What is the best internet provider in Portland?

We've reviewed the top internet providers, and our pick for the best ISP in Portland is Xfinity. With availability to about 99% of Portland households, most of Xfinity's plans offer unlimited data and no contract requirements. If Xfinity isn't available at your address, Quantum Fiber, Starlink and T-Mobile are solid picks for home internet.

Xfinity and Ziply Fiber tie for the cheapest internet service in Portland, offering $20 monthly plans. But while Xfinity Connect reaches download speeds of only 75Mbps, Ziply Fiber's base plan hits up to 100Mbps of symmetrical speeds. Ziply Fiber also wins for the fastest plan in Portland, offering a 10-gig and a 5-gig plan. If you want to bundle your internet with television service, cable providers like Xfinity and Astound Broadband also offer plans with more than a gigabit of speed.

Best internet in Portland in 2023

Xfinity is the most dominant provider in the area, with the best plan variety and value of the big three ISPs in Portland. 

CenturyLink's fiber connectivity, Quantum Fiber, is an excellent choice for reliable and affordable fiber internet service. The company is well known for offering no annual contracts. 

Starlink is the new kid on the satellite internet block. The company's website shows there is coverage in the Portland metro area. However, the service isn't cheap. You'll have to fork over nearly $600 to get the standard equipment or $2,500 if you're going for the premium service. 

If you want to avoid dealing with installation headaches, then T-Mobile's 5G wireless home internet service might be perfect for you.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Portland

• Astound Broadband: This ISP provides a cable internet service and covers 25% of the Portland area. The service costs $25 monthly and offers data speeds between 100Mbps and 1,500Mbps.
• EarthLink: This ISP provides internet service and covers 33% of the Portland area. The EarthLink service starts at $50 a month and offers plans with data speeds starting from 10Mbps up to 1,000Mbps.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: As one of the largest mobile phone operators in the US, Verizon has expanded into the 5G home internet market like its competitor T-Mobile. The company offers home internet services that start at $50 per month and go up to $70 (or $35-$45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans). The data speed for the 5G service is between 50Mbps to 1,000Mbps. There are no data caps, no contracts and no equipment charges. 
• Ziply Fiber: Ziply offers both DSL and fiber internet service. The fiber service costs $20 per month and has an optional $10 monthly router rental fee. The data speed for the fiber service starts at 100Mbps and goes all the way up to 10,000Mbps.
• Satellite internet service from HughesNet and Viasat is available throughout the greater Portland metro area, including all suburbs and rural areas. But with plenty of other internet options, including Starlink, satellite internet service is usually not worth the cost.

Cheap internet options in Portland

In Portland, the average starting price for broadband service is approximately $44 a month. However, there are many options under and over that $50 mark, depending on how much internet speed you want. If cost is a major factor in choosing an internet provider, Xfinity and Ziply Fiber offer a $20 base plan for speeds up to 75Mbps and 100Mbps, respectively. Astound Broadband's starting plan isn't far behind: $25 monthly for 100Mbps of speed.

Most providers we've mentioned also participate in the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program, which gives eligible low-income households a $30 monthly discount for high-speed internet (or up to $75 for households on tribal lands). You can use the ACP toward any internet plan -- not just the cheapest ones -- from participating providers. 

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Portland

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

Portland internet providers such as Xfinity, Starlink and Astound Broadband may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber, T-Mobile and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

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

How fast is Portland broadband?

Portland's ISPs have speeds that range from 20Mbps to 10,000Mbps, despite the city's ranking 80th for internet speeds among the 100 most populated cities in the US. A recent report published by Ookla shows that Xfinity has the fastest median data speed in Portland, coming in at around 222Mbps. Yet Ziply Fiber offers two of the fastest plans: 10,000Mbps for $300 and 5,000Mbps for $120 monthly.

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

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Portland

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. So 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. 

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 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 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.

What's the final word on internet providers in Portland?

When choosing an internet service provider, you're always better off choosing fiber internet over all other options if it's available. Ziply Fiber and CenturyLink offer the best fiber internet plans in Portland. If fiber is unavailable in your neighborhood, cable internet or 5G fixed wireless providers offer fast and reliable connections. Just steer clear of data caps or any binding long-term contracts.

Internet providers in Portland FAQ