What is the best internet provider in Binghamton?

CNET's pick for Binghamton's best internet service provider is Spectrum due to its wide availability -- almost 95% of households in Binghamton use Spectrum, per the latest data from the Federal Communications Commission. Spectrum's cable internet offerings provide competitive introductory prices ($50 for 500Mbps with $10 leasing equipment and $70 for 1,000Mbps) in the first two years and include unlimited data.

On average, the starting monthly cost for internet in Binghamton is around $49, but you will find cheaper plans offered by several providers. For instance, fixed wireless provider Zeta Broadband has a $35-a-month plan for download speeds of just 7 megabits per second. This speed, however, might not be ideal for everyone, so if you want more, Spectrum has a 500Mbps plan for an additional $15.

If it's speed you need, fiber connections are available to almost 60% of Binghamton households. Our pick for the area's best fiber internet is Greenlight Network, which offers blazing speeds of up to 8 gigabits for $150 a month. Other ISPs can offer you the fiber speeds you're looking for but at a cheaper price than that 8Gbps plan. Empire Access has a $65-a-month plan for symmetrical 1-gigabit speeds.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What's the cheapest internet plan in Binghamton?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Binghamton

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

Binghamton internet providers, such as Spectrum and Verizon, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including Empire Access and Zeta Broadband, run the same standard pricing year-round.

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

Fastest internet plans in Binghamton

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 service providers in Binghamton

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 FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We use 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 the time of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. 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. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Internet providers in Binghamton FAQs