8 Best Internet Providers in Merced, CA

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

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

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 Merced ratings may vary and are shown below.

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Who is the Best Internet Provider in Merced, CA?

Ayera Technologies is the highest-rated internet provider in Merced based on 355 California customer reviews, and Ayera Technologies 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 Merced, California, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Merced

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

Based on 355 reviews from California internet customers, Ayera Technologies is the best internet service provider for Merced residents. Ayera Technologies was rated at an average of 5.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. unWired Broadband wins for second-place in California, with 5.00 out of 5 stars and 99.9% coverage in Merced.

At a national level, based on 4141 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Ayera Technologies is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 5.00 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Merced?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the city, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by unWired Broadband. 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 Merced

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	EarthLink	5,000 Mbps
	AT&T	5,000 Mbps
	XFINITY from Comcast	2,000 Mbps
	Ayera Technologies	1,000 Mbps
	unWired Broadband	400 Mbps
	Verizon	300 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Cal.net	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Merced

Based on data reported by Merced ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through XFINITY from Comcast. The company offers speeds up to 5,000 Mbps in Merced. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 1,626 Mbps if they're willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

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

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Merced?

California customers rate Ayera Technologies 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.

Ayera Technologies received a local rating of 5.00 out of 5, which is higher than the average across all internet providers in the country. unWired Broadband is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Merced customers with an average price rating of 5.00 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Merced

Merced 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 Merced below, including the metrics used and how Merced compares to the rest of California and nation.

Merced ISP Report Card: B

	Metric (hover for details)	Merced	California	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Merced that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	32.72%	56.12%	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.	2,515 Mbps	3,631 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 Merced.	8.9	7.4	6.8

 

Merced Digital Connectivity Index: 74 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Merced	California	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.	3.4	3.0	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.	8%	15%	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.	95%	96%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	93%	93%	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.	78%	78%	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.	78%	79%	76%

Merced ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Merced is B, which is better than other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Merced is high with a score of 74 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Merced have done a good job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Merced 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.

93% of Merced households have an internet connection despite having 99.87% availability. 78% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 5% have satellite, 0% 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 78% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 78% subscribe to it. A large amount of Merced 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 Merced?

How Much Speed does a Merced Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Merced is 3.4, which is larger than the California average of 3.0 and larger than the national average of 2.7. Merced's average household income is $70,438 which is much lower than the California average of $108,618 and about average for the national average of $90,606. Homes with more people living in them and with lower incomes tend to indicate a fairly average device usage pattern.

Merced also has 22% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is higher than the California average of 17%. Additionally, 8% of residents work from home, which is lower than the 15% of residents in California who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Merced has a very high need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Merced households are more technology-engaged. 95% of households have some sort of computing device, 76% 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 Merced?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Merced?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Merced?

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

Which ISP Should You Choose in Merced?

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

To see how Merced 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 Merced's B ISP Report Card and 74 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.