Best Internet Providers in Staten Island, New York

What is the best internet provider in Staten Island?

If you’re looking for the best internet providers in Staten Island, you have a few choices to consider. Most Staten Island households will have the option of popular internet service providers Spectrum or Verizon Fios for home internet. While both are tied for the cheapest internet provider in the area, Verizon Fios is the best internet service provider in Staten Island overall for a variety of reasons. The 100% fiber provider is known for its fast download and upload speeds -- up to 2,300 megabits per second, the fastest in Staten Island -- competitive pricing, simple service terms and high customer satisfaction.

Spectrum is arguably the better option for cheap internet, at least for the first 12 months, with service starting at $50 monthly for download speeds up to 500Mbps. That said, Verizon Fios plans come with free equipment rental, longer price guarantees and potential signup bonuses such as free streaming services, gift cards or electronic devices. 

Verizon’s 5G home internet service isn’t half bad, either, offering speeds ranging from 50 to 300 megabits per second or 85 to 1,000Mbps, starting at $50 and $70 per month, respectively. Like Verizon Fios, Verizon 5G Home Internet includes free equipment rental, unlimited data and no contract requirements. T-Mobile Home Internet is also available in Staten Island and comes with similar service terms, but pricing is slightly higher at $60 a month, and maximum speeds are a bit slower at 72 to 245Mbps.

Best internet providers in Staten Island, New York

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Staten Island

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

Staten Island internet providers, such as T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon Fios, may offer signup bonuses such as streaming service subscriptions or gift cards. Others, including Spectrum, run the same standard promotions year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

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 Federal Communications Commission. 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 Staten Island

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. 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.

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 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 selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although 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, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Internet providers in Staten Island FAQs