Best Internet Providers in Berkeley, California

What is the best internet provider in Berkeley?

CNET recommends Sonic Telecom as the top Internet provider in Berkeleyoffering symmetrical gigabit speeds (up to 1,000 Mbps) for just $50 per month – a rare deal for such high performance. Although equipment is not included and the price increases by $10 after the first year, Sonic remains the better overall choice.

For those looking for even faster speeds, AT&T Fiber is the go-to option in Berkeley, with plans offering symmetrical speeds of up to 5,000 Mbps. Unlike Sonic, AT&T includes equipment in its base price and offers five flexible plans starting at $55 per month.

If affordability is your priority, Xfinity offers the cheapest starting plan at $20 per month for 150 Mbps, although prices increase after the first year or two. For a more predictable bill, T-Mobile and Verizon 5G Home Internet offer price lock guarantees on all of their plans.

Best Internet in Berkeley, California

Source: CNET analysis of supplier data.

Source: CNET analysis of supplier data.

How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Berkeley

The best Internet deals and promotions in Berkeley depend on the discounts available during this period. Most deals are short-term, but we frequently check for the latest deals.

Berkeley internet providers, such as Verizon, may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including Sonic Telecom, AT&T Fiber, and T-Mobile Home Internet, offer the same standard rates year-round.

For a more comprehensive list of promotions, check out our guide to the best Internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of supplier data.

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 Federal Communications Commission. 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 gets you through the essentials: browsing the Internet, sending and receiving emails, and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40 Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100 Mbps should give a user enough bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern teleworking, video streaming, and online gaming.
• 100 to 500 Mbps allows one or two users to participate in high-bandwidth activities like video conferencing, streaming, and online gaming simultaneously.
• 500 to 1000 Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.

How CNET Chose the Best Internet Service Providers in Berkeley

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. 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.

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:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Are customers getting decent value for what they pay?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

The answer to these questions is often complex and complex, but 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, although 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. (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 Berkeley