What is the best internet provider in Arlington?
CNET’s top provider pick for most Arlington households is Xfinity. In addition to providing service to most addresses in the city, thee service also offers the fastest plan in Arlington. For $120 per month, Xfinity customers can reach download speeds up to 2 gigabits per second, with no data caps or monthly equipment charges. Providers like Verizon Fios and T-Mobile are also solid picks for home internet, depending on availability.
Xfinity also offers one of the cheapest plans in Arlington, tied with Astound Broadband. While Astound does provide faster speeds with its base plan, availability is much more sparse. Xfinity Connect costs $25 per month for speeds up to 150 megabits per second.
Best internet in Arlington, Virginia
Arlington internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astound Broadband Read full review |
Cable | $25-$60 | 300-1,500Mbps | None | None | None | 7 |
| Cox Communications Read full review |
Cable | $50-$80 | 100-1,000Mbps | None | 1.25TB on some plans | None | 6.2 |
| Starry Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $30-$80 | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max mobile customers) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon Fios Read full review |
Fiber | $50-$90 | 300-940Mbps | None | None | None | 7.6 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
| Xfinity Read full review |
Cable | $25-$120 | 75-2,000Mbps | $15 (optional) | None | 1 year on some plans | 7 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Arlington?
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Arlington
The best internet deals and top promotions in Arlington depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Arlington internet providers, such as Xfinity, Cox and Astound Broadband, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including Verizon and T-Mobile, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Bruce Yuanyue Bi/Getty Images
Fastest internet plans in Arlington
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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 Arlington
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:
- 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 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 consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in Arlington FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Arlington?
Xfinity is Arlington’s best internet provider due to its wide coverage map, variety of plans and blazing-fast speeds.
Is fiber internet available in Arlington?
Yes. Verizon Fios is the largest fiber provider in Arlington, but select households may also be serviceable for fiber connectivity under Astound or Cox.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Arlington?
Xfinity and Astound Broadband tie for the cheapest service in Arlington, offering base plans for $25 per month. However, Xfinity’s coverage is much wider than Astound, so it all comes down to what’s available at your address.
Which internet provider in Arlington offers the fastest plan?
Xfinity offers the fastest plan in Arlington: 2 gigabits, or 2,000Mbps, for $120 monthly.