San Francisco is in a unique position when it comes to Internet access. The city is investing $ 1.5 billion to build a fiber optic network that will provide all households, apartments and businesses with high-speed 1 Gbps Internet service. Once the plans are complete, San Francisco will be the largest city in the country to own and operate its own fiber optic network – and its residents and visitors will be connected to one of the highest speed networks in the country regardless of their location.
If you’re new or moving to the city, you’ll have access to a variety of San Francisco internet providers that offer some of the fastest speeds in the country at affordable prices. Below you will find our overview of the best Internet providers in San Francisco and their offers.
The Best Internet Service Providers in San Francisco: In a Nutshell
| Xfinity | Viasat | AT&T Phases | sound | |
| Define feature | Best for city-wide coverage | Best for satellite internet | Best for fiber | Best for speed |
| Connection type | Internetkabel | Satellite | fiber | fiber Copper and fiber optic hybrid |
| Download speeds (Mbit / s) | 25 Mbit/s 100 – 200 Mbit/s 300 Mbit/s 600 Mbit/s 1000 Mbit/s |
12 Mbit/s 25 Mbit/s 30 Mbit/s 50 Mbit/s 100 Mbit/s |
300 Mbit/s 1 Gbit/s |
Optical fiber: 1 Gbit / s Copper and fiber optic / copper hybrid: 75 Mbit / s |
| prices from | $ 29.99 per month | $ 35 per month | $ 40 per month | $ 40 per month (may vary depending on zip code) |
| Contract term | 12 months | 24 months or a more expensive no-contract plan | 12 months | 12 months |
| Date No. | 1 TB | 12 GB for an entry-level tariff, higher data caps available for higher tariffs | 1 TB or unlimited | None |
All information as of February 20th, 2020.
Best for city-wide coverage
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Xfinity tops the list of the best Internet service providers in San Francisco because of its large coverage area. This will ensure that your new home will have internet access anywhere in San Francisco. The packages not only include the Internet at home, but also provide access to Xfinity’s WiFi hotspots across the country, so you can connect all of your devices and save your data usage while you are on the go.
- Price: Internet prices start at $ 29.99 per month for light Internet use with 25 Mbit / s download speeds and $ 59.95 for Performance Plus download speeds of 1 Gbit / s.
- Speed and data: Xfinity offers 5 download speed plans of 25 Mbit / s, 100 – 200 Mbit / s, 300 Mbit / s, 600 Mbit / s and 1000 Mbit / s. All plans come with 1TB of data limits, except for the top tier plan, which has no data cap.
- Plans / Bundles: You have access to Xfinity bundles with high speed internet, landline and cellular services, cable television and home security / automation of your choice. A bundle of internet and ten cable TV channels starts at $ 34.99 per month.
- Contract Options: The best rates for San Francisco Internet and Xfinity plans come with a 12 month contract.
Watch it now at Xfinity
Best for satellite internet
If you’d rather avoid having your data speed slowed down due to having a shared internet connection with other users in the neighborhood, or if you want a plan that is not tied to your actual geographic location, satellite internet might be the best choice for you. Viasat’s satellite Internet service is an option available throughout San Francisco.
- Price: Viasat’s Internet service starts at $ 35 per month for the first year and includes DIRECTV service with 15 basic channels. The entry-level $ 30 per month Internet-only package is only available for 3 months before the price climbs to $ 50 per month, making the Internet and DIRECTV promotion the better deal.
- Speed and Data: The entry-level plan gives you download speeds of 100Mbps and a data cap of 12GB. If you want to stream movies or play games, plans with higher data caps are available.
- Plans / Plans: Liberty, Gold, Bronze and Platinum plans are available and offer different speeds and data limits. The service plans offer a bandwidth of speeds from 12 Mbit / s to 100 Mbit / s and data limits from 12 GB up to unlimited data volume. You can bundle Viasat Voice service with your internet package for an additional $ 20 per month for unlimited local and long distance calls across the country and Canada.
- Contract options: Viasat packages have a 24 month contract. You can choose a non-long-term contract option, but there will be a non-refundable fee of $ 300.
Watch it now at Viasat
Best for fiber
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San Francisco is building a complete fiber optic network that will be administered by the city. AT&T now offers the best fiber optic service in the region. Fiber optic internet is faster than cable because you don’t have to share broadband with your neighbors. AT & T’s San Francisco Internet packages and solid customer support are other great reasons to add them to your list of companies to consider.
- Price: Internet prices start at $ 40 per month for 300Mbps download speed when you include fiber optic Internet in your package. The price includes a monthly device fee of $ 10.
- Speed and Data: AT&T Fiber is available in San Francisco at two speeds: 300Mbps with a data limit of 1TB or 1Gbps download speed with no data limit.
- Plans / Packages: You can choose to bundle fiber optic internet and TV for the best deals. Prices vary by region, but for 300Mbps internet and 155 DIRECTV channels, you’ll have to pay around $ 80 a month.
- Contract options: AT&T Fiber requires a service contract of at least 12 months.
Watch it now at AT&T
Best for speed
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If you need the fastest speeds possible, Sonic may be the answer. According to the provider, users can have 4K video chats, do 70 GB backups in just ten minutes and download 30 GB games in just a few minutes when they reach their 1000 Mbit / s (1 Gbit / s). ) Use the service.
- Price: Sonic’s first year Internet package for the San Francisco area starts at $ 40 for 1000 Mbps. The price increases to $ 50 per month after the first year. It’s free to install and Sonic even pays off your existing contract, up to $ 200 *, when you switch.
- * Example address used for this information. Actual price and discounts may vary.
- Speed and Data: Sonic’s San Francisco Internet Plan offers 1 Gbps download speeds and unlimited data with no speed throttling during busy times or when you’re using large amounts of data.
- Plans / Packages: When you combine phone service with your internet service plan, you get unlimited calls to 60+ countries, your own virtual private network (VPN), personal web hosting and a new domain for free.
- Contract options: You can try Sonic free of charge for 30 days without a contract. If you choose to keep the service, you will need to sign up for 12 months.
Watch it now at Sonic
How we found the best internet service providers in San Francisco
We analyzed a dozen companies to find the best internet service providers in San Francisco. Some of the key features we’ve been looking for are:
- cover: The finalists in our broadband test in San Francisco provided good coverage for the region. This has been the most important factor so you can be sure that the plans and offers for your area are likely to be available.
- worth. You often get what you pay for. The cheapest broadband provider may not be the most convenient. We looked at many vendors’ offerings for speeds, data caps, contract lengths, packages offered, and device cost to see which San Francisco ISPs offer the best value for customers.
- Customer satisfaction. At Reviews.com, satisfaction ratings from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) and JD Power are an important part of deciding which services and products are the best. Broadband service provider ratings are consistently mediocre. Analyzing each ISP individually and comparing it to the industry average gives us a better idea of how they react to customer problems.
How much speed do I need to stream movies and play online?
Streaming movies and downloading games can consume a lot of bandwidth. And if you have multiple household members on multiple devices, the faster the speeds you can afford, the better the streaming will be. Aim for a service plan of 1000 Mbps if you don’t want to experience delays while streaming.
How Fast is the Internet in San Francisco?
If you are moving to San Francisco, you’re in luck. You have access to multiple providers who offer a 1000 Mbit / s (1 Gbit / s) service.
Is fiber optic internet faster than broadband cable?
Yes, fiber optic is the fastest option of the two. The reason for this is the wiring that the internet carries to your home. Fiber optic internet is delivered directly to you via a dedicated line. Broadband cables are shared with anyone who has signed up for the service in your area, which can result in a slowdown in speed when multiple users in the neighborhood are online at the same time.
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