6 Best Internet Providers in Bristol, ME

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in Bristol, ME for most people based on high speed internet coverage, speeds, and customer reviews. Click below to see all providers in your city.

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Speed and technology may vary by address for all providers. Please note we may have a financial relationship with some of the providers above, which does not impact the customer ratings displayed. Customer ratings listed above are national ratings, local Bristol ratings may vary and are shown below.

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Who is the Best Internet Provider in Bristol, ME?

T-Mobile Home Internet is the highest-rated internet provider in Bristol based on 30 Maine customer reviews, and T-Mobile Home Internet has the highest rating nationwide. The provider information above and the information immediately below can help you decide. Compare provider ratings and review counts above. The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Bristol, Maine, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Bristol

Local, State, and National Ratings for all Bristol Internet Providers

Based on 30 reviews from Maine internet customers, T-Mobile Home Internet is the best internet service provider for Bristol residents. T-Mobile Home Internet was rated at an average of 4.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Spectrum wins for second-place in Maine, with 2.85 out of 5 stars and 85.4% coverage in Bristol.

At a national level, based on 3002 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, T-Mobile Home Internet is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.04 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Bristol?

Based on both FCC data and unbiased customer ratings in Bristol, the fastest internet in the city comes from Spectrum.

Data Reported to FCC by ISPs: Average Maximum Available in Bristol

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Spectrum	1,000 Mbps
	Tidewater Telecom	1,000 Mbps
	AT&T	100 Mbps
	EarthLink	100 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	US Cellular	25 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Bristol

Based on data reported by Bristol ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through Spectrum. The company offers speeds up to 1,000 Mbps in Bristol. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 1,000 Mbps if they're willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

However, actual customers in the city rated their satisfaction with internet speed highest with Spectrum. This indicates Spectrum reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Bristol?

Maine customers rate T-Mobile Home Internet as the cheapest internet service provider in state. Data comes from customers in the state rating their satisfaction with pricing. This feedback is valuable because it considers price changes and whether the speeds paid for are worth it.

T-Mobile Home Internet received a local rating of 4.00 out of 5, which is lower than the average across all internet providers in the country. US Cellular is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Bristol customers with an average price rating of 4.00 out of 5.

The chart and graph below show how customers in Bristol, Maine, and the United States rated the affordability of their internet service.

Rated Affordability in Bristol

Bristol Internet Health Assessment

ISP Reports evaluates the technological infrastructure across the United States. This includes assessing a grade for ISP providers and infrastructure in the city and setting an index number for the digital connectivity of its residents. You can view the ISP Report Card and the Digital Connectivity Index for Bristol below, including the metrics used and how Bristol compares to the rest of Maine and nation.

Bristol ISP Report Card: B

	Metric (hover for details)	Bristol	Maine	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Bristol that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	100.00%	70.30%	67.25%
	Average Download SpeedThe maximum download speed most households can get on average. This is measured by availability in a block group and weighted by the population in that area.	899 Mbps	1,729 Mbps	3,293 Mbps
	Provider CountThe number of providers available for most people. This is a weighted average by block rather than a total for Bristol.	6.0	7.0	6.8

 

Bristol Digital Connectivity Index: 60 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Bristol	Maine	USA
	Average Household SizeA larger household size in a city indicates that there will be a greater need for bandwidth due to simultaneous usage, multiple devices, and network congestion.	2.2	2.3	2.7
	Work From Home PercentA higher percent of the population working from home indicates bandwidth requirements being more widely needed rather than consolidated to commercial portions of the city.	24%	14%	14%
	Households with DevicesA higher percentage of households with computing devices in the home indicates a higher level of infrastructure needed to support those households.	94%	94%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	91%	90%	90%
	Households with BroadbandA higher percentage of households with a broadband connection (defined as speeds above 25 Mbps) indicates heavier usage needs within these households.	74%	76%	75%
	Broadband Usage vs. AvailabilityThis measures what percentage of households who have a broadband connection to their home actually have an active subscription to that service.	74%	77%	76%

Bristol ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Bristol is B, which is better than other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Bristol is high with a score of 60 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Bristol have done a average job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Bristol ISP Report Card evaluates the city on availability and speed metrics compared to other cities in the United States. ISP Infrastructure can vary greatly and on its own isn’t a perfect measure of what a city needs. Please see our ISP Report Card along with the Digital Connectivity Index above to evaluate how well the connectivity demand is met by the existing infrastructure.

91% of Bristol households have an internet connection despite having 100.00% availability. 74% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 3% have satellite, 1% are still on dial-up, and 2% of households have internet but don’t pay for a subscription because it’s subsidized by the Affordable Connectivity Program.

As you can see in the table above, while 74% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 74% subscribe to it. A large amount of Bristol residents are taking advantage of the available internet infrastructure.

For more details, please visit our ISP Report Card and Digital Connectivity Index pages.

How do Neighboring Cities Compare to Bristol?

How Much Speed does a Bristol Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Bristol is 2.2, which is smaller than the Maine average of 2.3 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Bristol's average household income is $87,756 which is much higher than the Maine average of $78,786 and higher than the national average of $90,606. Homes with fewer people living in them and with higher incomes tend to indicate a fairly average device usage pattern.

Bristol also has 11% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the Maine average of 13%. Additionally, 24% of residents work from home, which is higher than the 14% of residents in Maine who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Bristol has a high need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Bristol households are about average when it comes to technological engagement. 94% of households have some sort of computing device, 92% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 90% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Bristol?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Bristol?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Bristol?

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in Bristol?

Which ISP Should You Choose in Bristol?

The right ISP for you depends upon your needs, but in general we can make the following suggestions:

• The best all-around internet service provider in Bristol is T-Mobile Home Internet.
• The fastest internet provider should be Spectrum. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, Spectrum may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in Bristol is T-Mobile Home Internet.
• Tidewater Telecom, HughesNet, and Viasat has the broadest coverage in Bristol, and is most likely to cover your home. To find out exactly what's available at your home, please use our address search tool.

How does Bristol compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Bristol stacks up on the national level, it's useful to look at some other cities with similarly sized populations. Below you can see a list of these cities and how they compare to Bristol's B ISP Report Card and 60 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.