What is the best internet provider in Portland?
CNET’s experts rank Xfinity as the best internet service provider for most homes in Portland. It earns the top spot thanks to its near-citywide availability, covering more than 99% of addresses, along with flexible, no-contract plans and a variety of speed options that work for everything from casual browsing to heavy streaming. If Xfinity isn’t available where you live, solid alternatives include Quantum Fiber, Starlink and T-Mobile Home Internet.
For shoppers focused more on affordability, Ziply Fiber offers the cheapest plan in Portland with 100Mbps service starting at just $20 a month. Xfinity also has a competitive offering on the budget end with its Connect plan delivering up to 300Mbps speeds for $40 a month.
Portland internet providers compared
ProviderInternet technologyMonthly price rangeSpeed rangeMonthly equipment costsData capContractCNET review score Astound Broadband
Read full review Cable$30-$70300-1,500MbpsNoneVaries; 500GB-1TB or unlimitedNone7 CenturyLink
Read full review DSL/Fiber$55-$75100-1000Mbps$17 modem (optional)NoneNone6.7Quantum Fiber Fiber$45-$110200-2,000Mbps (varies by location)NoneNoneNone6.7 Starlink
Read full review Satellite$120135-305Mbps$349 one-time purchase40GB-5TB on some plansNone6.5 T-Mobile Home Internet
Read full review Fixed wireless$50-$70 ($35-$55 for eligible mobile customers)87-415MbpsNoneNoneNone7.4 Verizon 5G Home Internet
Read full review Fixed wireless$50 ($35 for eligible mobile customers)50-250Mbps (varies by location)NoneNoneNone7.2 Xfinity
Read full review Cable/Fiber$30-$100100-2,000Mbps$15-$25 (included in most plans)1.2TB for some plans1 year for some plans7Ziply Fiber Fiber$20-$75100-2,000Mbps$15NoneNone7.2
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other available internet providers in Portland
- Astound Broadband: This ISP provides a cable internet service and covers nearly 8% of the Portland area, according to the latest data from the FCC. The service starts at $30 a month and offers data speeds between 100Mbps and 1,500Mbps.
- EarthLink: This ISP provides internet service and covers 33% of the Portland area. EarthLink’s prices will vary based on your location but its plans typically offer download speeds starting from 100Mbps up to 1,000Mbps.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: As one of the largest mobile phone operators in the US, Verizon has expanded into the 5G home internet market like its competitor T-Mobile. The company offers home internet services that start at $50 per month and go up to $70 (or $35-$55 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans). The data speed for the 5G service is between 25Mbps to 250Mbps. There are no data caps, no contracts and no equipment charges.
- Ziply Fiber: Ziply offers both DSL and fiber internet service. The fiber service costs $20 per month and has a $15 monthly router rental fee. The data speed for the fiber service starts at 100Mbps and goes all the way up to 2,000Mbps.
- Satellite internet service from Hughesnet and Viasat is available throughout the greater Portland metro area, including all suburbs and rural areas. With plenty of other internet options, including Starlink, satellite internet service is usually not worth the cost.
Cheap internet options in Portland
In Portland, the average starting price for broadband service is approximately $44 a month. There are many options under and over that $50 mark, depending on how much internet speed you want. If cost is a major factor in choosing an internet provider, Ziply Fiber offers a $20 base plan for speeds up to 100Mbps.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Portland?
Provider Starting priceMax download speedMonthly equipment feeZiply Fiber $20100Mbps$15 (optional) Xfinity Prepaid
Read full review $30100Mbps$15 (optional) Astound Broadband
Read full review $30300Mbps($17 infrastructure fee) Astound Broadband
Read full review $501,000Mbps($17 infrastructure fee) Xfinity 300
Read full review $40300Mbps$15 (optional)Ziply Fiber $45300Mbps$15 (optional) Xfinity 500
Read full review $45500Mbps$15 (optional)Quantum Fiber $45200MbpsNone Xfinity 1 Gig
Read full review $501,000Mbps$15 (optional) T-Mobile Home Internet
Read full review $50 ($35 for eligible mobile customers)415MbpsNone Verizon 5G Home Internet
Read full review $50 ($35 for eligible mobile customers)250MbpsNoneQuantum Fiber $60500MbpsNone
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Portland
The best internet deals and top promotions in Portland depend on the available discounts. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
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Portland internet providers, such as Xfinity, Starlink and Astound Broadband, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide to the best internet deals.
How fast is Portland broadband?
Portland’s ISPs offer speeds ranging from 20Mbps to 50,000Mbps, despite the city’s ranking 73rd for internet speeds among the 100 most populated cities in the US. A recent report published by Ookla shows that Xfinity has the fastest median data speed in Portland, coming in at around 254Mbps. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Yet Ziply Fiber offers several of the fastest plans: 2,000Mbps for $75 monthly.
Fastest internet plans in Portland
Provider Starting priceMax download speedMax upload speedData capConnection typeZiply Fiber $75 ($115 after 12 months)2,000Mbps2,000MbpsNoneFiberQuantum Fiber $1102,000Mbps2,000MbpsNoneFiber Xfinity Gigabit X2
Read full review $1002,000Mbps306Mbps1.2TBCable Astound Broadband
Read full review $701,500Mbps1,500MbpsNoneCable Astound Broadband
Read full review $501,000Mbps1,000MbpsNoneCable Xfinity Gigabit
Read full review $501,000Mbps100Mbps1.2TBCableZiply Fiber $651,000Mbps1,000MbpsNoneFiber
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Internet providers in popular cities near Portland
See all results for internet providers in Oregon.
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 and 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 like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming all at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Portland
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.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Portland?
When choosing an internet service provider, you’re always better off choosing fiber internet over all other options if it’s available. Ziply Fiber and CenturyLink offer the best fiber internet plans in Portland. If fiber is unavailable in your neighborhood, cable internet or 5G fixed wireless providers offer fast and reliable connections. Just steer clear of data caps or any binding long-term contracts.
Internet providers in Portland FAQ
What is the cheapest internet provider in Portland?
Ziply Fiber’s 100Mbps plan is $20 a month with no contract. Astound Broadband has a $30 plan that offers 300Mbps. Also, Xfinity offers a prepaid plan for $30 for up to 100Mbps as well as a base plan for $40, reaching up to 300Mbps.
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Is fiber internet service available in Portland?
Yes. Most households in Portland will have access to fiber connectivity, the best internet connection you can get. Quantum Fiber, Ziply Fiber and (in some areas) Xfinity’s fiber service are Portland’s top ISPs offering fiber internet.
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Which internet provider in Portland offers the fastest plan?
In some areas you can get 8,000Mbps with Quantum Fiber, but the availability is limited. Xfinity offers 2,000 Mbps speeds for $70 monthly and Ziply offers 2,000Mbps speeds for $75 a month.
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