Best Internet Service Providers in Berkeley, CA

What is the best internet provider in Berkeley?

CNET recommends Sonic Telecom as the best Internet provider in Berkeleyoffers symmetrical gigabit speeds (up to 1,000Mbps) for just $50 per month — a rare deal for such high performance. Despite not including equipment and a $10 price increase after the first year, the Sonic is still the better choice overall.

For those looking for faster speeds, AT&T Fiber It’s the preferred option in Berkeley, with plans offering symmetrical speeds of up to 5,000Mbps. Unlike Sonic, AT&T includes the equipment in its base price and offers five flexible plans starting at $55 per month.

If affordability is your priority, Xfinity It offers the cheapest starting plan at $20 per month for 150Mbps, although prices rise after the first year or two. For a more predictable bill, T-Mobile and Verizon 5G Home Internet Offer price lock guarantees on all their plans.

Best Internet in Berkeley, CA

Compare ISPs in Berkeley

provider	Internet technology	Monthly price range	Speed ​​range	Monthly equipment costs	Data cap	a contract	CNET Review Score
AT&T Fiber Read the full review	Fiber	$55 – $245	300-5,000 Mbps	no one	no one	no one	7.4
AT&T Internet Read the full review	DSL	$55	Up to 140 Mbps	no one	1.5 TB on some plans	no one	7.4
Sonic Telecom	Fiber	$50	1,000 Mbps	$5 (optional)	no one	no one	nothing
T-Mobile home internet Read the full review	Fixed wireless	$50-70 ($35-55 with qualifying mobile plans)	72-245 Mbps	no one	no one	no one	7.4
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review	Fixed wireless	$50 – $70 ($35 – $45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers)	50-1,000 Mbps	no one	no one	no one	7.2
Xfinity Read the full review	cable	$20 – $75	75-1,200 Mbps	$15 (included in most plans)	1.2 TB, unlimited on most plans	My choice	7

Show more (2 items)

Shop service providers at my address

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What is the cheapest internet plan in Berkeley?

provider	Starting price	Maximum download speed	Monthly equipment fees
Xfinity 150 Mbps Read the full review	$20	150 Mbps	$15 (optional)
Xfinity 300 Mbps Read the full review	$35	300 Mbps	$15 (optional)
Xfinity 500 Mbps Read the full review	$55	500 Mbps	$15 (optional)
Sonic Telecom	$50	1,000 Mbps	$5 (optional)
T-Mobile home internet Read the full review	$55 ($35 with qualifying mobile plans)	245 Mbps	no one
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review	$50 ($35 with qualifying mobile plans)	300 Mbps	no one

Show more (2 items)

Shop service providers at my address

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Berkeley

The best online deals and best promotions in Berkeley depend on the discounts available during that period. Most offers are short-term, but we frequently check for the latest offers.

never

How many members of your family use the Internet?

the next

Berkeley internet providers, like Verizon, may offer lower introductory rates or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including Sonic Telecom, AT&T Fiber, and T-Mobile Home Internet, run the same standard rates year-round.

For a more comprehensive list of promotions, see our guide to Best offers online.

Fastest internet plans in berkeley

provider	Starting price	Maximum download speed	Maximum download speed	Data cap	Connection type
AT&T Internet 5000 Read the full review	$245	5,000 Mbps	5,000 Mbps	no one	Fiber
AT&T Internet 2000 Read the full review	$145	2,000 Mbps	2,000 Mbps	no one	Fiber
Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read the full review	$75	1,200 Mbps	35 Mbps	no one	cable
AT&T Fiber 1 GIG speed Read the full review	$90 (currently $55)	1,000 Mbps	1,000 Mbps	no one	Fiber
Sonic Telecom	$50	1,000 Mbps	1,000 Mbps	no one	Fiber
Xfinity Gigabit Read the full review	$65	1,000 Mbps	20 Mbps	no one	cable
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read the full review	$70 ($45 with qualifying mobile plans)	1,000 Mbps	75 Mbps	no one	Fixed wireless

Show more (3 items)

Shop service providers at my address

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What is 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, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll get a better experience with a more robust connection. Below is an overview of the minimum recommended download speeds for various applications, According to the Federal Communications Commission. Note that these are just guidelines and that internet speed, service, and performance vary by connection type, provider, and address.

For more information, see our guide about How much internet speed do you really need.

• Speeds of 0 to 5 Mbps let you handle the basics: browsing the Internet, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality videos.
• 5 to 40 Mbps gives you high-quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• A speed of 40 to 100 Mbps should give a single user enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern remote work, video streaming, and online gaming.
• Speeds of 100 to 500 Mbps allow one or two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming, and online gaming.
• The speed of 500 to 1000 Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best ISPs in Berkeley

ISPs are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest Smartphone, Laptop, Router or Kitchen toolit is impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What is our approach? We start by searching for pricing, availability, and speed information, relying on our own historical ISP data, provider locations, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

It doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC website to verify our data and make sure we take into account every ISP that offers service in an area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look to sources, including the US Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with their ISP service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; All information provided is accurate as of the date of publication.

Once we have this local information, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider provide access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Are customers getting adequate value for what they pay?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

The answer to these questions is often multi-layered and complex, but the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three questions are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for plans with the lowest monthly fees, although we also take into account things like price increases and equipment and contract fees. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and take into account real-world speed data from sources such as Okla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit our website How we test ISPs page.

Frequently Asked Questions for Berkeley ISPs