Best Internet Providers in Hawaii

What is the best internet provider in Hawaii?

Although part of the US, Hawaii is far from the mainland. Therefore, living there means that you do not have access to all things from the country; billboards, daylight saving time and snakes, for example. You can still get necessities, like high-speed Internet. Hawaii has decent internet options. Spectrum is CNET’s pick for the best Internet provider in Hawaii overalloffers gig speed, with availability throughout Hawaii from the Big Island to Kauai. Spectrum also offers plans across a range of budgets with simple service details, including unlimited data and a free modem.

If you’re outside the Spectrum area, Hawaiian Telcom is another solid option. It has a fiber-optic network unlike Spectrum’s cable network, and offers speeds as fast or faster than Spectrum. If your area doesn’t have a wired Internet service provider or you want a wireless connection, T-Mobile’s $60-a-month 5G Internet service is a decent broadband alternative.

If you’re looking for the fastest internet in Hawaii, Spectrum, Hawaiian Telecom and Verizon are all solid options with fast plans up to 1,000Mbps, with no data caps or contracts required. If you’re looking for the cheapest internet, Hawaiian Telecom’s 400Mbps plan costs just $40 per month, which is $10 cheaper than the average home broadband price in Hawaii.

The best internet in Hawaii in 2024

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Internet classification by city of Hawaii

It’s hard to cover the broadband options of a state like Hawaii and give other cities the attention they deserve. That’s why we’ve also compiled a list of the best internet providers in cities across the US, including those in Hawaii. We deal with details such as internet connection types, maximum speed, cheapest providers and more. Check back later if you can’t find the city you’re looking for below. We are working to add more locations every week.

Cheap internet options in Hawaii

Spectrum has the cheapest starting internet price in Hawaii at $30 per month with speeds up to 100Mbps. Hawaiian Telcom also offers plans starting at just $40 per month.

Source: CNET analysis of supplier data.

How to find online deals and promotions in Hawaii

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

Hawaii internet providers, such as Spectrum and Viasat, may offer low introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including Verizon, use flat rates throughout the year.

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

Fastest internet plans in Hawaii

The FCC reports that 100% of households in Hawaii qualify for broadband speeds of at least 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up. Ookla’s latest speed test data ranks Hawaii’s average download speed in 13th place among all states (plus Washington, DC) at about 226Mbps. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Spectrum, Hawaiian Telcom and Verizon 5G Home will be your best bets for those speeds and more.

In terms of speed and reliability, I would prefer a fiber-optic connection like the one you get with Hawaiian Telcom over cable from Spectrum. Fiber internet is equipped to support very fast upload speeds and is not susceptible to speed fluctuations during periods of high usage.

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 and 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 engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET picked the best Internet providers in Hawaii

Internet service providers are many and varied. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen appliance, it is not possible to manually test every internet service provider in a particular city. What is our approach? First, we access a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our ISP historical data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

That’s not all: We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we consider 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 of publication.

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

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

The answers to those questions are often buried and complicated, but 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.

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

What is the final word on Internet providers in Hawaii?

Although some services are less accessible or more affordable in Hawaii than in other parts of the US, broadband connections and prices are as good in Hawaii as anywhere. Spectrum is the best source of high-speed Internet in all of Hawaii, but Hawaiian Telcom’s fiber service may be a better value if it’s available at your address.

If no service is available where you live, T-Mobile Home Internet is a decent low-cost broadband option. As a last resort, satellite provider Viasat is located throughout the Aloha region.

Internet providers in Hawaii FAQs