What is the best internet provider in New Haven?
For most households in New Haven, Xfinity is the best internet service provider. Thanks to its wide coverage map, Xfinity’s low costs and speeds of up to 2 gigabits are available at almost every address in the area. However, if you’re looking for a fixed wireless or fiber connection instead, T-Mobile Home Internet or Frontier Fiber may better suit your residential internet needs.
We’ve also found the top picks for affordability and speedy service in New Haven. Xfinity’s Connect plan is the cheapest option, costing $25 per month for download speeds up to 150 megabits per second. For those with a need for speed, check out Frontier Fiber. This fiber ISP offers blazing-fast speeds of up to 5,000Mbps to all serviceable customers.
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in New Haven across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers’ terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider’s website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider’s pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what’s available in New Haven. The prices referenced within this article’s text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month — a standard industry offering. Discounts and promotions might also be available for signing a term contract or bundling multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in New Haven, Connecticut, in 2024
75 – 2,000 Mbps
$20 – $120 per month
Our take – Xfinity offers the widest availability in New Haven, serving just under 100% of households, according to FCC data. Customers can choose from a variety of plans, ranging in download speed from 150Mbps up to 2,000Mbps, with prices starting at $25 per month. Unlimited data is included with all plans, but watch out for yearly contracts and equipment fees.
75 – 2,000 Mbps
$20 – $120 per month
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Our take – If you’re an eligible mobile customer under T-Mobile, this fixed wireless ISP might be an enticing option for home broadband. Although it costs $60 monthly, select customers can pay only $40 for speeds up to 245Mbps. Unlimited data and equipment are included, and you don’t have to worry about any pesky contracts.
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
500 – 5,000 Mbps
$50 – $155 per month
Our take – One perk of fiber internet is symmetrical speeds, which other types of connectivity can’t offer. Frontier Fiber comes with matching download and upload speeds up to 5,000Mbps, meaning you can stream, game or browse the web with little to no lag. Plus, Frontier comes with no data caps, equipment costs or annual commitments.
500 – 5,000 Mbps
$50 – $155 per month
New Haven internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Frontier Communications Read full review |
DSL/Fiber | $45-$155 | 500-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 6.3 |
| Optimum | Cable | $40-$80 | 300-940Mbps | None | None | None | 6.2 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $60 ($40 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max mobile customers) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
|
Xfinity Read full review |
Cable | $25-$110 | 150-2,000Mbps | $15 (optional) | None | 1 year on some plans | 7 |
Show more (1 item)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in New Haven?
| Provider | Starting monthly price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Xfinity Connect Read full review |
$25 | 150Mbps | $15 (optional) |
|
Xfinity Connect More Read full review |
$35 | 300Mbps | None |
| Optimum 300Mbps | $40 | 300Mbps | None |
|
Frontier Fiber 500 Read full review |
$45 | 500Mbps | None |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plan) | 300Mbps | None |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$60 ($40 with eligible mobile plan) | 245Mbps | None |
Show more (2 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in New Haven
The best internet deals and top promotions in New Haven depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
New Haven internet providers, such as Xfinity and Optimum, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, such as Frontier and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Photo by Walter Bibikow/Getty Images
Fastest internet plans in New Haven
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Frontier Fiber 5 Gig Read full review |
$155 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Frontier Fiber 2 Gig Read full review |
$100 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Xfinity Gigabit X2 Read full review |
$110 | 2,000Mbps | 200Mbps | None | Cable |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review |
$110 | 1,200Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
|
Frontier Fiber 1 Gig Read full review |
$60 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Read full review |
$60 | 1,000Mbps | 20Mbps | None | Cable |
|
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review |
$70 ($45 with eligible mobile plan) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
| Optimum 1 Gig | $80 | 940Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
Show more (4 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s a good internet speed?
Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines — and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.
- 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics — browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
- 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in New Haven
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
- Are customers happy with their service?
While the answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in New Haven FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in New Haven?
Xfinity is the best internet provider in New Haven, offering wide availability, low prices and fast speeds to most addresses.
Is fiber internet available in New Haven?
What is the cheapest internet provider in New Haven?
Xfinity Connect is the cheapest plan in New Haven, costing $25 per month for speeds up to 150Mbps.
Which internet provider in New Haven offers the fastest plan?
Frontier Fiber offers New Haven’s fastest plan: 5 gigabits — or 5,000Mbps — for $155 monthly.
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
