Optimum offers fast cable internet services from 300Mbps to 1,000Mbps and fiber internet plans from 300Mbps to 8,000Mbps. The provider’s fiber customers get symmetrical speeds, so both uploads and downloads are as fast as each other. Its cable internet customers—which make up 91% of Optimum’s customer base—can only get fast download speeds–but these are pretty swift too.

We analyzed speed tests taken by nearly 1.5 million people using various internet providers and found that the average Optimum customer experiences 206Mbps download speeds, 21Mbps upload speeds, and 25ms latency. This is fast enough for most households, whether for streaming YouTube on multiple devices, playing games, or taking Zoom calls.

While it doesn’t get a spot in our top five in our Fastest Internet Providers report, Optimum earns an honorable mention. It skates just below speeds from other providers such as Xfinity, Frontier, and AT&T.

Optimum customers in Texas, West Virginia, and Kentucky experience the fastest speeds at 518–892Mbps. According to the Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Map, these cities are all serviced by Optimum’s cable network. This is interesting because cable networks often get a bad rap for their speeds, but in Optimum’s case, its cable customers can experience a similar level of speed as Google Fiber customers, as seen below:

That being said, not all Optimum customers experience the fastest speeds. This could simply be because they signed up for a slower plan, or it could also be because of faulty equipment, inclement weather, interference, and congestion that can all impact internet speed.

“If I run an internet speed test right now, it’s maxing out at 80Mbps,” says Geoffrey Turbeville, an Optimum cable internet customer who is on the 500Mbps plan. Even though this is less than Turbeville wants, it gets the job done. “I don’t actually ever need any more out of it.”

Not sure if you’re getting fast enough internet speeds from Optimum? You may be able to find other options in your area. Run a search with your zip code below.

You can also look over our guides to other internet options that you may be able to get instead of Optimum.

• T-Mobile 5G Home Internet vs. Optimum
• AT&T vs. Optimum
• Xfinity vs. Optimum
• Spectrum vs. Optimum
• CenturyLink vs. Optimum

Optimum offers a vast range of speeds from 300 to 8,000Mbps. With so many options to choose from, it can feel a little confusing to know which plan to pick. Our advice is to keep things simple: Get a plan somewhere between 300 to 1,000Mbps, depending on the number of people in your home. Check out the table below to get an idea of what plan to get:

The best Optimum internet plan for most homes is the 300Mbps plan, either on cable or fiber. Even though it may be the slowest plan on offer in most areas, this plan gets enough speed to support up to five users streaming on their own devices, playing multiplayer games, or working from home. Hardcore gamers may want to opt for the 500Mbps or 1 Gig plan for a seamless connection that delivers fast speeds no matter how many devices share the network.

Optimum’s fiber internet is more reliable than its cable plan, so if you can’t sign up to its fiber plan, look around for other fiber providers in your area. Plus, you can score some fantastic Optimum internet deals. However, if Optimum’s cable internet is the only viable option, it should work just fine.

And for those who qualify, you could snag one of Optimum's low-income internet packages starting at $14.99 per month. It's worth a look!

With 2,000Mbps speeds, you can practically do anything on the internet. Here are a few ideas, if you want the bragging rights of having a multi-gig plan:

• Throw a LAN party with 20+ participants.
• Download Destiny 2 (87GB) in just over five minutes.
• Stream 4K video on 80 devices.

Chances are, you don’t need a 2,000Mbps internet plan. Even the nerdiest of tech nerds don’t need anything above 1,000Mbps, but we can appreciate wanting faster speeds for the fun of it.