10 Best Internet Providers in San Mateo, CA

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

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

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Who is the Best Internet Provider in San Mateo, CA?

Astound Broadband is the best internet provider in San Mateo based on California customer satisfaction ratings and reviews. Based on our extensive and unbiased survey, Astound Broadband had the best reviews at the local, state, and national levels versus all available providers in San Mateo, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. Astound Broadband is an option for 88.46% of the city.

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in San Mateo, California, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in San Mateo

Local, State, and National Ratings for all San Mateo Internet Providers

Based on 379 reviews from California internet customers, Astound Broadband is the best internet service provider for San Mateo residents. Astound Broadband was rated at an average of 3.24 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. XFINITY from Comcast wins for second-place in California, with 3.67 out of 5 stars and 99.7% coverage in San Mateo.

At a national level, based on 4257 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Sonic is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.27 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in San Mateo?

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

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Etheric Networks	25,000 Mbps
	Sonic	10,000 Mbps
	AT&T	5,000 Mbps
	EarthLink	5,000 Mbps
	XFINITY from Comcast	2,000 Mbps
	Astound Broadband	1,500 Mbps
	Sail Internet	1,000 Mbps
	Verizon	1,000 Mbps
	Unwired	300 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in San Mateo

Based on data reported by San Mateo ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through Sonic. The company offers speeds up to 25,000 Mbps in San Mateo. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 4,104 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 Astound Broadband. This indicates Astound Broadband reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in San Mateo?

California customers rate AT&T 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.

AT&T received a local rating of 4.00 out of 5, which is lower than the average across all internet providers in the country. Astound Broadband is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s San Mateo customers with an average price rating of 4.00 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in San Mateo

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

San Mateo ISP Report Card: A-

	Metric (hover for details)	San Mateo	California	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in San Mateo that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	90.21%	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.	5,073 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 Mateo.	9.7	7.4	6.8

 

San Mateo Digital Connectivity Index: 86 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	San Mateo	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.	2.7	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.	22%	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.	98%	96%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	96%	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.	85%	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.	85%	79%	76%

San Mateo ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in San Mateo is A-, which is much better than other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in San Mateo is high with a score of 86 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in San Mateo have done a great job meeting the needs of its residents.

The San Mateo 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.

96% of San Mateo households have an internet connection despite having 99.67% availability. 85% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 5% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 1% 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 85% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 85% subscribe to it. A very large amount of San Mateo 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 Mateo?

How Much Speed does a San Mateo Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in San Mateo is 2.7, which is smaller than the California average of 3.0 and larger than the national average of 2.7. San Mateo's average household income is $162,622 which is much higher than the California average of $108,618 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.

San Mateo also has 15% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the California average of 17%. Additionally, 22% 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 Mateo has a very high need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, San Mateo households are much more technology-engaged. 98% of households have some sort of computing device, 91% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 96% 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 Mateo?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in San Mateo?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in San Mateo?

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

Which ISP Should You Choose in San Mateo?

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

To see how San Mateo 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 Mateo's A- ISP Report Card and 86 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.

Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews for Internet Service Providers in California