9 Best Internet Providers in District of Columbia, DC

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in District of Columbia, DC for most people based on high speed internet coverage, speeds, and customer reviews. Click below to see all providers in your county.

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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 District of Columbia ratings may vary and are shown below.

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3. District of Columbia, DC Internet Service Providers
   

Who is the Best Internet Provider in District of Columbia, DC?

Starry is the best internet provider in District of Columbia based on District of Columbia customer satisfaction ratings and reviews. Based on our extensive and unbiased survey, Starry had the best reviews at the local, state, and national levels versus all available providers in District of Columbia, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. Starry is an option for 41.20% of the county.

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in District of Columbia, District of Columbia, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in District of Columbia

Local, State, and National Ratings for all District of Columbia Internet Providers

Based on 132 reviews from District of Columbia internet customers, Starry is the best internet service provider for District of Columbia residents. Starry was rated at an average of 4.50 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. T-Mobile Home Internet wins for second-place in District of Columbia, with 5.00 out of 5 stars and 94.2% coverage in District of Columbia.

At a national level, based on 4269 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Starry is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.18 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in District of Columbia?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the county, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Starry. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, XFINITY from Comcast should have faster speeds at a local level. While we typically put more weight on real-world customer ratings, we display both satisfaction and technical maximum information for customers to decide for themselves.

Data Reported to FCC by ISPs: Average Maximum Available in District of Columbia

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Verizon	2,048 Mbps
	EarthLink	2,048 Mbps
	XFINITY from Comcast	2,000 Mbps
	Astound Broadband	1,500 Mbps
	Believe Wireless	1,000 Mbps
	Starry	1,000 Mbps
	DC Access	200 Mbps
	AT&T	100 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in District of Columbia

Based on data reported by District of Columbia ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the county are available through XFINITY from Comcast. The company offers speeds up to 2,048 Mbps in District of Columbia. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 1,912 Mbps if they're willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

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

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in District of Columbia?

District of Columbia customers rate Starry 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.

Starry received a local rating of 5.00 out of 5, which is higher than the average across all internet providers in the country. T-Mobile Home Internet is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s District of Columbia customers with an average price rating of 5.00 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in District of Columbia

District of Columbia 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 county 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 District of Columbia below, including the metrics used and how District of Columbia compares to the rest of District of Columbia and nation.

District of Columbia ISP Report Card: B+

	Metric (hover for details)	District of Columbia	District of Columbia	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in District of Columbia that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	85.46%	85.46%	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.	1,950 Mbps	1,950 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 District of Columbia.	7.6	7.6	6.8

 

District of Columbia Digital Connectivity Index: 67 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	District of Columbia	District of Columbia	USA
	Average Household SizeA larger household size in a county indicates that there will be a greater need for bandwidth due to simultaneous usage, multiple devices, and network congestion.	2.1	2.1	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.	29%	29%	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.	96%	96%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	90%	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.	80%	80%	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.	83%	83%	76%

District of Columbia ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in District of Columbia is B+, which is much better than other counties. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in District of Columbia is high with a score of 67 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in District of Columbia have done a good job meeting the needs of its residents.

The District of Columbia ISP Report Card evaluates the county on availability and speed metrics compared to other counties in the United States. ISP Infrastructure can vary greatly and on its own isn’t a perfect measure of what a county 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.

90% of District of Columbia households have an internet connection despite having 96.49% availability. 80% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 4% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 3% 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 80% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 83% subscribe to it. A very large amount of District of Columbia 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 Counties Compare to District of Columbia?

How Much Speed does a District of Columbia Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in District of Columbia is 2.1, which is similar to the District of Columbia average of 2.1 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. District of Columbia's average household income is $123,202 which is higher than the District of Columbia average of $123,202 and much 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.

District of Columbia also has 15% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is similar to the District of Columbia average of 15%. Additionally, 29% of residents work from home, which is similar to the 29% of residents in District of Columbia who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of District of Columbia has a high need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, District of Columbia households are more technology-engaged. 96% of households have some sort of computing device, 87% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 94% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in District of Columbia?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in District of Columbia?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in District of Columbia?

According to the most recently submitted data by internet service providers to the FCC, there are currently no DSL providers available in District of Columbia, DC.

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in District of Columbia?

Which ISP Should You Choose in District of Columbia?

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 District of Columbia is Starry.
• The fastest internet provider should be XFINITY from Comcast. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, Starry may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in District of Columbia is Starry.
• XFINITY from Comcast, Viasat, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in District of Columbia, 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 District of Columbia compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia's B+ ISP Report Card and 67 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.