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If you want reliable internet, Spectrum is the way to go, according to a new report published Thursday by the network analysis company Opensignal.
The cable provider led all others by a wide margin in Opensignal’s Broadband Reliability Experience metric, which measures how often an internet provider dips below 25Mbps download and 3Mbps upload speeds, which was the FCC’s minimum broadband definition until recently. “Reliable” in this sense doesn’t necessarily mean your internet never goes down completely -- more that it rarely struggles with things like streaming a video on YouTube.
For most people, that’s a much more important factor than eye-popping speeds. Few users need the muti-gig speeds that internet providers love to promote, but almost everyone has had to make a timely video call at some point. Those are the moments when reliable internet becomes so essential. For now, wired connections continue to be more trustworthy in those moments, with Xfinity and Spectrum beating out wireless-heavy ISPs like T-Mobile and Verizon.
“It has to do with the overall demand on the mobile network,” Micah Sachs, VP of Client Analytics & Insights at Opensignal, told CNET. “Those connections are competing with mobile connections, and so during periods of peak usage, you're going to see lower speeds.”
Spectrum and Xfinity lead the way for reliability
For this report, Opensignal looked only at internet providers that cover more than a third of US homes: AT&T, Spectrum (Charter), T-Mobile, Verizon, and Xfinity (Comcast). The report also doesn’t take into account connection type, so Verizon’s score includes both its wireless and fiber plans.
That’s one reason cable providers have a clear advantage over providers that offer fiber: They don’t have less reliable connection types slowing them down.
“We do see fixed wireless scoring lower in general for reliability than fiber. It sometimes has connectivity and completion issues,” Rupert Bapty, the author of the Opensignal report, told CNET. “DSL would also be bringing down scores for AT&T.”
The Opensignal researchers also noted that fiber providers generally get top reliability scores in the markets where they’re available.
Opensignal’s findings echo what other sources have told us about reliability. The order is the exact same in Ookla’s Consistency score: Spectrum received the top score for consistency, followed closely by Xfinity, with Verizon and AT&T at the bottom. (T-Mobile wasn't included in Ookla’s scores.)
What else to consider when shopping for internet
Reliability is important, but it isn’t everything. In one survey of European consumers, price and reliability were by far the most important factors when it came to choosing an internet provider, with speeds and customer service more of an afterthought. Here’s what to look for when shopping for internet:
- Price: This seems obvious, but it’s not as straightforward as it might seem. Internet prices are notoriously confusing, with price increases and hidden fees adding to your bill in many cases. The FCC mandated that internet providers clearly display all this information in broadband consumer labels, and we recommend taking advantage of them when shopping.
- Customer satisfaction: Speed and reliability metrics can tell you a lot, but there’s no substitute for learning how real customers feel about their service. The American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power are the gold standard for these types of surveys. Consumer Reports covers smaller providers with its survey, but it’s only available with a subscription. I’d also recommend searching “internet [your city] Reddit” to get some information from boots on the ground in your area.
- Data caps: This is increasingly becoming a thing of the past, but some internet providers will still limit the amount of data you can use each month, sometimes with steep fees if you exceed your allotment. If you’re not sure how much data you need, the average US household uses 586 GB of data each month.