6 Best Internet Providers in Howard County, MD

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

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

All Providers

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 Howard County ratings may vary and are shown below.

1. Internet Providers

 » 

2. Maryland

 » 

3. Howard County, MD Internet Service Providers

Who is the Best Internet Provider in Howard County, MD?

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Howard County, Maryland, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Howard County

Local, State, and National Ratings for all Howard County Internet Providers

Based on 147 reviews from Maryland internet customers, Verizon is the best internet service provider for Howard County residents. Verizon was rated at an average of 3.60 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. AT&T wins for second-place in Maryland, with 3.33 out of 5 stars and 95.1% coverage in Howard County.

At a national level, based on 4445 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 Howard County?

Data Reported to FCC by ISPs: Average Maximum Available in Howard County

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Verizon	2,300 Mbps
	EarthLink	2,300 Mbps
	XFINITY from Comcast	2,000 Mbps
	Believe Wireless	500 Mbps
	AT&T	100 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Howard County

Based on data reported by Howard County ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the county are available through XFINITY from Comcast. The company offers speeds up to 2,000 Mbps in Howard County. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 1,732 Mbps if they’re willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

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

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Howard County?

Maryland customers rate AT&T 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.

AT&T received a local rating of 3.00 out of 5, which is lower than the average across all internet providers in the country. EarthLink is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Howard County customers with an average price rating of 3.50 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Howard County

Howard County 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 Howard County below, including the metrics used and how Howard County compares to the rest of Maryland and nation.

Howard County ISP Report Card: A-

	Metric (hover for details)	Howard County	Maryland	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Howard County that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	98.96%	77.01%	71.53%
	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.	2,014 Mbps	2,260 Mbps	3,583 Mbps
	Provider CountThe number of providers available for most people. This is a weighted average by block rather than a total for Howard County.	7.3	6.3	7.1

 

Howard County Digital Connectivity Index: 92 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Howard County	Maryland	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.	2.8	2.7	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.	26%	19%	15%
	Households with DevicesA higher percentage of households with computing devices in the home indicates a higher level of infrastructure needed to support those households.	99%	97%	96%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	97%	93%	91%
	Households with BroadbandA higher percentage of households with a broadband connection (defined as speeds above 25 Mbps) indicates heavier usage needs within these households.	89%	80%	76%
	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.	90%	81%	77%

Howard County ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Howard County is A-, which is much better than other counties. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Howard County is high with a score of 92 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Howard County have done a great job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Howard County 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.

97% of Howard County households have an internet connection despite having 99.88% availability. 89% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 3% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 1% 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 89% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 90% subscribe to it. A very large amount of Howard County 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 Howard County?

How Much Speed does a Howard County Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Howard County is 2.8, which is larger than the Maryland average of 2.7 and larger than the national average of 2.7. Howard County’s average household income is $162,618 which is much higher than the Maryland average of $117,984 and much higher than the national average of $93,246. Homes with more people living in them and with higher incomes tend to indicate more devices being used more often.

Howard County also has 18% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is higher than the Maryland average of 17%. Additionally, 26% of residents work from home, which is higher than the 19% of residents in Maryland who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Howard County has a very high need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Howard County households are much more technology-engaged. 99% of households have some sort of computing device, 97% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 97% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Howard County?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Howard County?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Howard County?

According to the most recently submitted data by internet service providers to the FCC, there are currently no DSL providers available in Howard County, MD.

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in Howard County?

Which ISP Should You Choose in Howard County?

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

To see how Howard County 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 Howard County’s A- ISP Report Card and 92 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.

Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews for Internet Service Providers in Howard County