What is the best internet provider in Elmira?
Once the home of Mark Twain, this city in the Finger Lakes region offers access to some of the nation’s leading Internet providers. With so many options available, you can feel overwhelmed as you search for the right provider for you. CNET has reviewed available ISPs to help you find the best Internet provider in Elmira. From now on, The spectrum is CNET’s pick for Elmira’s best Internet service provider due to available gigabit speeds and coverage reaching over 92% of households in the city, according to the latest data from the Federal Communications Commission. A cable connection can’t compare to fiber, but Spectrum still got the fastest average download speeds in the country, beating out providers like Xfinity, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.
The average monthly starting cost for internet in Elmira is $47. Some ISPs offer more affordable plans. Zeta Broadband, which offers fixed wireless plans in the city, has a cheap $35 per month plan for 7 megabits per second download speeds. For $5 less, you can get 100Mbps speeds with Spectrum. Spectrum is notorious for its price hikes, and you can certainly expect your bill to go up after a year or two.
Regional fiber provider Empire Access boasts the fastest plan in the area, offering speeds of 2,000 Mbps for $100 per month. $100 a month isn’t cheap, but the cost per Mbps works out to 5 cents per Mbps. Empire Access features symmetrical download and upload speeds, which is not the case for Spectrum or T-Mobile.
Elmira internet providers compared
| PROVIDER | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | contracts | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approach of the Empire | Fiber | 50-100 dollars | 500-2000 Mbps | $5 router rental fee | ANY | ANY | N/A |
| The spectrum Read the full review |
CABLES | 30-70 dollars | 100-1000Mbps | No modem; $10 for router (optional) | ANY | ANY | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $60-$70 ($40-$50 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max mobile customers) | 72-245 Mbps | ANY | ANY | ANY | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with qualifying Verizon 5G cellular plans) | 100-300Mbps | ANY | ANY | ANY | 7.2 |
| Zeta Broadband, Inc. | Fixed wireless | 35-100 dollars | 7-100 Mbps | ANY | ANY | ANY | N/A |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Elmira?
| PROVIDER | Initial price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet spectrum advantage Read the full review |
30 dollars | 100 Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| Zeta Broadband, Inc. | 35 dollars | 7 Mbps | ANY |
| Spectrum Internet Premier Read the full review |
50 dollars | 500 Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 with qualifying Verizon 5G cellular plans) | 100 Mbps | ANY |
| Approach of the Empire | 50 dollars | 500 Mbps | $5 router rental fee |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
$60 ($40 with eligible cellular plans) | 245 Mbps | ANY |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find deals and promotions online in Elmira?
The best internet deals and top promotions in Elmira depend on what discounts are available during a certain time. Most deals are short-lived, but we often look for the latest deals.
Elmira Internet providers, such as Spectrum and Verizon, may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including Empire Access and Zeta Broadband, Inc., have the same standard prices year-round.
For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide to the best internet deals.
Fastest internet plans in Elmira
| PROVIDER | Initial price | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Access 2 Gig | 100 dollars | 2000 Mbps | 2000 Mbps | ANY | Fiber |
| Spectrum Internet Concert Read the full review |
70 dollars | 1000 Mbps | 35 Mbps | ANY | CABLES |
| Empire Access 1 Gig | 65 dollars | 940 Mbps | 940 Mbps | ANY | Fiber |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is 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 video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a stronger connection. Here is a summary of the minimum recommended download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are guidelines only 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 5 Mbps lets you handle the basics: web browsing, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40 Mbps gives you the highest quality video streaming and video conferencing.
- 40 to 100 Mbps should give a user enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommunications, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500 Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming, and online gaming.
- 500 to 1000 Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET picked the best Internet providers in Elmira
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router, or kitchen appliance, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What is our approach? We start by researching price, availability, and speed information based on our historical ISP data, provider sites, and map information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
It doesn’t stop there: We go to the FCC website to check our records and make sure we account for every ISP that provides service in an area. We also enter local addresses into provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look to sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to gauge how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent change; all information provided is correct as of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three key questions:
- Does the provider provide access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Are customers getting good value for what they are paying?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
The answer to these questions is often layered and complex, but the providers that come closest to saying “yes” to all three are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also consider things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
To explore our process in more depth, visit our page on how we test ISPs.
Internet providers in Elmira FAQ
What is the best internet service provider in Elmira?
Is fiber internet available in Elmira?
What is the cheapest internet provider in Elmira?
Spectrum’s $30 per month plan for 100 Mbps is the cheapest option in the area, but since your monthly bill will increase in a year or two, you may be better off looking to fixed wireless providers like Verizon and T-Mobile.
Which internet provider in Elmira offers the fastest plan?
Empire Access has the fastest plan in the area for symmetrical download and upload speeds of 2000 Mbps. Customers can also access its gigabit plan, but it only tops out at 940 Mbps.
