For Steel City residents, Verizon Fios is CNET’s top pick for the best Internet provider in Pittsburgh. It gets the top spot in our list because of its wide coverage and fast speed. If you are one of the few Pittsburgh residents who are outside the Verizon Fios coverage area, Xfinity and T-Mobile Home Internet they are solid alternatives, but you will see the price increase and slower speed, unlike Verizon Fios.
When recommending the best internet service in Pittsburgh, CNET considers high-speed internet, pricing, customer service and overall value. We also check local addresses for service availability. In addition, we carefully read the terms and conditions of the providers and, when necessary, call the ISP to verify the details.
However, our process has some limitations. Prices and data speeds are variable: Some addresses may qualify for different levels of service or special discounts, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your options is to visit the provider’s website and enter your address.
Note that the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the supplier maps below may differ from what we found in our research. The maps show a provider’s full range of prices and speeds in the US, based on our database of plan information provided directly by the ISP. At the same time, the text is specific to what is available in Pittsburgh. The prices referred to in the text of this article come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments every month – an industry standard offer. Other discounts and promotions may also be available for things like committing to a contract or bundling with a cell phone plan.
To learn more about how we review Internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Top Internet providers in Pittsburgh
There are three main options when it comes to internet in Pittsburgh: Verizon Fios, Xfinity or T-Mobile Home Internet. The only other ISPs available in the city are Verizon 5G Home Internet (not widely available) and satellite providers (not cheap).
Pittsburgh Internet Providers Compared
| Supplier | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Head of data | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity Read a full review |
Cable | $35 – $95 | 300-2,000 Mbps | $15 (optional) | No one | Optional | 7 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read a full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$55 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245 Mbps | No one | No one | No one | 7.4 |
| Verizon Fios Read a full review |
Fiber | $50 – $110 | 300-2,000 Mbps | No one | No one | No one | 7.6 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read a full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible phone plan) | 85-1,000 Mbps | No one | No one | No one | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Other Pittsburgh residential internet providers available
There aren’t many other options for Internet in Pittsburgh outside of the three providers highlighted above. Here are all the other ISPs operating in the city:
- Satellite Internet: No matter where you live in the country, satellite internet is always an option – it’s just not very good. HughesNet and Viasat they have slow speeds, stingy data caps, and high costs, but they’re available everywhere in Pittsburgh. Starlink it will give you faster speed and lower latency, but it’s also more expensive: you’ll have to shell out $499 for the equipment, and plans start at $120 per month.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Like T-Mobile Home Internet, Verizon uses its extensive 5G network to offer wireless Internet plans. It’s not widely available in Pittsburgh, but it’s worth a look if you happen to be elsewhere.
Price info on Pittsburgh home internet service
Pittsburgh has five internet plans starting at $50 or less, which is on par with nearby Cleveland, Columbus and Philadelphia. Xfinity’s $35 per month plan is one of the best you’ll find anywhere in the country, but it’s only temporary — the price jumps to $90 after a year. The introductory plans of T-Mobile and Verizon are not so affordable at $50 a month, but the price is locked with both for at least two years.
Cheap internet options in Pittsburgh
| Supplier | Starting price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment fee | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity Connect More Read a full review |
$35 ($90 after one year) | 300Mbps | $15 (optional) | No one |
| Xfinity Fast Read a full review |
$45 ($105 after one year) | 500Mbps | $15 (optional) | No one |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read a full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 245 Mbps | No one | No one |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read a full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible phone plan) | 300Mbps | No one | No one |
| Verizon Fios Read a full review |
$50 | 300Mbps | No one | No one |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
How fast is Pittsburgh broadband?
Five gig speed plans are available in Pittsburgh, which is comparable to other cities of its size. According to Ookla’s speed test dataPittsburgh is 73rd of the 100 most populous cities in the United States in terms of average internet speed. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Residents get 215Mbps download and 52Mbps upload on average, compared to 253/39Mbps for the country as a whole. Verizon Fios is the fastest provider in town, with an average download speed of 234 Mbps.
The fastest internet plans in Pittsburgh
| Supplier | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | Starting price | Head of data | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity Gigabit X2 Read a full review |
2,000 Mbps | 300Mbps | $95 ($120 after one year) | No one | Optional |
| Verizon Fios 2 Gig Read a full review |
2,300 Mbps | 1,500 Mbps | $110 | No one | No one |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read a full review |
1,000 Mbps | 50 Mbps | $70 ($45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | No one | No one |
| Xfinity Gigabit Read a full review |
1,000 Mbps | 100 Mbps | $60 ($115 after two years) | No one | Optional |
| Verizon Fios 1 Gig Read a full review |
940 Mbps | 880Mbps | $90 | No one | No one |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
What’s the latest word on internet providers in Pittsburgh?
No matter where you live in Pittsburgh, you should have access to a few good Internet providers. Verizon Fios is the best of the bunch. It gives you symmetrical upload and download speeds, doesn’t charge extra for equipment, and you don’t have to worry about your price going up after a year. Xfinity provides fast download speeds, but upload speeds are extremely slow, and the price increases dramatically after one to three years on all plans. T-Mobile is an affordable backup option, but homes with more than a few people may need more bandwidth.
How CNET chose the best Internet providers in Pittsburgh
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latter smartphones, laptop, router o kitchen toolit is not practical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What is our approach? We begin by researching pricing, availability, and speed information based on our historical ISP data, provider sites, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
It doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure to consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also gather local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. To gauge how happy customers are with an ISP’s service, we look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate at the time of publication.
Once we have this information located, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to a reasonably fast internet speed?
- Are customers getting decent value for what they are paying for?
- Are customers happy with their service?
While the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, the providers who are closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test the ISP page
Internet providers in Pittsburgh FAQ
What is the best internet service provider in Pittsburgh?
Verizon Fios is the best internet provider in Pittsburgh. It gives you a symmetrical speed of up to 2,000 Mbps and unlimited data, and the equipment is included in the price. Xfinity is available almost everywhere in the city, but its slow upload speeds and price hikes make it less appealing. T-Mobile Home Internet is another good backup, with download speeds up to 245 Mbps and no data caps.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Pittsburgh?
Xfinity is the cheapest Internet provider in Pittsburgh, with prices starting at $35 per month for speeds of 300/100 Mbps. That said, the price for that plan increases to $90 per month after one year. Verizon Fios and T-Mobile both offer monthly prices starting at $50, but with additional discounts for eligible mobile customers.
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2024-12-27 13:28:00
