What is the best internet service provider in Bangor?
Spectrum is CNET’s Top Pick for Best Internet Service Provider in Bangor. This cable internet giant offers solid first-year promotional pricing and gigabit speeds for most of the city. Once the promotional period ends, expect your bill to double by the second year. On the bright side, all plans come with no contracts or data caps.
Looking for a fast Internet connection? Fidium Fiber and GoNetspeed tie for the fastest internet in town, with up to 2,000 megabits per second for $75. You can expect symmetrical download and upload speeds supported by a fiber optic connection.
If you’re looking for cheap Internet access, Fidium Fiber offers the most affordable plan in town: a $25 per month plan for 100 Mbps. However, this price will increase to $45 in the second year. Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet offer lower rates to eligible mobile customers, making these providers a solid choice if you already have a phone plan with one of these companies.
Best Internet in Bangor, Maine
Bangor Internet Service Providers Compared
| Supplier | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly Equipment Costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET Review Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidium fiber | Fiber | $25 to $75 ($45 to $100 after 12 months) | 100-2000 Mbps | Bridge rental for $10 (optional) | None | None | N / A |
| GoNetspeed | Fiber | $45 to $75 | 500-2000 Mbps | None | None | None | N / A |
| Spectrum Read the full review | Cable | $25 to $70 | 500-1000 Mbps | Free modem; $10 for router (free on gig plan) | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review | Fixed wireless | $50 to $70 ($35 to $55 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max mobile customers) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| American cell phone | Fixed wireless | $50 | 45-195Mbps | None; but a monthly recovery fee of $3 | 600-900 GB | None | N / A |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review | Fixed wireless | $50 ($35 with eligible Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 100Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of supplier data.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Bangor?
How to find Internet deals and promotions in Bangor
The best Internet deals and promotions in Bangor depend on the discounts available at any given time. Most deals are short-term, but we frequently check for the latest deals.
Internet providers in Bangor, such as Spectrum and T-Mobile, may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. However, others, including Fidium Fiber and US Cellular, charge the same standard rates year-round.
For a more comprehensive list of promotions, check out our guide to the best Internet deals.
Fastest Internet Plans in Bangor
What is 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 a look at the minimum recommended download speeds for various apps, according to the FCC. Note that these are guidelines only and Internet speed, service and performance vary depending on connection type, provider and address.
For more information, see our guide to how much internet speed you actually need.
- 0 to 5 Mbps lets you tackle the basics: browsing the Internet, sending and receiving emails, streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40 Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
- 40 to 100 Mbps should give a person enough bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern teleworking, video streaming, and online gaming.
- 100 to 500 Mbps allows one or two people to participate in high-bandwidth activities like video conferencing, streaming, and online gaming simultaneously.
- 500 to 1000 Mbps allows three or more people to participate in high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.
How CNET Chose the Best Internet Service Providers in Bangor
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphones, laptops, routers or kitchen tools, it is not practical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what is our approach? We begin by researching pricing, availability, and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, provider sites, and Federal Communications Commission map information at FCC.gov.
But it doesn’t stop there. We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we are accounting for all ISPs that provide service in an area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power to gauge how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent change; All information provided is accurate at the time of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Are customers getting decent value for what they pay?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
While the answer to these questions is often complex and complicated, the providers who come closest to “yes” in all three areas are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fees, but we also consider things like price increases, equipment fees, and contracts. Choosing the fastest Internet service is relatively simple. We review advertised download and upload speeds and take into account actual speed data from sources such as 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.
FAQs about Internet Service Providers in Bangor
What is the best internet service provider in Bangor?
Is fiber internet available in Bangor?
Yes. According to the latest FCC data, fiber internet is available to 75% of Bangor residents. Fidium Fiber is the best fiber provider in town, with symmetrical speeds of up to 2 gigabits. GoNetspeed also offers fiber optic internet, but it may not be as widely available.
What is the cheapest internet service provider in Bangor?
The cheapest internet service is Fidium Fiber, which offers a $25 monthly plan with 100 Mbps download and upload speeds. However, once the promotional period ends after one year, the price jumps to $45 per month. You can also get a Spectrum plan for the same amount but at 50 Mbps (a viable option if Fidium isn’t in your area). If you want to avoid the price increase after a year, Verizon and T-Mobile Home Internet are the next best options.
Which internet provider in Bangor has the fastest plan?
Fidium Fiber and GoNetspeed are tied for the fastest internet offerings in the city, with symmetrical speeds of up to 2 gigabits.
