What is the best internet provider in Buffalo?
CNET’s top pick for the best internet provider in Buffalo is Verizon Fios. The ISP earns the top spot thanks to its fast, symmetrical upload and download speeds, strong customer satisfaction and competitive pricing. The only catch? Fios isn’t available everywhere within the city.
If Verizon Fios isn’t available at your address, Spectrum is a solid backup. Spectrum offers the most affordable internet plans in Buffalo. Just keep in mind that prices typically jump by $20 to $30 after the first year. T-Mobile Home Internet is another option worth considering. While it may not match the speeds of Fios or Spectrum, it’s a dependable, no-surprise pricing choice for smaller households.
Best internet in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo internet providers compared
Provider Internet technologyMonthly price rangeSpeed rangeMonthly equipment costsData capContractCNET review score Spectrum
Read full review Cable$30-$70100-1,000Mbps$10 (optional)NoneNone7.2 T-Mobile Home Internet
Read full review Fixed wireless$50-$70 ($40-$55 with eligible mobile plans)87-415MbpsNoneNoneNone7.4 Verizon 5G Home Internet
Read full review Fixed wireless$50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers)50-1,000MbpsNoneNoneNone7.2 Verizon Fios
Read full review Fiber$50-$90 ($35-$75 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers)300-940MbpsNoneNoneNone7.6
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other available internet providers in Buffalo
- Satellite internet: You can get satellite internet at almost every address in the country, but it’s only worth considering in rural areas with few other options. HughesNet and Viasat operate in Buffalo but are expensive and don’t provide much speed. SpaceX’s Starlink internet is a faster satellite option, but it requires an equipment purchase of $349 just to get started.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Like T-Mobile Home Internet, Verizon offers fixed wireless internet in the area. Its plans reach higher top speeds than T-Mobile’s but are less widely available. That said, you can get a great discount when you bundle with an eligible Verizon Wireless plan.
Cheap internet options in Buffalo
Buffalo has five different internet plans available for $50 per month or less. While Spectrum has the cheapest plan in the area, prices increase significantly on all plans after one or two years.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Buffalo?
Provider Starting priceMax download speedMonthly equipment fee Spectrum Internet Advantage
Read full review $30100Mbps$10 (optional) Spectrum Internet Premier
Read full review $50500Mbps$10 (optional) T-Mobile Home Internet
Read full review $50 ($40 with eligible mobile plans)318MbpsNone Verizon 5G Home Internet
Read full review $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans)250MbpsNone Verizon Fios
Read full review $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans)300MbpsNone
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Buffalo
Buffalo’s best internet deals and top promotions depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
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Buffalo internet providers, such as Spectrum and Verizon Fios, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including T-Mobile Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
How fast is Buffalo broadband?
According to Ookla speed test data, Buffalo residents see a median of 218Mbps download and 18Mbps upload speed. That puts Buffalo at 70th out of the top 100 most populated cities in the country and below cities like Cleveland (42nd) , but just above Pittsburgh (73rd) and Philadelphia (74th). (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
Fastest internet plans in Buffalo
Provider Starting priceMax download speedMax upload speedData capConnection type Spectrum Internet Gig
Read full review $701,000Mbps35MbpsNoneCable Verizon Fios 1 Gig
Read full review $90 ($75 with eligible mobile plans)940Mbps880MbpsNoneFiber
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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 and 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 online 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 Buffalo
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. So what’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
Because our database is not exhaustive, we go to the FCC’s website to check the primary data for ourselves and make sure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we input local addresses on provider websites to find the specific options available to 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 our pre-publication fact-check.
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 that 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 consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, you can visit our how we test ISPs page.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Buffalo?
When it comes to internet service in Buffalo, there’s Verizon Fios and everything else. Verizon is the only company offering fiber internet in the area, the fastest and most reliable connection type available. If you can’t get Verizon Fios at your address, Spectrum, T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet are all solid backup options, but each comes with its own disadvantages.
Internet providers in Buffalo FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Buffalo?
Verizon Fios is the best internet service provider in Buffalo. It’s the only provider in the area that offers symmetrical upload and download speeds, its prices are guaranteed for three to five years, and it doesn’t have data caps, contracts or equipment fees.
Is fiber internet available in Buffalo?
Yes, fiber internet is available to about 41% of Buffalo residents, according to FCC data. Verizon Fios is the only fiber provider that operates in the city.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Buffalo?
Spectrum is the cheapest internet provider in Buffalo, with prices starting at $30 a month for 100Mbps speeds. However, keep an eye out for a price increase after the first year.
Which internet provider in Buffalo offers the fastest plan?
Spectrum and Verizon both offer plans in Buffalo with download speeds up to 1,000Mbps.
