9 Best Internet Providers in San Luis Obispo, CA

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in San Luis Obispo, CA 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 San Luis Obispo ratings may vary and are shown below.

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Who is the Best Internet Provider in San Luis Obispo, CA?

Ranch Wifi is the highest-rated internet provider in San Luis Obispo based on 378 California customer reviews, and Ranch Wifi 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 San Luis Obispo, California, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in San Luis Obispo

Local, State, and National Ratings for all San Luis Obispo Internet Providers

Based on 378 reviews from California internet customers, Ranch Wifi is the best internet service provider for San Luis Obispo residents. Ranch Wifi was rated at an average of 4.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Spectrum wins for second-place in California, with 2.00 out of 5 stars and 77.6% coverage in San Luis Obispo.

At a national level, based on 3820 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Ranch Wifi is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.00 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in San Luis Obispo?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the city, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Ranch Wifi. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, Astound 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 San Luis Obispo

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Astound Broadband	5,000 Mbps
	EarthLink	5,000 Mbps
	AT&T	5,000 Mbps
	Spectrum	1,000 Mbps
	Verizon	300 Mbps
	Peak Wifi	100 Mbps
	Ranch Wifi	100 Mbps
	surfnet communications	100 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in San Luis Obispo

Based on data reported by San Luis Obispo ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through Astound Broadband. The company offers speeds up to 5,000 Mbps in San Luis Obispo. 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 Ranch Wifi. This indicates Ranch Wifi reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in San Luis Obispo?

California customers rate Ranch Wifi 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.

Ranch Wifi received a local rating of 3.00 out of 5, which is much lower than the average across all internet providers in the country. Spectrum is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s San Luis Obispo customers with an average price rating of 1.00 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo below, including the metrics used and how San Luis Obispo compares to the rest of California and nation.

San Luis Obispo ISP Report Card: B

	Metric (hover for details)	San Luis Obispo	California	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in San Luis Obispo that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	53.57%	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.	3,395 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 San Luis Obispo.	6.7	7.4	6.8

 

San Luis Obispo Digital Connectivity Index: 74 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	San Luis Obispo	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.	2.4	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.	16%	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.	97%	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.	80%	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.	93%	79%	76%

San Luis Obispo ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

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

The San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo households have an internet connection while having 86.48% availability. 80% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 9% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 3% 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 80% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 93% subscribe to it. A very large amount of San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo?

How Much Speed does a San Luis Obispo Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in San Luis Obispo is 2.4, which is smaller than the California average of 3.0 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. San Luis Obispo's average household income is $78,415 which is lower than the California average of $108,618 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.

San Luis Obispo also has 42% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is higher than the California average of 17%. Additionally, 16% of residents work from home, which is higher 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 San Luis Obispo has a very high need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, San Luis Obispo households are much more technology-engaged. 97% of households have some sort of computing device, 93% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 95% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in San Luis Obispo?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in San Luis Obispo?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in San Luis Obispo?

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in San Luis Obispo?

Which ISP Should You Choose in San Luis Obispo?

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

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