What is the best internet provider in Syracuse?
Shopping for internet in Syracuse starts with a simple question: Can you get Verizon Fios at your address? If you can, your search is over — CNET’s pick for the best internet provider overall is Verizon Fios. If you can’t get it, you’ll have to pick between a number of solid (but flawed) options. Spectrum gets you fast, reliable speeds, but prices increase significantly after a couple years. T-Mobile locks in its price for as long as you keep service, but its wireless connection is more vulnerable to network congestion than Spectrum or Verizon.
Best internet in Syracuse, New York
If Verizon Fios is available, there’s a good chance it will be our top pick for internet in that city, and Syracuse is no different. Even if you can’t get Verizon at your address, you’ll likely have at least one good option. According to FCC data, 100% of households in the city have access to download speeds of 100 megabits per seond and 10Mbps upload.
Verizon Fios
Best internet provider in Syracuse
Price range
$50 – $120 per month
Speed range
300 – 2,000Mbps
Connection
Fiber
Key Info
Unlimited data, no contracts, free equipment with gig service
The best internet provider in Syracuse is an easy choice. Verizon Fios is the only internet option that gives you symmetrical upload and download speeds — ideal for households that do a lot of videoconferencing or online gaming — and it does it at a straightforward, reasonable monthly price. That’s why Verizon ranked No. 1 in Syracuse’s region in J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction survey.
Availability: Verizon Fios is available to 36% of Syracuse residents, according to FCC mapping data.
Plans and pricing: There are three Verizon Fios plans available in Syracuse: 300/300Mbps for $50 a month, 500/500Mbps for $70 and 940/880Mbps for $90. You can save an extra $25 each month if you’re a Verizon wireless customer on the Premium Unlimited plan, or $10 per month on all other wireless plans.
Fees and service details: Verizon doesn’t have data caps or equipment fees, so the price you see is the price you get. It doesn’t automatically increase after one year like many internet providers, either.
T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless internet in Syracuse
Price range
$50 per month ($30 for eligible mobile customers)
Speed range
72 – 245Mbps
Connection
Fixed wireless
Key Info
Unlimited data, equipment included, no contracts, no additional fees
T-Mobile is a newer internet provider in the Syracuse area, but it’s already one of the best options in the city. It uses T-Mobile’s 5G cellular network to transmit internet to your home wirelessly. While a wired connection is a better choice for bigger households, T-Mobile is an excellent choice for houses with only one or two people using the internet at a time.
Availability: T-Mobile Home Internet covers 80% of Syracuse households. That said, you’ll need to plug in your address to see if there’s an available slot in your area.
Plans and pricing: There’s only one T-Mobile plan. For $50 a month, you’ll get download speeds between 72 and 245Mbps and upload speeds between 15 and 31Mbps.
Fees and service details: Equipment is included in T-Mobile’s $50 price tag, and the price is locked in for as long as you keep the service. You can also save an extra $20 each month by adding an eligible T-Mobile cellphone plan.
Spectrum
Broadest coverage in Syracuse
Price range
$30- $70 per month
Speed range
100 – 1,000Mbps
Connection
Cable
Key Info
Unlimited data, simple pricing, no contracts, modem included, free access to nationwide Wi-Fi hotspots
Spectrum is a middle-of-the-road internet provider in just about every way, but it’s available almost everywhere in Syracuse. The download speeds are fast enough for most people, but like all cable internet providers, Spectrum struggles with slow upload speeds, which could be a problem if you have multiple people working from home at once. It also comes with significant price increases on all plans. Because of issues like these, Spectrum’s customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power and the American Customer Satisfaction Index are below average.
Availability: Spectrum is available at 94% of addresses in Syracuse.
Plans and pricing: Spectrum has different plans available in different parts of Syracuse. Across the city, you can find 100/10Mbps for $30 a month ($60 after two years), 500/20Mbps for $50 ($100 after one or two years) and 1,000/35Mbps for $70 ($120 after one or two years).
Fees and service details: There are no data caps or contracts required on any plans. While Spectrum includes a modem rental in the monthly price, it charges an extra $5 per month to rent a Wi-Fi router.
Syracuse internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable | $30-$70 | 100-1,000Mbps | $5 (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon Fios | Fiber | $50-$90 | 300-940Mbps | None | None | None | 7.6 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible phone plan) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Other available internet providers in Syracuse
Many cities have a few local internet providers to consider in addition to the nationwide ISPs. Unfortunately, there aren’t many other options available in Syracuse. Here is everything else you can get in the city:
- Satellite internet: We typically only recommend satellite internet when you can’t get anything else, and this rule holds true for Syracuse. HughesNet and Viasat both offer service to 100% of the city, but like all satellite providers, they come with high prices, low data caps and slow speeds. Starlink is a faster satellite option, but equipment costs $599 upfront and plans start at $120 a month.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Like T-Mobile Home Internet, Verizon uses its 5G network for home internet in Syracuse. You can get speeds of 300/10Mbps for $50 per month or 1,000/50 for $70 in some areas. There are no equipment fees or data caps on either plan.
Cheap internet options in Syracuse
Starting prices for internet in Syracuse average $45 per month, which is slightly higher than nearby Albany ($43). Low-income households in Syracuse also have the option of using Spectrum’s Internet Assist plan, which gets you 30/4Mbps for $20 a month. This can also be combined with the FCC’s $30-per-month Affordable Connectivity Program subsidy — effectively covering your entire internet bill each month.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Syracuse?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | $30 ($60 after two years) | 100Mbps | $5 (optional) | None |
| Spectrum | $50 ($100 after one or two years) | 500Mbps | $5 (optional) | None |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | $50 ($35 with eligible phone plan) | 300Mbps | None | None |
| Verizon Fios | $50 | 300Mbps | None | None |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
How to find internet deals and promotions in Syracuse
The best internet deals and the top promotions in Syracuse depend on what discounts are available during that time period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Syracuse internet providers such as Spectrum may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including Verizon Fios and T-Mobile, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of deals, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
How fast is Syracuse broadband?
There are three internet plans offering gig speeds in Syracuse — right around average for a city of its size. While there aren’t any ultra-fast plans above 1,000Mbps, most households will be fine with the speeds available. That said, Verizon Fios is the only provider that offers symmetrical speeds in Syracuse.
Fastest internet plans in Syracuse
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
What’s 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 videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines — and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need
- 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics — browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
- 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming simultaneously.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming simultaneously.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Syracuse
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
- Are customers happy with their service?
While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When it comes to selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds, and also take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Syracuse?
There’s a clear winner when it comes to internet in Syracuse. Verizon Fios offers the fastest speeds, the best value and it has the happiest customers. No matter where you live in the country, if Verizon Fios is available, it’s almost always the best choice. If you can’t get Fios, Spectrum and T-Mobile are both worthy backup options, but they each come with noteworthy drawbacks — hefty price increases for Spectrum and lower speeds for T-Mobile.
Internet providers in Syracuse FAQs
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