Best and Worst Home Internet Providers
CR members knock many of the biggest internet service providers, such as Cox, Optimum, Spectrum, and Xfinity. But some smaller ISPs earn top scores in our survey.
When Consumer Reports asked its members for feedback on their internet plans, a handful of internet service providers (ISPs) received stellar ratings and earned CR’s Recommended badge. But that was the exception, especially when it comes to value.
The overwhelming majority of the 68 companies in our ratings received middling or worse marks in the 2026 survey, which collected responses from more than 105,000 CR members. Low scorers included some of the country’s biggest ISPs, such as Cox, Optimum (Altice), Spectrum (Charter), and Xfinity (Comcast).
The good news is that in this latest survey, 26 companies received favorable ratings, 10 more than in last year’s survey.
More than a dozen ISPs earned stellar scores from CR members, proving that it really is possible to like your internet provider.
At the other end of the spectrum, six ISPs earned truly poor scores, getting knocked on everything we asked about, from customer service to overall value
In general, CR members are not enthusiastic about their internet providers. Only 16 percent gave top grades to their ISPs, and nearly all of those were small regional companies. When we drilled down, asking about everything from technical support to value for the money, we got mainly lukewarm responses—especially from customers of the biggest ISPs. Notably, only 13 percent of those surveyed felt they received top-notch value from their ISP.
But there were some bright spots. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said the reliability of their connection was either "very good" or "excellent," and more than a dozen ISPs got stellar scores from CR members for speed.
The median broadband speed reported by our members increased from 364 megabits per second in our 2025 survey to 400 Mbps this year. (That’s more than twice the 173 Mbps speed CR members reported back in 2022.)
Almost one-quarter of respondents reported that their internet speed was 1 gigabit per second (Gbps), with about the same number saying their internet speed was between 400 Mbps and 1 Gbps.
Only 13 percent reported speeds below 100 Mbps.
People Give Top Marks to Fiber Connections
About half of CR members get their internet service from a cable company, while nearly one-third have a fiber-optic connection, up slightly from 28 percent last year. Just 13 percent have 5G home internet service, and even fewer people rely on DSL or satellite internet service.
- 51%Cable modem
- 32%Fiber-optic service
- 13%5G home internet
- 2%DSL
- 2%Satellite
The ISPs most subscribed to by CR members were AT&T, Spectrum (Charter), Verizon/Fios, and Xfinity (Comcast). Together, these ISPs accounted for almost two-thirds of the market among CR members.
Source: Consumer Reports 2026 Winter Internet Providers Survey.
Fiber isn’t the most common internet technology, but it has many of the happiest customers. In our survey, nearly 70 percent of respondents with fiber service said they were very or completely satisfied.
In fact, the majority of ISPs that earned the highest Overall Satisfaction Scores in our ratings offer fiber service. You can see more details on these ISPs in the list of CR Recommended internet providers below.
Percentage of members reporting each level of satisfaction with their provider.
- Completely satisfied
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Completely dissatisfied
Source: Consumer Reports 2026 Winter Internet Providers Survey.
Bundles Remain Popular
Despite the growing number of people cutting ties with their traditional TV services, plans that combine internet with TV and/or phone service continue to be popular. Just over 60 percent of CR members said they receive internet as part of a bundle.
Television was the most popular service bundled with internet, with 40 percent of our members choosing it. About one-third of those who received a bundle have landline phone service, while 19 percent get their internet bundled with a streaming service, such as Hulu or Netflix.
Almost half (45 percent) of respondents were very or completely satisfied with their bundle.
It Pays to Negotiate
Despite the diversity of prices and offerings from internet service providers, only 24 percent of members reported trying to negotiate for a better price or features within the past year.
As it turns out, it’s very much worth trying. When members did try to negotiate, three-quarters received some form of additional benefit, most commonly a lower price or a new promotional rate. More than 1 in 10 got a boost in their broadband speed.
Members who negotiated could report more than one outcome, so totals exceed 100%.
-
Drop in price
30% -
New promotional rate
30% -
Increased broadband speed
13% -
Equipment for free/discount
7% -
Extension of original promotional rate
7% -
Free streaming channels/services
4% -
Premium TV channels
2% -
Other
8% -
Unsuccessful
25%
Outcome of negotiations among CR members who tried to negotiate or bargain with their ISP in the past 12 months for a better price and/or better features.
Source: Consumer Reports 2026 Winter Internet Providers Survey.
Top-Rated Internet Service Providers
The following 10 companies score well enough to earn CR recommendations. The current ratings are based on a 2026 survey of more than 105,000 CR members.
