Best Internet Service Providers in Frederick, Maryland

What is the best internet provider in Frederick?

Frederick residents have many online options to choose from, but our experts can help you narrow down your search. Xfinity is the best internet service provider in Frederick, Maryland, in many homes, thanks to its wide availability and range of competitively priced high-speed Internet plans. For example, the Xfinity Connect tier is the cheapest Internet plan in Frederick, starting at $20 monthly for speeds up to 150 megabits per second and currently includes unlimited data with no contract requirements. Some addresses may only qualify for the $30 plan with 300Mbps speed.

For those who prefer faster speeds over lower costs, Glo Fiber offers fast Internet plans in Frederick, with speeds of 600 to 2,400Mbps available in select areas. A 100% fiber connection promises equally fast upload and download speeds, a benefit you’ll typically find on fiber internet.

Verizon Fios, another fiber-optic provider, may be available in certain parts of Frederick, but your address is more likely to support Verizon 5G Home Internet, a wireless Internet service. Although it doesn’t have the speed capabilities of Xfinity or Glo Fiber, Verizon 5G Home Internet is worth checking out for its reasonable prices, simple service terms and discounted mobile bundles, especially on the west side of town where performance is greatest.

Mobile Home Internet, another wireless home Internet provider in Frederick, is also an option, but slower speeds make it more suitable for urban and rural Internet service.

Source: CNET analysis of supplier data.

Source: CNET analysis of supplier data.

How to find online deals and promotions in Frederick

Frederick’s best online deals and top promotions depend on what discounts are available at the time. Most deals are temporary, but we often check for the latest offers.

Frederick Internet providers, such as Xfinity and T-Mobile Home Internet, may offer low introductory rates or other incentives for a limited time. Others, however, including Glo Fiber and Verizon 5G Home Internet, use standard year-round pricing.

For the most comprehensive list of promos, check out our guide to the best online deals.

Source: CNET analysis of supplier data.

What is the best internet speed?

Most Internet connection systems can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an Internet plan that can accommodate video conferencing, video streaming or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a stronger connection. Here’s an overview of the minimum recommended download speeds for various apps, according to the FCC. Note that these are guidelines only — and that Internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, see our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

• 0 to 5Mbps lets you handle the basics — browsing the Internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you high quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should provide a single user with enough bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telephony, video streaming and Internet gaming.
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to participate in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET picked the best Internet providers in Frederick

Internet service providers are many and varied. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen appliance, it is not possible to manually check every ISP in a particular city. So what is our approach? We start by researching rates, availability and quick information on our ISP historical data, provider sites and map information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we are considering every ISP that provides service in the area. We also include local addresses on provider websites to provide residents with specific options. We look to sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to assess how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as published.

Once we have this location information, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider offer access to fast internet speeds?
2. Are customers getting a decent value for what they are paying for?
3. Are customers happy with their service?

While the answers to those questions are often buried and complicated, the providers who come closest to saying “yes” to all three are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fees, although we also take into account factors such as price increases, equipment costs and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources such as Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit the How We Test ISPs page.

Internet Providers in Frederick, Maryland, Frequently Asked Questions