Best Internet Providers in Fremont, California
Our Experts
What is the best internet provider in Fremont, California?
AT&T Fiber is the best internet provider in Fremont. It’s the only fiber provider in the area, meaning it’s the only one that offers symmetrical upload and download speeds -- ideal for remote workers and online gamers. AT&T Fiber also includes equipment at no extra cost, and its prices don’t automatically increase after a year or two.
If you’re looking for the lowest prices possible, Xfinity has the cheapest internet in Fremont. Plans start at just $20 per month for 75Mbps speeds, but there are a number of caveats. You’ll have to commit to a one-year contract, equipment isn’t included and prices increase significantly after one or two years.
Verizon 5G Home Internet is another good option for smaller households. The wireless provider’s speeds top out at 300Mbps, but that’s plenty for homes that will connect only a few devices at a time.
Our methodology
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Fremont across a number of categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different tiers of service, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider's website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs, while the text is specific to what’s available in Fremont. The prices referenced within this article's text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month -- a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might be available as well, for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Fremont, California
AT&T Fiber
Best internet provider in Fremont, CA
Our take - AT&T Fiber isn’t just the best internet provider in Fremont -- it’s one of the best internet providers in the entire country. You’ll get fast, symmetrical speeds, equipment is included in the price and your bill won’t go up automatically after a year or two. The only downside is availability: FCC data shows that AT&T Fiber is only available to around one in five Fremont homes. More people will be able to get AT&T’s slower DSL service, but we would recommend it only as a last resort.
Xfinity
Cheapest internet in Fremont, CA
Our take - If you want to pay the lowest prices possible, Xfinity’s $20-per-month plan is hard to beat. But there's a lot of fine print. That plan requires you to commit to a one-year contract, and the price increases to $35 in the second year and $57 in the third. (Price increases don’t kick in until year three on Xfinity’s other plans.) But even with those caveats, Xfinity still earned above average customer satisfaction scores from both J.D. Power and the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
Verizon 5G Home Internet
Best fixed wireless internet in Fremont, CA
Our take - If you can’t get AT&T Fiber at your address and don’t want to deal with Xfinity’s price increases, Verizon 5G Home Internet is a good backup option -- especially for smaller households that don’t need a ton of speed. In Fremont, Verizon has plans that go up to 300Mbps, which is enough for two or three people, but might struggle with more than that. You can also save $15 to $25 a month by bundling with an eligible Verizon cellphone plan.
Fremont internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Fiber Read full review | Fiber | $55-$225 | 300-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
AT&T Internet Read full review | DSL | $55 | Up to 140Mbps | None | 1.5TB on some plans | None | 7.4 |
| RobinsonHSS | Fixed wireless | $25-$55 | 10-100Mbps | None | None | None | N/A |
| Sail Internet | Fixed wireless | $55 | 200Mbps | None | None | None | N/A |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $60 ($40-$50 with mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Tekify | Fixed wireless | $65 | 100-300Mbps | None | None | One year | N/A |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 100-300Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
|
Xfinity Read full review | Cable | $20-$70 | 75-1,200Mbps | $15 (included in most plans) | 1.2TB (unlimited in most plans) | Optional | 7 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Cheap internet options in Fremont
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Xfinity Connect Read full review | $20 | 75Mbps | $15 (optional) |
| Robinson HSS Basic | $25 | 25Mbps | None |
|
Xfinity Connect More Read full review | $25 | 200Mbps | None |
| Robinson HSS Medium | $40 | 20Mbps | None |
|
Xfinity Fast Read full review | $50 | 400Mbps | None |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 100Mbps | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Fremont
The best internet deals and top promotions in Fremont depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Fremont internet providers, such as Xfinity and Verizon 5G Home internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including AT&T Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Fastest internet plans in Fremont
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Internet 5000 Read full review | $225 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
AT&T Internet 2000 Read full review | $125 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review | $70 | 1,200Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
|
AT&T Internet 1000 Read full review | $80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Read full review | $65 | 1,000Mbps | 20Mbps | None | Cable |
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 videoconferencing, 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, streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
- 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Fremont
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 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 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 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, though 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.
Internet providers in Fremont FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Fremont?
AT&T Fiber is the best internet service provider in Fremont. It offers the fastest speeds by far, and while its prices aren’t as cheap as Xfinity’s, they won’t automatically go up after a year or two.
Is fiber internet available in Fremont?
Yes, fiber internet is available to 21% of Fremont residents, according to FCC data. AT&T Fiber is the only provider that offers fiber internet in the city.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Fremont?
Xfinity is the cheapest internet provider in Fremont, with plans starting at just $20 per month. That said, you may have to commit to a contract to get the lowest prices, and all of Xfinity’s plans increase significantly in price after one or two years.
Which internet provider in Fremont offers the fastest plan?
AT&T Fiber offers the fastest plan in Fremont, with upload and download speeds up to 5,000Mbps.
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