Best Internet Providers in Sarasota, Florida

What is the best ISP in Sarasota?

CNET’s top recommendation for the best ISP in Sarasota Xfinity. It’s our top choice for most households because it has wide coverage in the area and offers speeds of up to 2 gigabits at competitive prices. Xfinity has a decent selection of plans to meet all budgets and needs, whether you’re streaming, gaming or working from home.

If you’re outside the Xfinity network coverage area, you can also watch Border fiber and T-Mobile Home Internetboth are solid options. If you want to have the cheapest internet, you can choose the Xfinity Connect plan, which is offered in Florida’s Mineral Coast for $35 per month and offers download speeds of up to 150 Mbps. If you’re on a budget and need the highest speeds, Frontier Fiber offers symmetrical speeds of up to 7,000 Mbps for $300 per month.

The best internet in Sarasota, Florida

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Sarasota

• Blue flux fiber: This DSL, cable and fiber provider offers limited network service in Sarasota less than 1% of addresses. Speeds up to 1 gigabit are available for select homes, and prices start at $45 per month.
• Fast Systems: Rapid Systems is a local ISP covering Sarasota, Hardee, Fort Lonesome, Desoto and other small cities in Florida. It is more expensive for home internet and the speed only reaches 25 Mbps.
• Satellite internet: No matter where you are in the country, satellite internet will always be an option. Probably not the best. Providers with high prices and low speed like it Hughesnet, Viasat and Starlink It shouldn’t be your go-to place for broadband.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Like T-Mobile, Verizon offers fixed wireless services in Sarasota. Customers can choose from two plans: $50 per month for 100Mbps or $70 per month for 300Mbps. Plus, eligible mobile customers can get $15 to $25 off their monthly bill.

Cheap internet options in Sarasota

The average price for residential broadband in Sarasota is $50 per month. This number may seem high, but there are several providers in the area that offer internet for less than that.

Xfinity is Sarasota’s cheapest ISP, offering a 150 megabit per second plan for just $35 per month. Frontier Fiber and Blue Stream Fiber also offer below-average service, but the Frontier plan offers the best Cost per Mbps Compared to Blue Stream.

What is the cheapest internet plan in Sarasota?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Sarasota

The best internet deals and promotions in Sarasota depend on what discounts are available at that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we’re often on the lookout for the latest deals.

Sarasota internet providers like Xfinity and Blue Stream Fiber may offer lower access prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, like Frontier Fiber and Verizon, charge the same standard prices year-round.

See our guide for a more extensive list of promotions best internet deals.

How fast is Sarasota broadband?

According to Speedtest by OoklaSarasota’s average download speed is 280Mbps and its download speed is 61Mbps. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Xfinity and Frontier Fiber compete for speed in this Florida city, both reaching download speeds close to 210Mbps.

If you’re looking for a faster connection in Sarasota, Frontier Fiber is your best bet. This ISP offers symmetrical speeds of up to 7 gigabits or 7000 Mbps for $300 per month.

The fastest internet plans in Sarasota

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What is 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 video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of recommended minimum download speeds for different apps, According to the FCC. Note that these are guidelines only and internet speed, service and performance will vary by connection type, provider and address.

• 0 to 5Mbps lets you handle the basics: browsing the web, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give a person enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming at the same time.
• Speeds of 500 to 1000 Mbit/s allow three or more people to deal with high bandwidth at the same time.

See our guide for more information how much internet speed do you really need?.

How CNET picked the best ISPs in Sarasota

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. What is our approach? We start by researching pricing, availability, and speed data, using our own historical ISP data, provider websites, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission. FCC.gov.

And it doesn’t stop there: We use the FCC’s website to verify our information and ensure we account for every ISP serving the area. We also include local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look to sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power to gauge how satisfied customers are with their ISP service. ISP plans and prices are subject to change frequently; All information provided is accurate as of 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?

The answers to these questions are often layered and complex, and the providers closest to a yes to all three are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the lowest monthly fee plans, but also consider factors such as price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised download and upload speeds and review real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

Visit our page to explore our process in more depth How we test ISPs page.

Internet service providers in Sarasota FAQ