Best Internet Providers in Columbus, Ohio

What is the best internet provider in Columbus?

AT&T Fiber the best internet service provider in Columbus. This is because it provides speedy fiber plans and reasonable pricing. In fact, AT&T Fiber offers the fastest speeds across the board: 5 gigabits for $245 and 2 gigabits for $145 monthly. The coverage, however, is not 100% in the area. If AT&T is not available at your address, some other solid options to check out for home broadband are Spectrum, T-Mobile and Verizon, depending on which ISP is available at your location.

T-Mobile and Verizon also offer 5G internet in Columbus, along with deep discounts if you already have a cell phone plan with one of these companies. For the lowest rates, check out Breezeline Base, which costs $20 monthly for a 100-megabits-per-second connection.

Best internet in Columbus, Ohio

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Columbus

• Breezeline: Breezeline's cable internet is available in about 68% of Columbus, and plans range from $20 per month for 100Mbps to $50 per month for 1,000Mbps.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon offers 5G internet service throughout central Columbus. Plans start at $60 a month for 50 to 85Mbps and go up to $80 monthly for 85 to 250Mbps. Plus, Verizon mobile customers could pay as little as $35 monthly for internet with autopay and select mobile plans.

Cheap internet options in Columbus

The cheapest plan you'll likely find in Columbus is Breezeline's Base tier for $20 monthly. This is not available in all areas of the city. Another solid deal would be Verizon 5G Home Internet at $50 a month. Why? Eligible Verizon mobile customers can receive a $15-per-month discount, dropping the monthly total to only $35.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Columbus

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

Columbus internet providers, such as Spectrum and T-Mobile, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including AT&T, Breezeline and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

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

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How fast is Columbus broadband?

Speeds range from a very modest 50Mbps to 5,000Mbps in Columbus, although not everyone will have access to these numbers. Many plans sit in the 100 to 300Mbps range, while some faster speeds can be found.

AT&T offers the fastest internet plans in Columbus. It boasts fiber options that include multi-gigabit plans, including 2,000Mbps and 5,000Mbps.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can 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 for 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 Columbus

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data 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: 

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? 
• Do customers get decent value for what they're paying? 
• Are customers happy with their service? 

The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but 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. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

What's the final word on internet providers in Columbus?

AT&T's fiber plans are the best bet in Columbus, but they're not available to all residences. There are plenty of other reliable, affordable and fast plans. Whether you need satellite or cable, fiber or DSL, there are several options, with some starting at just $20 a month.

Internet providers in Columbus FAQs