11 Best Internet Providers in Richmond, VA

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in Richmond, VA 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 Richmond ratings may vary and are shown below.

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Who is the Best Internet Provider in Richmond, VA?

Ruralband is the highest-rated internet provider in Richmond based on 222 Virginia customer reviews, and Ruralband 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 Richmond, Virginia, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Richmond

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

Based on 222 reviews from Virginia internet customers, Ruralband is the best internet service provider for Richmond residents. Ruralband was rated at an average of 4.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Verizon wins for second-place in Virginia, with 3.72 out of 5 stars and 79.4% coverage in Richmond.

At a national level, based on 4648 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Ruralband is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.00 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Richmond?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the city, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Ruralband. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, Glo Fiber 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 Richmond

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Glo Fiber	5,000 Mbps
	Verizon	2,048 Mbps
	EarthLink	2,048 Mbps
	Brightspeed	2,000 Mbps
	Cox Communications	2,000 Mbps
	XFINITY from Comcast	2,000 Mbps
	All Points Broadband	1,000 Mbps
	Ruralband	1,000 Mbps
	River Street Networks	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 Richmond

Based on data reported by Richmond ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through Glo Fiber. The company offers speeds up to 5,000 Mbps in Richmond. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 5,000 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 Ruralband. This indicates Ruralband reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Richmond?

Virginia customers rate Ruralband 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.

Ruralband received a local rating of 4.00 out of 5, which is lower than the average across all internet providers in the country. Verizon is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Richmond customers with an average price rating of 3.17 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Richmond

Richmond 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 Richmond below, including the metrics used and how Richmond compares to the rest of Virginia and nation.

Richmond ISP Report Card: B-

	Metric (hover for details)	Richmond	Virginia	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Richmond that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	74.11%	76.30%	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.	1,598 Mbps	1,990 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 Richmond.	5.4	5.6	6.8

 

Richmond Digital Connectivity Index: 69 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Richmond	Virginia	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.	2.6	2.6	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.	17%	16%	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%	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.	75%	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.	77%	77%	76%

Richmond ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Richmond is B-, which is better than other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Richmond is high with a score of 69 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Richmond have done a good job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Richmond 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 Richmond households have an internet connection despite having 97.70% availability. 75% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 6% 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 75% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 77% subscribe to it. A large amount of Richmond 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 Richmond?

How Much Speed does a Richmond Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Richmond is 2.6, which is smaller than the Virginia average of 2.6 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. the Richmond area's average household income is $96,540 which is about average for the Virginia average of $107,027 and much higher than the national average of $90,606. Homes with more people living in them and with higher incomes tend to indicate more devices being used more often.

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

Compared to the rest of the country, Richmond households are more technology-engaged. 95% of households have some sort of computing device, 85% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 92% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Richmond?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Richmond?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Richmond?

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

Which ISP Should You Choose in Richmond?

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 Richmond is Ruralband.
• The fastest internet provider should be Glo Fiber. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, Ruralband may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in Richmond is Ruralband.
• Viasat, T-Mobile Home Internet, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in Richmond, 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 Richmond compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Richmond 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 Richmond's B- ISP Report Card and 69 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.