9 Best Internet Providers in Providence, RI

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in Providence, RI 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 Providence ratings may vary and are shown below.

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Who is the Best Internet Provider in Providence, RI?

i3 Broadband is the best internet provider in Providence based on Rhode Island customer satisfaction ratings and reviews. Based on our extensive and unbiased survey, i3 Broadband had the best reviews at the local, state, and national levels versus all available providers in Providence, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. Unfortunately, i3 Broadband is an option for 2.89% of the city.

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Providence, Rhode Island, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Providence

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

Based on 41 reviews from Rhode Island internet customers, i3 Broadband is the best internet service provider for Providence residents. i3 Broadband was rated at an average of 4.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Verizon wins for second-place in Rhode Island, with 3.86 out of 5 stars and 85.1% coverage in Providence.

At a national level, based on 6303 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, i3 Broadband is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.05 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Providence?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the city, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Verizon. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, i3 Broadband 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 Providence

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Verizon	2,048 Mbps
	EarthLink	2,048 Mbps
	i3 Broadband	2,000 Mbps
	XFINITY from Comcast	2,000 Mbps
	Cox Communications	2,000 Mbps
	Spectrum	1,000 Mbps
	Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant	1,000 Mbps
	AT&T	100 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Providence

Based on data reported by Providence ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through i3 Broadband. The company offers speeds up to 2,048 Mbps in Providence. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 2,000 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 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 Providence?

Rhode Island customers rate Verizon 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.

Verizon received a local rating of 3.43 out of 5, which is much lower than the average across all internet providers in the country. Cox Communications is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Providence customers with an average price rating of 3.25 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Providence

Providence 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 Providence below, including the metrics used and how Providence compares to the rest of Rhode Island and nation.

Providence ISP Report Card: B-

	Metric (hover for details)	Providence	Rhode Island	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Providence that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	71.47%	89.59%	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.	1,869 Mbps	1,940 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 Providence.	5.3	5.6	6.8

 

Providence Digital Connectivity Index: 66 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Providence	Rhode Island	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.	2.5	2.5	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.	11%	12%	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%	95%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	91%	91%	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.	80%	80%	76%

Providence ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Providence is B-, which is better than other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Providence is high with a score of 66 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Providence have done a good job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Providence 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 Providence households have an internet connection despite having 98.01% availability. 78% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 3% 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, 80% subscribe to it. A large amount of Providence 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 Providence?

How Much Speed does a Providence Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Providence is 2.5, which is smaller than the Rhode Island average of 2.5 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. the Providence area's average household income is $94,441 which is higher than the Rhode Island average of $94,710 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.

Providence also has 16% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the Rhode Island average of 17%. Additionally, 11% of residents work from home, which is lower than the 12% of residents in Rhode Island who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Providence has a high need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Providence households are about average when it comes to technological engagement. 94% of households have some sort of computing device, 83% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 91% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Providence?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Providence?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Providence?

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

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

Which ISP Should You Choose in Providence?

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 Providence is i3 Broadband.
• The fastest internet provider should be i3 Broadband. 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 Providence is Verizon.
• Viasat, T-Mobile Home Internet, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in Providence, 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 Providence compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Providence 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 Providence's B- ISP Report Card and 66 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.

Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews for Internet Service Providers in Rhode Island