Best Internet Providers in Richmond, Virginia

According to CNET, Verizon Fios It is the best internet service provider in Richmond. of the company fiber internet service in our opinion, one of the best options available anywhere speed and price data analysis. If you can’t get Verizon Fios or Xfinity at your address, internet speed is more of a mess: Richmond’s average internet speed is slower. The city is ranked 86th among the 100 most populous cities The latest information from Ookla (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) But at 185Mbps download speeds and 51Mbps upload speeds, it’s still fast enough for most households.

Our team considers speed, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Richmond in various categories. Our evaluation includes a reference to a special database that has been created over the years by reviewing Internet services. We check local addresses for service availability and compare this with provider information. We also carefully read the terms and conditions of the providers and will call the ISPs to verify the details when necessary.

Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, there are some limitations to our process that you should be aware of. Pricing and speed information is variable: Some addresses may qualify for different levels of service, and monthly costs may vary, even within cities. The best way to determine your specific preferences is to enter your address on the provider’s website.

Please note that the prices, speed and other information shown on the above and below provider cards may differ from what we found in our research. While the text is specific to those available in Richmond, the cards show provider prices and speeds according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs throughout the United States. The prices quoted in the text of this article were obtained from our research and include discounts applied for setting up automatic payments each month — the industry standard offer. Other discounts and promotions may be available, such as on contract or bundled with a mobile phone plan.

Visit our full page to learn more about how we review ISPs methodology page.

Best ISPs in Richmond

The providers we recommend below offer extensive coverage in Richmond. Verification of your home address Federal Communications Commission broadband map will show your specific options.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

Other available Richmond residential internet providers

While the providers listed above are the best options for Internet in Richmond, there may be several other options, according to CNET’s analysis. Note that you’ll need to check your actual address to see which plans you’re eligible for.

• Earthlink: Earthlink uses other providers’ networks for internet service, which usually costs more than going through those providers directly. You will need to call to find out what plans are available at your address.
• Satellite internet: If you can’t get anything else, there’s always satellite internet. Although available almost everywhere in the country, it almost always comes with long contracts, low speeds, low data caps and high latency. HughesNet and Viasat are traditional satellite competitors and don’t have much to recommend them. Starlink is a newer provider that offers significantly faster speeds, but has a high initial equipment price of $599, and service may not yet be available at all addresses in Richmond.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Like T-Mobile, Verizon has begun using its own cellular network for home Internet service. It’s not as widely available in Richmond as T-Mobile, but speeds can reach 1,000 Mbps in some areas.

Richmond home internet service pricing details

The average starting price for internet service in Richmond is about $44 a month, but that’s seriously skewed by Xfinity’s $25 deal plan. While Xfinity offers some of the lowest starting prices you’ll find anywhere in the country, your price will increase significantly after one to three years.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

Richmond internet speed

Richmond residents have access to several Internet providers that offer high-speed connections. Verizon Fios offers some of the highest download speeds, ranging from 300 to 880 Mbps, while Xfinity offers cable internet plans with download speeds of 200 to 1200 Mbps.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

What’s the last word on ISPs in Richmond?

Richmond residents don’t have many providers to choose from, but it’s hard to go wrong with what they have. No matter where you are in the country, Verizon Fios is a no-brainer — if it’s available, you should probably get it. The only exception is if you’re looking for the cheapest price and don’t need a ton of speed. In that case, Xfinity’s $30/month Connect More 200Mbps plan is one of the best values ​​you’ll find in the area. 200Mbps is enough for multiple people to stream or work at the same time, but gamers may experience issues with Xfinity’s slow download speeds.

How CNET picked the best ISPs in Richmond

Internet providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen toolit is impossible to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what is our approach? For starters, we access a proprietary database of pricing, availability, and speed data from our own historical ISP data, partner data, and mapping data from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

This guide uses an in-house artificial intelligence tool called RAMP, which is trained by our own writing, and uses our database to generate content about specific internet service providers that our writers can use to identify and present our choices for a particular guide. they can. Check it out CNET’s AI policy for more information on how our teams use (and don’t use) AI tools.

Because our database is not complete, we go to the FCC’s website to verify the initial information ourselves and to ensure that we have reviewed every ISP that provides service in the area. Plans and pricing also vary by location, so we include local addresses on provider websites to find specific options available to residents. To gauge how satisfied customers are with ISP service, we look to sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power. ISP plans and prices are subject to change frequently; All information provided is accurate at the time of our fact-checking prior to publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three key questions:

1. Does the provider offer access to fast enough internet speeds?
2. Are customers getting decent value for what they are paying for?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

While the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, the providers closest to a yes to all three are the ones we recommend. Visit our page to explore our process in more depth How we test ISPs page.

ISPs in Richmond FAQ