8 Best Internet Providers in Rochester, NY

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in Rochester, NY 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 Rochester ratings may vary and are shown below.

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Who is the Best Internet Provider in Rochester, NY?

Greenlight Networks is the best internet provider in Rochester based on New York customer satisfaction ratings and reviews. Based on our extensive and unbiased survey, Greenlight Networks had the best reviews at the local, state, and national levels versus all available providers in Rochester, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. Greenlight Networks is an option for 40.27% of the city.

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Rochester, New York, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Rochester

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

Based on 388 reviews from New York internet customers, Greenlight Networks is the best internet service provider for Rochester residents. Greenlight Networks was rated at an average of 5.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Frontier Communications wins for second-place in New York, with 4.00 out of 5 stars and 71.2% coverage in Rochester.

At a national level, based on 2951 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Empire Access is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 3.80 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Rochester?

Based on both FCC data and unbiased customer ratings in Rochester, the fastest internet in the city comes from Greenlight Networks.

Data Reported to FCC by ISPs: Average Maximum Available in Rochester

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Greenlight Networks	8,000 Mbps
	Frontier Communications	7,000 Mbps
	GoNetSpeed	2,000 Mbps
	Empire Access	1,000 Mbps
	Verizon	1,000 Mbps
	Spectrum	1,000 Mbps
	Community Broadband Network	100 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Rochester

Based on data reported by Rochester ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through Greenlight Networks. The company offers speeds up to 8,000 Mbps in Rochester. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 8,000 Mbps if they're willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

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

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Rochester?

New York customers rate T-Mobile Home Internet 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.

T-Mobile Home Internet received a local rating of 5.00 out of 5, which is higher than the average across all internet providers in the country. Greenlight Networks is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Rochester customers with an average price rating of 4.60 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Rochester

Rochester 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 Rochester below, including the metrics used and how Rochester compares to the rest of New York and nation.

Rochester ISP Report Card: B-

	Metric (hover for details)	Rochester	New York	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Rochester that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	67.90%	83.33%	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.	4,973 Mbps	4,072 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 Rochester.	4.4	4.9	6.8

 

Rochester Digital Connectivity Index: 62 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Rochester	New York	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.	2.4	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.	13%	13%	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%	94%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	89%	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.	77%	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.	79%	77%	76%

Rochester ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Rochester is B-, which is better than other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Rochester is high with a score of 62 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Rochester have done a good job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Rochester 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.

89% of Rochester households have an internet connection despite having 98.48% availability. 77% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 4% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 4% 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 77% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 79% subscribe to it. A large amount of Rochester 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 Rochester?

How Much Speed does a Rochester Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Rochester is 2.4, which is smaller than the New York average of 2.7 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. the Rochester area's average household income is $82,253 which is about average for the New York average of $98,794 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.

Rochester also has 16% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the New York average of 16%. Additionally, 13% of residents work from home, which is lower than the 13% of residents in New York who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Rochester has a high need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Rochester households are about average when it comes to technological engagement. 94% of households have some sort of computing device, 84% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 90% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Rochester?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Rochester?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Rochester?

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

Which ISP Should You Choose in Rochester?

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

To see how Rochester 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 Rochester's B- ISP Report Card and 62 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.

Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews for Internet Service Providers in New York