Best Internet Providers in Maryland

What is the best internet provider in Maryland?

Verizon Fios is the best internet service provider in Maryland. It offers symmetrical upload and download speeds alongside straightforward plans. Moreover, the internet provider covers availability across most of the state’s major metro areas. Verizon Fios service isn’t available everywhere in Maryland, so Xfinity or T-Mobile Home Internet are also solid picks, depending on what’s available in your area. 

If you’re seeking the lowest prices or fastest speeds, we’ve also found those top options. The cheapest internet in Maryland is tied between Astound Broadband and Breezeline, offering $20 service for speeds up to 300 megabits per second and 100 megabits per second, respectively. Shentel’s Glo Fiber 5,000Mbps plan is one of the fastest in Maryland, but availability is limited to the Frederick area. Xfinity’s 2,000Mbps and 1,200Mbps plans are easier to find across the state. There are more ISPs in Maryland than we cover in this guide, but you’ll find a range of large and small ISPs alongside providers with the widest coverage across the state.

Best internet in Maryland in 2024

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Rural internet options in Maryland

• Antietam Broadband: Cable and fiber provider Antietam Broadband services Washington County, including some rural areas. It’s been actively expanding its Flight Fiber network to include Hagerstown. Fiber speeds top out at 1,300Mbps for $90 per month. Equipment costs vary with service, but the company offers specials that cover the cost, or you can provide your own equipment. 
• Choptank Fiber: If you live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and crave fiber internet, check in with your local provider, Choptank. The ISP is expanding its network and offers symmetrical speeds up to 2,500Mbps. Pricing ranges from $85 monthly for a 100Mbps plan to $279 for its fastest speed tier. There are no data caps or equipment fees, but Choptank requires a two-year commitment.
• Satellite internet: Starlink, Hughesnet and Viasat compete to offer satellite internet service to households with few or no other options. Speeds can be slow, and the price is often more expensive than other kinds of internet connections, but it may be the only way for some rural homes to get online. 
• Shentel Glo Fiber: Shentel’s Glo Fiber service is available in parts of Frederick and is expanding into rural areas of Frederick County as well as the city of Salisbury. Glo Fiber plans run from $70 per month for 600Mbps up to $140 per month for 2,400Mbps. That top speed is one of Maryland's fastest residential internet plans. The downside is the small Glo Fiber service area.
• Telegia: Telegia’s Skyburst fixed wireless service offers download speeds of 10 to 100Mbps across a broad area around Frederick County. The ISP is based in Frederick. Telegia reaches into rural areas that may have no other options besides satellite. You’ll have to contact Telegia for availability and pricing for your location. A router is included. Here’s how fixed wireless compares to other types of internet connections. 
• Towerstream: Rural residents of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carrol, Frederick and Howard counties can check into fixed wireless ISP Towerstream. It’s not the cheapest service, so compare it with other options if you have any. Prices range from $45 per month for a 5Mbps service to $125 for 25Mbps.
• Verizon High-Speed Internet: Verizon’s older DSL network reaches into areas where its fiber service doesn’t. Speeds may be very slow. You may get 15Mbps, or you may only be able to pull down 1Mbps. A phone plan is required, which brings your monthly cost to $75. You can choose between buying a $100 router or providing your own. There’s no annual contract. Consider this a last-ditch option if you can’t get faster or more affordable service at your address.

Internet breakdown by city in Maryland

CNET has covered the best ISPs in several major cities in Maryland. We’ve compiled information on internet connection types, data caps, maximum speeds and more. If you don’t see your hometown below, don’t worry -- we’re working to add more city lists each week.

• Best internet providers in Annapolis
• Best internet providers in Baltimore 
• Best internet providers in Columbia
• Best internet providers in Frederick
• Best internet providers in Towson

Cheap internet options in Maryland

Most ISPs in Maryland have plans that cost around $50, but there are ways to slim that down. Xfinity’s widely available 200Mbps Connect More plan runs $30 monthly for the first year of service. It’s an especially good deal if you have your own equipment and don’t have to add $15 per month for an xFi Gateway rental. Verizon mobile customers with an eligible phone plan can pull down some pretty sweet home internet savings. With Verizon 5G Home Internet, for example, you can get $15 off, bringing the lowest-price internet plan down to $35 a month. 

Bethesda, Gaithersburg or Anne Arundel County residents with access to Astound Broadband’s network can get a one-year intro price of $20 a month for 300Mbps cable service. Breezeline’s cable plans start at $20 monthly for 100Mbps for the first year.

What's the cheapest internet plan in Maryland?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Maryland

The best internet deals and top promotions in Maryland depend on the discounts available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Maryland internet providers, such as Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including Verizon Fios and Point Broadband, tend to 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 Maryland internet?

Maryland does pretty well when it comes to broadband speeds. A recent Ookla ranking put Maryland in 11th place for fastest median download speeds among the states and Washington, D.C. The Old Line State logged a median download speed of 227Mbps. That general peppiness of home internet speed is thanks in part to wide coverage by Verizon Fios and Xfinity across the state. Both offer plans in the gig range, making fast internet available to most households. 

The speeds you get at home will depend on many factors, including which ISPs are available and the internet technology you choose. Fiber has the advantage of fast uploads, which makes a difference if you move large files around. Maryland’s cable providers offer plans at the gig level or above, making them solid options for fast downloads.

Fastest internet plans in Maryland

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s 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, 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 FCC. 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 video conferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give one person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like video conferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities all at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Maryland

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites 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:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. Are customers happy with their service?

While the answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that 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 also consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: 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 Maryland?

Verizon Fios and Xfinity are the home internet heavyweights in Maryland. Thanks to reliability and fast upload speeds, fiber is nice if you can get it. That’s why we picked Fios as the top ISP in the state. With cable providers like Xfinity, you can typically get great introductory rates and access to gig speeds or above, but you’ll find yourself wrestling with a price hike down the line. Be sure to check which other ISPs are available at your address. For example, you might want to explore 5G home internet service as an affordable alternative. You may also find service from a local or regional ISP or another cable provider that works well for your speed needs or pocketbook.

Internet providers in Maryland FAQs