11 Best Internet Providers in Tompkins County, NY

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in Tompkins County, NY for most people based on high speed internet coverage, speeds, and customer reviews. Click below to see all providers in your county.

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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 Tompkins County ratings may vary and are shown below.

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Who is the Best Internet Provider in Tompkins County, NY?

Dryden Fiber is the highest-rated internet provider in Tompkins County based on 387 New York customer reviews, and Dryden Fiber 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 Tompkins County, New York, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Tompkins County

Local, State, and National Ratings for all Tompkins County Internet Providers

Based on 387 reviews from New York internet customers, Dryden Fiber is the best internet service provider for Tompkins County residents. Dryden Fiber was rated at an average of 5.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. T-Mobile Home Internet wins for second-place in New York, with 4.00 out of 5 stars and 79.6% coverage in Tompkins County.

At a national level, based on 2973 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Dryden Fiber is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 5.00 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Tompkins County?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the county, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Dryden Fiber. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, Fiberspark 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 Tompkins County

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Haefele Connect	2,000 Mbps
	Fiberspark	2,000 Mbps
	GoNetSpeed	1,000 Mbps
	Dryden Fiber	1,000 Mbps
	Empire Access	1,000 Mbps
	Point Broadband	1,000 Mbps
	Spectrum	1,000 Mbps
	EarthLink	940 Mbps
	Verizon	940 Mbps
	Frontier Communications	115 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Tompkins County

Based on data reported by Tompkins County ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the county are available through Fiberspark. The company offers speeds up to 2,000 Mbps in Tompkins County. 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 county rated their satisfaction with internet speed highest with Dryden Fiber. This indicates Dryden Fiber reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Tompkins County?

New York customers rate Dryden Fiber 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.

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

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

Rated Affordability in Tompkins County

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

Tompkins County ISP Report Card: C-

	Metric (hover for details)	Tompkins County	New York	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Tompkins County that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	46.17%	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.	1,188 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 Tompkins County.	3.4	4.9	6.8

 

Tompkins County Digital Connectivity Index: 66 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Tompkins County	New York	USA
	Average Household SizeA larger household size in a county indicates that there will be a greater need for bandwidth due to simultaneous usage, multiple devices, and network congestion.	2.1	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.	19%	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.	97%	94%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	90%	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.	78%	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.	86%	77%	76%

Tompkins County ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

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

The Tompkins County ISP Report Card evaluates the county on availability and speed metrics compared to other counties in the United States. ISP Infrastructure can vary greatly and on its own isn’t a perfect measure of what a county 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.

90% of Tompkins County households have an internet connection despite having 91.43% availability. 78% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 5% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 6% 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, 86% subscribe to it. A very large amount of Tompkins County 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 Counties Compare to Tompkins County?

How Much Speed does a Tompkins County Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Tompkins County is 2.1, which is smaller than the New York average of 2.7 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Tompkins County's average household income is $79,874 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.

Tompkins County also has 33% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is higher than the New York average of 16%. Additionally, 19% of residents work from home, which is higher 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 Tompkins County has a high need for internet connectivity and speeds.

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

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Tompkins County?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Tompkins County?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Tompkins County?

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in Tompkins County?

Which ISP Should You Choose in Tompkins County?

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 Tompkins County is Dryden Fiber.
• The fastest internet provider should be Fiberspark. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, Dryden Fiber may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in Tompkins County is Dryden Fiber.
• Viasat, Spectrum, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in Tompkins County, 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 Tompkins County compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Tompkins County 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 Tompkins County's C- ISP Report Card and 66 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.