Best Internet Providers in Dover, Ohio
Like many rural towns in Ohio, Dover residents don’t have a lot of options when it comes to internet. There are essentially only three high-speed internet providers operating in Dover, but all of them have widespread coverage in the city. CNET’s top pick for the best internet provider overall in Dover is Frontier Fiber, which has both the fastest speeds and the lowest prices. If you can’t get Frontier, you could do a lot worse than Spectrum and T-Mobile as backups, but both come with their own drawbacks.
Our methodology
Top internet providers in Dover
Dover residents essentially have three options when it comes to home internet: Frontier Fiber, Spectrum and T-Mobile Home Internet. That’s fewer than most places, but the good news is that fast speeds are available just about everywhere. According to FCC data, 98% of Dover households have access to 250Mbps speeds, compared to 83% of Ohio and 87% of the country as a whole.
Frontier Fiber
Best internet provider in Dover overall
Product details
Fiber internet is almost always the best choice for internet in any area, and most Dover residents have access to Frontier’s fiber plans. These give you fast upload and download speeds, and prices are on par with other providers in the area. However, Frontier scored below average nationwide for fiber providers in the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index survey.
Availability: Fiber internet from Frontier is available to 71% of homes in Dover.
Plans and pricing: There are four Frontier Fiber plans in Dover: 500Mbps download and 500Mbps upload speeds for $40 a month, 1,000/1,000Mbps for $60, 2,000/2,000Mbps for $100 and 5,000/5,000Mbps for $155.
Fees and service details: There are no contracts, data caps or equipment charges with Frontier.
Spectrum
Cheapest internet in Dover
Product details
If you can’t get Frontier Fiber at your address, Spectrum’s cable internet service is a solid backup option. The main drawback is its low upload speeds. On Spectrum’s 500Mbps plan, upload speeds only reach 20Mbps; Frontier’s same tier hits 500Mbps in both download and upload speed.
Availability: Spectrum is available to 93% of Dover residents.
Plans and pricing: Spectrum offers three plans in Dover: 100/10Mbps for $30 a month, 500/20Mbps for $50 and 1,000/35Mbps for $70. At some addresses, the cheapest plan available will be Spectrum’s 500Mbps plan. The price is guaranteed for two years; after that, Spectrum may increase the price.
Fees and service details: Spectrum charges $5 a month to rent a router, but you can also use your own to skip the fee. There are no data caps or contracts required.
T-Mobile Home Internet
Best 5G home internet in Dover
Product details
If you want to try something different than Spectrum and Frontier, T-Mobile Home Internet is a newer option in Dover. It uses T-Mobile’s cellular network to send internet to your home wirelessly. Its speeds might not be enough for bigger households, and it’s more prone to network congestion than cable or fiber internet, but people are generally happy with the service: T-Mobile ranked number one for non-fiber providers in the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index survey.
Availability: 80% of Dover residents have access to T-Mobile Home Internet.
Plans and pricing: There’s only one T-Mobile plan available. It costs $50 a month and gets you up to 245Mbps download speeds and 31Mbps upload speeds. That price is guaranteed for as long as you maintain service. Eligible T-Mobile cellphone customers can also get a lower price of $30 a month.
Fees and service details: There are no equipment fees, contracts or data caps with T-Mobile Home Internet.
Dover internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier | Fiber | $40-$155 | 500-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 6.3 |
| Spectrum | Cable | $30-$70 | 100-1,000Mbps | $5 (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Other available Dover residential internet providers
Outside of the three providers highlighted above, there aren’t many other options for internet in Dover. Here are the other ISPs operating in the area:
- Satellite internet: We’d only recommend satellite internet in rural areas where there aren’t any other options available. You can get HughesNet and Viasateverywhere in the city, but the speeds are low, the prices are high and the stingy data caps make things like streaming and online gaming impractical. Starlink is a newer satellite provider that has faster speeds, but it costs $120 a month for service and $599 for equipment.
- Watch Communications: This local fixed wireless provider offers plans ranging from 10/2Mbps for $60 a month to 100/20Mbps for $120. It’s a slight step up from satellite, but we wouldn’t recommend it in any other situation.
Pricing for internet providers in Dover
Dover internet prices are about average for a town of its size. Spectrum and Frontier’s introductory plans are cheaper than you’ll find in a lot of places, but there are only four plans in Dover that cost $50 or less. Low-income households can also take advantage of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which is a federal subsidy that provides a $30-a-month discount on home internet.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Dover?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum Internet 100 | $30 | 100Mbps | $5 (optional) |
| Frontier Fiber 500 | $40 | 500Mbps | None |
| Spectrum Internet 500 | $50 | 500Mbps | $5 (optional) |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
How fast is Dover broadband?
If you’re looking for ultrafast internet, Dover has a number of plans available. There are four gig-speed plans available in the city. That’s more than Cleveland (which has two), and the same as Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
Fastest internet plans in Dover
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Fiber 5 Gig | $155 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Frontier Fiber 2 Gig | $100 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Frontier Fiber 1 Gig | $60 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Spectrum Internet Gig | $70 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Dover
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. So 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.
But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. To evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service, we look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of 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?
- 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.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Dover?
There aren’t a lot of options when it comes to internet in Dover, but the ones it does have all provide good value and are widely available in the city. Frontier Fiber is the clear winner -- it doesn’t have any ultracheap plans, but 500/500Mbps for just $40 a month is an excellent deal. Spectrum is the best choice if you’re looking for the cheapest possible internet, with a 100/10Mbps plan for only $30. T-Mobile Home Internet is another good backup option if you can’t get Frontier Fiber, with decent speeds at a fair price that’s guaranteed to never increase.
Internet providers in Dover FAQs
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