Internet providers in Cincinnati, OH

Featured customer reviews

“I have the Fioptics through Cincinnati Bell and it works good. The price package is awesome.”

–Colleen N

“Service is generally very good, but pricing is unfair, being a long term customer of many years I feel I should be getting better pricing”

–Abe W

“The speed is sufficient. I do find that my wi-fi signal gets dropped from time to time which is not good if I am doing work for my online classes.”

—Amy S.

Summary of Cincinnati internet providers

Provider	Type	Download speeds up to	User rating	Order online
Spectrum	Cable	1000 Mbps (wireless speeds may vary)	3.5/5	View Plans for Spectrum
Xtream Powered by Mediacom	Cable	100 Mbps	3.5/5	View Plans for Xtream Powered by Mediacom
Viasat	Satellite	100 Mbps	3/5	View Plans for Viasat
Brightspeed	DSL	40 Mbps	1.0/5	View Plans for Brightspeed
HughesNet	Satellite	100 Mbps	3/5	View Plans for HughesNet
T-Mobile Home Internet.	5G Home	245 Mbps	3.5/5	View Plans for T-Mobile Home Internet.
PowerNet Global	Fixed Wireless	100 Mbps	N/A	View Plans for PowerNet Global
altafiber	Fiber	1000 Mbps	2.5/5	View Plans for altafiber

Availability and speeds displayed are not guaranteed and are subject to change.

Technology Type

DSL:

DSL provides internet service via phone cables and is up to ten times faster than dial-up service.

Cable:

Cable provides internet speeds faster than DSL through the same cables used for cable TV.

Satellite:

Satellite internet is widely available, but offers slower speeds due to a far-traveling signal.

Fiber:

Fiber relies on glass strands to relay digital code and is much faster than both DSL and cable.

What is the best internet provider in Cincinnati?

Spectrum - No data caps
Xtream Powered by Mediacom - Good for multiple users
Viasat - Widely available
HughesNet - Perfect for rural areas
altafiber - Net neutral network

Spectrum is the best option for home internet in Cincinnati, offering speeds up to 1,000 Mbps as well as a variety of more affordable plans. Spectrum provides high-speed cable service with plenty of bandwidth for things like work, school, or just watching Netflix.

CenturyLink offers DSL at slower speeds but more affordable prices. Xtream Powered by Mediacomis another good option for cable internet service in Cincinnati with fast speeds and reasonable prices from a big provider with a slightly smaller national footprint than Spectrum.

There are also local internet providers like Cincinnati Bell, which offers fiber plans with speeds up to 1,000 Mbps.

If none of these providers serve your area, you can also consider satellite internet. Although it’s far from the fastest option, both Viasat and HughesNet are available everywhere and have speeds ranging from 12 Mbps to 100 Mbps.

Highest-rated internet providers in Cincinnati

The highest-rated internet provider in Cincinnati in our annual customer satisfaction survey this year was T-Mobile, which came out ahead of the larger nationwide providers.

Among the larger nationwide internet providers, EarthLink once again took the highest ranked position. Spectrum came in third place and Xtream Powered by Mediacom took seventh place. CenturyLink came in eighth place overall, just behind Mediacom.

In addition to these providers, Cincinnati is also home to local internet providers like Cincinnati Bell, which offers fiber plans with speeds up to 1,000 Mbps.

Fastest internet service providers in Cincinnati

Spectrum and are the fastest internet providers in Cincinnati, both offering download speeds of 1,000 Mbps. For content creators and those who work from home, Cincinnati Bell’s fiber connection has the added bonus of symmetrical upload speeds. This means that you get the same gigabit speeds sending information as you get when downloading information.

Provider	Price	Speed	Rating	View on Provider Site
altafiber	$39.99–$69.99/mo.*	Up to 1,000 Mbps	N/A	View Cincinnati Bell Plans
Spectrum	$49.99–$89.99/mo.^†	Up to 1,000 Mbps	3.6/5.0	View Spectrum Plans

Data effective as of 6/29/2022. Prices and availability vary by region and are subject to change.

*for 12–36 months.

^†Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter. Spectrum Internet® Gig promotion price is $89.99/mo; standard rates apply after yr. 1. Taxes, fees and surcharges extra and subject to change during and after the promotional period; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra.

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Cheapest internet service providers in Cincinnati

The cheapest internet service in Cincinnati is Xtream Powered by Mediacom, which comes in at under $20 per month. altafiber comes in second at $39.99. While it may be twice the price of Mediacom’s budget plan, Cincinnati Bell’s cheapest option is more than twice as fast, so it’s important to consider value along with overall cost.

Provider	Price	Speed	Rating	View on Provider Site
Xtream Powered by Mediacom	$19.99–$59.99/mo.*	Up to 100 Mbps	3.6/5.0	View Mediacom Plans
altafiber	$39.99–$69.99/mo.^†	Up to 1,000 Mbps	N/A	View Cincinnati Bell Plans

Data effective as of 6/29/2022. Prices and availability vary by region and are subject to change.

*For the first 12 months. Plus, activation, installation, and monthly modem rental fees.

^†for 12–36 months.

Internet Deals and Promotions in Cincinnati, OH

Provider	Available Deal	View on Provider’s Site
	If you refer a new customer to CenturyLink services and they sign up, you and the new customer will both get a reward of up to $100.	Get the Deal
	Get a free Unlimited Mobile line for 12 months when you sign up for an internet plan with speeds of 300Mbps or faster. Get a free mobile line with unlimited talk, text and data and free Advanced WiFi for enhanced network security when you sign up for Spectrum One Stream and get 300Mbps Spectrum Internet®. You can also get a free Xumo Stream Box when you add Spectrum TV®.	Get the Deal
	EarthLink's fiber plans include unlimited data without an extra fee.	Get the Deal
	Get a $50 Virtual Prepaid MasterCard, 65% off Nest Wifi routers, SiriusXM Streaming Platinum for 6 mos., and Pandora Premium for 4 mos. when you sign up for T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. Also, you can get a free Blink Outdoor 4 and Mini Pan-Tilt Camera security package (a $179.98 value) when you switch to T-Mobile Home Internet.	Get the Deal
	Get installation for free when you order the 360 Internet or Smart Internet package with your internet plan.	Get the Deal
	Receive a $100 Prepaid Card via rebate when you order one of Hughesnet's new unlimited data plans. Terms apply and offer expires 1/31/24.	Get the Deal
	Get free installation when you sign up for a qualifying home internet plan.	Get the Deal

Fiber internet in Cincinnati

Cincinnati currently has only one option for fiber internet—Cincinnati Bell. Besides being local, this small fiber network manages to cover nearly the entire city, making it a very appealing choice. Fiber connections are important because they provide not only lightning-fast download speeds, but also equally fast upload speeds. Upload speed is important for livestreaming, video chat, and many other online activities. Fiber is also reliable, which means fewer outages to worry about.

Cincinnati residential internet coverage

Residential internet coverage in the Over-the-Rhine district varies by provider. Of the major providers in Cincinnati, only two cover the entire area: Spectrum and Cincinnati Bell. This includes both the downtown area near the Krohn Conservatory and Cincinnati Art Museum and outlying suburbs, from Westwood and Mount Airy to Madisonville, Oakley, and Pleasant Ridge, and on down along the Ohio River by Mount Adams and East End.

CenturyLink doesn’t offer coverage in downtown Cincinnati, but it does bring service to some northern neighborhoods like North Avondale near Xavier University, clear up near Lake Erie by Winton Place, and past Columbus and approaching Akron in College Hills.

Viasat and HughesNet are both available nationwide, so they cover the entire Cincinnati area and even out to the most rural areas and towns, like Yellow Springs, Granville, and Sugarcreek.

Cincinnati internet FAQ

What are the internet options in Cincinnati?

Cincinnati, Ohio, has several good options for high-speed internet. The best option for you depends on where you live and what speeds you’re after.

Here’s a list of all the internet options available in Cincinnati:

Spectrum
CenturyLink
Mediacom
Cincinnati Bell
HughesNet
Viasat

Enter your exact zip code in our tool below to see which providers are available in your area of Ohio.

What is the best internet service provider in Cincinnati?

Our best internet service provider in Cincinnati is Spectrum. Some providers like Cincinnati Bell might offer faster speeds, but Spectrum provides the best balance of price and internet speed that’s backed by a nationwide brand. Plans start at $49.99 per month and can reach up to 1,000 Mbps in some areas.

Who has the cheapest internet in Cincinnati?

Mediacom offers some of the cheapest internet packages in Cincinnati. But if you’re after value, Spectrum offers the cheapest internet in Cincinnati for how much speed you get.

What is Fioptics internet?

Fioptics is the name for the fiber-optic internet packages delivered by Cincinnati Bell. It is also often used as a shorthand term for fiber optics. Fiber internet is fast and offers equal upload and download speeds. It’s worth getting if it’s available in your area.

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Internet providers in Cincinnati, OH

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