What is the best internet provider in Rochester?

Spectrum is the best internet provider in Rochester, according to CNET experts. The internet service provider offers extensive coverage, low starting prices and fast speeds. However, Spectrum also has massive price increases that kick in after two years of service. Plus, unlike its fiber counterparts, you don’t have symmetrical speeds since it’s a cable network. So, you’ll have to make do with slower upload speeds.

Greenlight has the fastest speeds in Rochester, going all the way to 8,000 megabits per second, and the pricing is surprisingly reasonable. But it currently serves only 24% of the city’s homes. For those lucky enough to be in the coverage area, Greenlight is the no-brainer choice. If you want to avoid price hikes and complicated plans, you can opt for a fixed wireless provider like T-Mobile Home Internet. You’ll get straightforward pricing with the guarantee that your bill won’t increase as long as you remain a customer.

Best internet in Rochester, New York

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Rochester

• Frontier Fiber: Frontier is available in 40% of Rochester, according to the FCC, but most of that is Frontier’s slower DSL service, which we wouldn’t recommend to anyone. If you’re one of the lucky few who can get Frontier Fiber, it’s worth a look. You’ll get fast, symmetrical speeds at a decent price, and prices don’t automatically increase after the first year. Coverage is densest in neighborhoods like Lyell Otis, Northland-Lyceum and Irondequoit.
• Satellite internet: Three satellite providers cover the entire city of Rochester, but we would only recommend them as a last resort. Plans from HughesNet and Viasat come with stingy data caps, slow speeds and high prices. Starlink is a newer option from SpaceX that offers faster speeds and unlimited data, but equipment costs $349 upfront, and plans start at $120 a month.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon leverages its cellular network for home internet in Rochester and it’s available to 46% of residents, according to the FCC. If you can get it, though, it’s worth considering. Speeds get up to 1,000Mbps in some areas, and you can get discounts with an eligible Verizon cellphone plan.

Cheap internet options in Rochester

With an average starting price of $46 a month, Rochester has a number of cheap internet plans to choose from. There are six plans available in the area for $50 or less, which is more than most cities. That said, Spectrum’s plans increase significantly after one or two years, so it might be worth opting for a slightly more expensive plan from the start.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Rochester

The best internet deals and the top promotions in Rochester depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Rochester internet providers such as Spectrum may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including T-Mobile and Verizon, 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 Rochester broadband?

Rochester has some of the fastest broadband plans you’ll find anywhere in the country, but they’re not available everywhere in the city. Of Rochester’s residents, 37% have access to fiber internet from Frontier or Greenlight. Both offer symmetrical speeds up to 5,000Mbps. If you can’t get a fiber provider, you can still access gig speeds through Spectrum or Verizon.

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 video conferencing, 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 video conferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give one person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities like video conferencing, streaming and online gaming all at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Rochester

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:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. 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. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

What’s the final word on internet providers in Rochester?

Most Rochester residents will only have access to one or two good options for home internet. With broad coverage and fast speeds, Spectrum is our choice for the best internet provider overall. Just be aware of the steep price increases after two years. Greenlight Network’s fiber internet plans are the best value in the city, but they’re only available to around 1 in 5 residents. T-Mobile Home Internet is another good option for smaller households that don’t need a ton of speed, and it’s available to most houses in Rochester.

Internet providers in Rochester FAQs