GoKawiilYour choice of internet service provider has become more personal than ever before. We rely on the internet for almost everything, including work, streaming, shopping and social media. A lot goes into trusting your ISP. Factors like cost effectiveness, satisfaction, speed and customer support are important. But Joe Supan, CNET's broadband principal writer, says a reliable connection is paramount.
A lot has changed since the dial-up days of connecting to the internet. There are several types, including 5G, cable, satellite and the gold standard -- fiber.
Even if fiber internet isn't available in your area, there are still plenty of reliable, cost-effective options. We surveyed our readers to find out how they really feel about their ISP. We asked about the factors that matter most -- like cost, reliability, speed and customer service. Here's what they said and what we didn't expect to find out.
CNET's People's Picks ISP Winners
J. Hazelwood/CNET GFiber GFiber, previously known as Google Fiber, is a household name among internet service providers and a popular fiber internet option. CNET readers give it high scores, making it the overall top pick among ISPs. GFiber has an overall satisfaction score of 4.72 out of 5, and scores highly for reliability (4.70) and plan speed (4.82). GFiber also scores 4.28 out of 5 for price, Verizon Fios and AT&T Fiber are close runners-up to GFiber. Both score highly for reliability (4.39 and 4.48, respectively) and plan speed (4.41 and 4.49, respectively). But GFiber wins by a landslide for its customer support. Most CNET readers who have contacted customer support within the past year rate their experience as "Excellent," while other GFiber customers say customer service was "Good" and don't have any negative ratings for the fiber-optic ISP. Winner for: Fiber internet, customer service, price, reliability and speed See at GFiber
J. Hazelwood/CNET T-Mobile Home Internet (5G) T-Mobile is often known as a popular cellphone provider, but it wins CNET's People's picks for 5G internet. T-Mobile scores 4.20 out of 5 for customer satisfaction, the highest among 5G internet providers. CNET readers say their T-Mobile internet connection rarely drops, noting only a few times a year. And there's no noticeable difference in speed during peak hours. T-Mobile readers haven't experienced unexpected price hikes within the past year and many wouldn't change providers if a new one moved into their neighborhood. T-Mobile's 5G internet is a close runner-up to GFiber in terms of price. Verizon's 5G internet is just behind T-Mobile, with a price score of 4.10 out of 5. T-Mobile won 5G internet by narrowly beating Verizon in speed and reliability. Wins for: 5G internet See at T-mobile
J. Hazelwood/CNET Starlink Starlink wins among major internet companies with a high overall satisfaction rating of 4.47 out of 5, compared to Verizon Fios and T-Mobile, which score 4.16 and 4.20, respectively. And it has the second-highest reliability score among major winners. Starlink scores 4.59 in reliability while GFiber scores 4.70. "A few years ago, it would have been unfathomable that a satellite company would be considered this reliable. This really speaks to how massive Starlink's technical improvements have been," said Supan. Satellite internet also scores fairly highly for plan speed (4.41 out of 5), with no noticeable changes during peak hours. However, Starlink falls short on price satisfaction compared to other major internet providers because it has traditionally required an upfront $349 charge for a satellite dish. However, it recently switched to a $10 monthly charge. "Starlink isn't particularly fast or affordable, but it serves customers who essentially had no modern internet options before it came along," said Supan. Wins for: Rural satellite internet, overall satisfaction for satellite, reliability for satellite and speed for satellite See at Starlink
CNET's People's Picks regional ISP winners
We poured through our readers' responses to find the best ISP in each region based on the internet service features you rely on everyday. Here's how each regional winner compares to other ISPs in your area and what to know before choosing one.
West: Sonic
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