What is the best internet provider in Burlington?

The big names don't top our list. Instead, Burlington Telecom is the best internet provider for most homes in Burlington, Vermont. The ISP has wide coverage across town and delivers symmetrical fiber speeds up to a gig with straightforward pricing. The more popular options like Xfinity and T-Mobile Home Internet may also be solid picks, depending on which providers service your address.  

Xfinity offers some temptingly low prices with introductory deals as cheap as $35 a month. However, you’ll need to account for equipment costs and be prepared for the price to jump once the honeymoon period is over. If you don’t want to deal with that but still need an alternative to Burlington Telecom, check into T-Mobile Home Internet with its no-fuss $50-a-month plan. You can test drive it to see if it works well for your location.

Best internet in Burlington, Vermont in 2024

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Burlington

• Consolidated Communications: Consolidated Communication’s DSL network covers much of the wider Burlington metro area, but speeds and prices will vary with location. On the high end, you may get up to 100Mbps for $84 a month (which includes a router). The 20Mbps speed tier costs $57 a month. There’s a two-year contract. While Consolidated has been rolling out a fiber network to some locations in Vermont, Burlington is not currently on that list. Consider DSL a fallback option if other ISPs don’t reach your home. Otherwise, you’re better off with Burlington Telecom or Xfinity.
• VTel Wireless: Fixed wireless ISP VTel is a local provider that reaches across the wider Burlington area. Speeds range from 10 to 300Mbps, though most locations will average 25Mbps. Plans are based on the data you purchase, ranging from $30 for 10GB to $110 for 500GB. If you hit your limit, your speeds will be throttled. Contracts are optional. You can sign a two-year contract and pay a $20 monthly fee for an antenna or bring your own equipment. Fixed wireless is mainly of interest to rural households with few internet options. Here’s how fixed wireless compares to other connection types.
• Satellite internet:  Starlink, HughesNet and Viasat compete to provide satellite internet to the US, focusing on rural homes that can’t get satisfactory connections through other ISPs. Starlink has the potential to deliver faster speeds than its rivals, but it comes with a $599 upfront equipment cost. If you can swallow that initial investment, Starlink is one of the better options for satellite internet in the Burlington area.

Cheap internet options in Burlington

Prices for home internet in Burlington range from $35 to over $110. There are usable options around the $50 level, although you may be able to shop around for cheaper plans. Burlington Telecom’s $58-a-month 150Mbps plan is your best bet for fiber at an affordable price. Xfinity’s $35-a-month 300Mbps is a decent deal, though you’ll need to factor in equipment costs. Also, be aware the price will go up after your one-year introductory period. 

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Burlington

The best internet deals and the top promotions in Burlington depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Burlington internet providers like Xfinity may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Burlington Telecom, however, tends to run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of deals, check out our guide on the best internet deals. 

How fast is Burlington broadband?

Burlington doesn’t have the multi-gig home internet plans available in some other areas, but gig speeds are widespread across town thanks to Burlington Telecom and Xfinity. Recent Ookla Speedtest.net data for Burlington shows the city has a median download speed of about 143Mbps for fixed internet like fiber and cable. Xfinity’s 1,200Mbps Gigabit Extra plan offers the fastest downloads, but Burlington Telecom can boast symmetrical gig speeds for fast uploads.

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 and 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 like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming all at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Burlington

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov. 

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 answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When it comes to selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although 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 also take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, you can visit our How we test ISPs page.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Burlington?

The two main home internet competitors in town are Burlington Telecom and Xfinity. Local ISP Burlington Telecom has an edge due to its good customer service reputation, symmetrical fiber speeds and straightforward plans. Xfinity has a lot of plan options, but those tempting introductory rates don’t last, and upload speeds are considerably slower than you get with fiber. T-Mobile Home Internet is a dark horse candidate and it’s easy enough to test drive the service to see if it works well for you.

Internet providers in Burlington FAQs