What is the best internet provider in Santa Clara?
CNET recommends Xfinity as the No. 1 internet service provider for most Santa Clara households. Xfinity is Santa Clara’s most widely available ISP — apart from satellite providers like Hughesnet, Viasat and Starlink — and offers some of the lowest rates for home internet in the area. AT&T Fiber, T-Mobile Home Internet and Ridge Wireless are also available at most addresses, but it’ll come down to what is serviceable at your location.
Xfinity also beats out its competitors by offering the cheapest service in Santa Clara. For only $20 per month, customers can reach download speeds up to 75 megabits per second. Or if you need more speed than that, Xfinity’s 200Mbps plan costs only $5 more a month and includes equipment rental.
Are you hunting for the speediest connection in Santa Clara? AT&T Fiber offers 5 gigabits of symmetrical download and upload speed for $225 per month. AT&T Fiber and Xfinity also tie for the second-fastest plan in the area, both offering 2,000Mbps for $125 and $120, respectively.
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Santa Clara across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers’ terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider’s website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider’s pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what’s available in Santa Clara. The prices referenced within this article’s text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month — a standard industry offering. Discounts and promotions might also be available for signing a term contract or bundling multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Santa Clara, California, in 2024
75 – 2,000 Mbps
$20 – $120 per month
Our take – Xfinity’s coverage can’t be beaten in Santa Clara, as the Federal Communications Commission reports that it serves over 97% of addresses. This cable giant offers multiple plans under its network, ranging in download speeds from 75Mbps up to 2,000Mbps. Some plans may include a 1.2TB data cap and an equipment fee, but all plans except for the lowest tier are contract-free.
75 – 2,000 Mbps
$20 – $120 per month
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per month
Our take – Unfortunately, less than 13% of Santa Clara residents have access to fiber internet. But if your address is serviceable for AT&T Fiber, move this provider to the top of your list. AT&T Fiber offers five plans for customers to choose from: 300Mbps, 500Mbps, 1,000Mbps, 2,000Mbps and 5,000Mbps. All plans come with equipment, unlimited data and no annual contract.
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per month
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Our take – T-Mobile Home Internet keeps home broadband simple and affordable. This fixed wireless ISP costs $60 per month for speeds up to 245Mbps, but eligible mobile customers can save $20 per month on service. Plus, T-Mobile Home Internet has unlimited data and equipment, and you won’t have to worry about introductory pricing.
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Santa Clara internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Home Internet | DSL hybrid | $55 | 10-100Mbps | None | 1.5TB | None | 7.4 |
| AT&T Fiber | Fiber | $55-$225 | 300-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Ridge Wireless | Fixed wireless | $100-$150 | 20-100Mbps | Varies | None | None | N/A |
| Sail Internet | Fixed wireless | $55 | 200Mbps | None | None | None | N/A |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $60 ($40 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max mobile customers) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
| Xfinity | Cable | $20-$120 | 75-2,000Mbps | $15-$25 (optional) | 1.2TB on some plans | 1 year on some plans | 7 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Santa Clara?
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Santa Clara
The best internet deals and top promotions in Santa Clara depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Santa Clara internet providers, such as T-Mobile and Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, such as AT&T and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Renelyn Cunanan-Dinh/Getty Images
Fastest internet plans in Santa Clara
| Provider | Starting monthly price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber 5000 | $225 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| AT&T Fiber 2000 | $125 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Xfinity Gigabit X2 | $120 | 2,000Mbps | 200Mbps | 1.2TB | Cable |
| Xfinity Gigabit Extra | $70 | 1,200Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
| AT&T Fiber 1000 | $80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet | $70 ($45 with eligible mobile plan) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
| Xfinity Gigabit | $65 | 1,000Mbps | 20Mbps | None | Cable |
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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 simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Santa Clara
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 FCC.gov.
But it doesn’t end there. We use 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 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 answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When 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 consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Santa Clara internet provider FAQs
What’s the best internet service provider in Santa Clara?
Although Xfinity’s service details vary by location, CNET recommends it as Santa Clara’s top internet provider, thanks to its wide availability and low pricing.
Is fiber internet available in Santa Clara?
Yes, but availability is scarce. According to the FCC, less than 13% of Santa Clara addresses have access to fiber internet, with AT&T Fiber being the largest fiber provider in the area.
What’s the cheapest internet provider in Santa Clara?
Xfinity offers two of the cheapest plans in Santa Clara: $20 for 75Mbps and $25 for 200Mbps.
Which internet provider in Santa Clara offers the fastest plan?
AT&T Fiber’s 5-gigabit plan is the fastest speed offered in Santa Clara, costing $225 per month.
