluster customer service, but cable still beats a slower connection type like DSL or satellite.

A relatively newer technology, 5G internet service uses 5G cellular networks to deliver high-speed internet at a competitive price. Offered primarily by T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T, 5G home internet makes for an excellent alternative to cable internet because it’s offered at an affordable price and with lots of additional perks for new customers—including unlimited data, no contracts, no fees, and sign-up promotions. 5G home internet can hit speeds between 100Mbps to 1Gbps, and while the fixed wireless connection can at times be unstable, it’s significantly faster and more reliable than satellite internet.

Satellite internet relies on geostationary (GEO) satellites to transmit internet signals to subscriber dishes on the ground. The long transmission distance means that satellite providers Hughesnet and Viasat provide slower speeds than what you could expect from a fiber or cable internet provider and higher latency rates too. Prices tend to skew higher for satellite internet, but a satellite connection can also reach places that wired internet infrastructure cannot, and so it’s often the best choice for folks who live in rural areas of the country.

Unlike typical satellite internet, Space X’s Starlink service uses low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to transmit a Wi-Fi connection to Earthbound internet users. Starlink uses a lot more satellites to deliver an internet connection compared to standard satellite competitors Viasat and Hughesnet, and the fact that the satellites are in closer range means you get a faster and more reliable internet connection, with more data allotment too. Starlink is growing in popularity and is one of few internet providers that offers portable Wi-Fi service that you can use while on the road.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) internet uses landline home phone networks to deliver internet connectivity without tying it up like dial-up used to. (If you're older than 30, you remember the sound it used to make.) DSL's speeds max out at 140Mbps, which is much faster than dial-up speeds but considerably slower than the majority of cable and fiber plans available. Although DSL used to be widely available nationwide, most DSL providers are in the process of sunsetting their DSL infrastructure in favor of building up faster connection types like fiber.

Similar to 5G, 4G LTE Internet uses cellular networks to deliver internet. While 5G is fast with somewhat limited availability, 4G LTE internet has slower speeds but is able to transmit signals at a much longer range, making it ideal for rural areas and towns. Some 4G providers cater specifically to rural users and digital nomads and you can also find portable 4G internet for vehicles and campers.