Best Internet Providers in Ohio

Sports, rock ‘n’ roll and Cincinnati chili. Birthplace of multiple US presidents and Neil Armstrong. Ohio has it all. It’s home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But is Ohio also worthy of the Home Internet Hall of Fame? Ohio came in 17th in a recent Ookla Speedtest.net ranking of US states by home internet speeds, so it’s not exactly the Roger Staubach of residential broadband, but it’s doing OK.

What is the best internet provider in Ohio?

Ohio has some reliable internet service providers to lean on. Spectrum is CNET’s choice for the best ISP in Ohio, largely based on its availability across the state and reasonably fast speeds. When it comes to fast uploads to go along with fast downloads, look to AT&T Fiber for speedy plans and straightforward pricing. However, its limited availability in the Buckeye State keeps AT&T from the top slot.

We all know Cleveland rocks, but Ohio also knows how to roll, and residents deserve fast, reliable home internet for work and play. Read on for rural broadband options, a look at 5G home internet as an alternative and a special hometown-hero ISP recommendation for residents of Cincinnati.

Best internet options in Ohio

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Finding fast, reliable rural internet can be challenging for Ohio residents living outside the main metro areas. Fixed wireless is one of the ways rural households can get connected. Here’s how fixed wireless compares to other internet connection types. Fixed wireless in Ohio is primarily provided by local ISPs. You’ll need a clear line of sight to a tower. Our chart includes just some of the fixed wireless ISPs that service the state, but there are more out there. Run your address through the Federal Communications Commission Broadband Map’s Location Summary tool to find ISPs that may service your rural home.

Fixed wireless may be one of the most widespread rural internet options available, but some lucky locations may be able to get fiber. Imagine Networks, for example, services some rural areas north of Dayton with speeds up to 1,000Mbps.

Satellite internet is often a last resort when wired ISPs don’t reach your home and fixed wireless doesn’t work out for you. Starlink, Viasat and Hughesnet are the competitors, and they all have pros and cons. Starlink has the potential for faster speeds than the others. It also doesn’t require a contract, but you’ll have to swallow a hefty initial equipment fee. Check out our comparison of the best satellite internet providers.

Ohio broadband at a glance

Every household in Ohio can access broadband speeds by the government’s definition of 25Mbps downloads and 3Mbps uploads, according to the FCC. That includes satellite internet, which can be expensive and slow. If we look at wired internet (DSL, cable and fiber) only, about 90% of Ohio homes are hooked up to broadband speed. There are pockets of fiber around the state, primarily in the bigger metro areas. AT&T Fiber is a provider to look out for, but also keep an eye on regional ISPs like Buckeye Broadband in northwest Ohio and Altafiber in Cincinnati.

How fast is Ohio broadband?

Faster speeds can be elusive in the Buckeye State. FCC data shows only about 36% of Ohio homes can get 1,000Mbps downloads with 100Mbps uploads. That reflects that less than a third of Ohio households can access fiber internet. Ookla’s Speedtest.net data shows Ohio with an average median download speed of 217Mbps, with Spectrum as the state’s fastest provider.

ISP availability can depend highly on address, and you might find fiber in some unexpected places. For example, Buckeye Broadband features residential 10-gig fiber in some spots, including Sandusky. Frontier services some smaller towns like Dover with fiber up to 5,000Mbps. 

Some pockets of Ohio can enjoy some of the fastest residential speeds in the nation. That includes AT&T Fiber and Frontier’s 5,000Mbps plans, and Buckeye Broadband’s blazing 10,000Mbps plan, which comes at a hefty price of $1,000 a month (PDF link). There’s limited availability for these plans. Most Ohio residents with access to Spectrum or other cable providers can expect speeds in the gig range. 

Slow internet is no fun. One remedy is to upgrade your plan or move over to a faster provider. If those aren’t options for you, try these four essential steps for speeding up your internet connections to get the most out of what you already have.

Internet breakdown by city in Ohio

It’s hard to cover the broadband options of an entire state and still give individual cities the attention they deserve. That’s why we also compile lists of the best internet providers in cities across the US, including those in Ohio. We tackle details such as internet connection types, maximum speeds and cheapest providers. Check back later if you don’t find the city you’re looking for below. We’re working to add more locations every week. 

Internet pricing in Ohio

Expect to pay around $50 a month for internet in Ohio. There are some cheaper plans, like the $40-a-month 300Mbps service from Spectrum. That’s a good deal for as long as the introductory pricing lasts. If you’re shopping online for Spectrum and don’t see the 100Mbps plan for $30 a month, call the ISP to see if it’s available to you.

Fiber can be pricey at the highest speed levels, but some decent deals can be found at the gig level and below. AT&T Fiber’s $65-a-month 300Mbps plan is the ISP’s cheapest plan, but the gig plan at $90 a month is a better value for power users. If you are in Altafiber’s coverage area, you can get fiber for the relatively low price of $40 a month for 400Mbps — higher speeds may be available for the same cost based on offers. When figuring out the best bargain for your home, factor in the cost of renting or buying equipment (if necessary) alongside your need for speed. If you’re a gaming fanatic, have multiple high-demand users or have to move big files around, investing more in a faster fiber plan can be worth it.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Ohio

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 database of pricing, availability and speed information 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?

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, 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.

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

The future of broadband in Ohio

The state’s BroadbandOhio Office estimates 300,000 households (representing nearly 1 million Ohioans) lack access to high-speed internet. One of the biggest challenges is to get rural residents and underserved areas connected to better internet options. There’s some good news when it comes to funding that expensive effort. The federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program is delivering nearly $800 million to the state to develop broadband for unserved and underserved communities. It can take time to disperse funds and build out networks, but it’s a positive step in the right direction for broadband equality in the Buckeye State.

Internet in Ohio FAQs