Best Internet Providers in Hayward, California
Our Experts
What is the best internet provider in Hayward, California?
AT&T Fiber is the best internet provider in Hayward. It offers the fastest speeds by far, but you’ll also get great value for the price. AT&T Fiber doesn’t have equipment fees or data caps, and your price won’t automatically go up after a promotional period ends. That’s why it has the best customer satisfaction scores in the country.
If you’re looking for the lowest prices, Xfinity is the cheapest internet service provider in Hayward. You’d be hard-pressed to find internet plans cheaper than Xfinity’s $20 monthly plan for 150Mbps. That said, Xfinity increases prices on all of its plans after one or two years (or both).
Another good option in Hayward is wireless internet. T-Mobile and Verizon offer wireless home internet service in the city, and you can get significant discounts by bundling with one of their cellphone plans.
Our methodology
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Hayward across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider's website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs, while the text is specific to what's available in Hayward. The prices referenced within this article's text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month -- a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might also be available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Hayward, California
AT&T Fiber
Best internet provider in Hayward, CA
Our take - This is an easy decision if your home is part of the 35% of Hayward that can access AT&T Fiber. AT&T Fiber has the fastest speeds in the area, and its prices and terms are exceedingly customer-friendly. You won’t have to worry about equipment fees or data caps, and prices don’t automatically increase after a year or two. That has added up to AT&T earning the highest customer satisfaction scores of any ISP from J.D. Power and the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
Xfinity
Cheapest internet in Hayward, CA
Our take - Xfinity has two things going for it in Hayward: It’s available almost everywhere and it’s incredibly cheap. Prices start at just $20 per month for 150Mbps speeds. That’s almost too good to be true -- and it kind of is. You’ll have to commit to a one-year contract to get that price, and it increases to $35 in the second year and $57 in the third. Still, Xfinity’s prices are reasonable overall, and it has above-average customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power and the ACSI.
Verizon 5G Home Internet
Best fixed wireless internet in Hayward, CA
Our take - Another good option in Hayward is wireless internet -- particularly for households that don’t need ultrafast speeds. Verizon and T-Mobile offer home internet plans in the area, and you can get significant discounts for bundling with an eligible cellphone plan. We like Verizon a little more for its perks and cheaper price, but both are worth considering.
Hayward internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Fiber Read full review | Fiber | $55-$225 | 300-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
AT&T Internet Read full review | DSL | $55 | Up to 140Mbps | None | 1.5TB on some plans | None | 7.4 |
| RobinsonHSS | Fixed wireless | $20-$55 | 10-100Mbps | None | None | None | N/A |
|
Starlink Read full review | Satellite | $120 | 25-220Mbps | $599 upfront | None | None | 6.5 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $60 ($40-$50 with mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Tekify | Fixed wireless | $65 | 100Mbps | None | None | One year | N/A |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 100-300Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
|
Xfinity Read full review | Cable | $20-$120 | 150-2,000Mbps | $15 (included in most plans) | 1.2TB (unlimited in most plans) | Optional | 7 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Hayward?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| RobinsonHSS Basic | $20 | 10Mbps | None |
|
Xfinity Connect Read full review | $20 | 150Mbps | $15 (optional) |
|
Xfinity Connect More Read full review | $25 | 300Mbps | None |
| RobinsonHSS Medium | $40 | 20Mbps | None |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 100Mbps | None |
|
Xfinity Fast Read full review | $50 | 500Mbps | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Hayward
The best internet deals and top promotions in Hayward depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Hayward internet providers, such as Xfinity and Verizon 5G Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including AT&T Fiber, 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 Hayward
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Internet 5000 Read full review | $225 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
AT&T Internet 2000 Read full review | $125 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Xfinity Gigabit X2 Read full review | $120 | 2,000Mbps | 200Mbps | 1.2TB | Cable |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review | $70 | 1,200Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
|
AT&T Internet 1000 Read full review | $80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Read full review | $65 | 1,000Mbps | 20Mbps | None | Cable |
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 person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Hayward
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 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.
Internet providers in Hayward FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Hayward?
AT&T Fiber is the best internet service provider in Hayward, offering the fastest speeds by far. You'll also get unlimited data and no equipment fees.
Is fiber internet available in Hayward?
Yes, fiber internet is available to 35% of Hayward households, according to FCC data. AT&T Fiber is the only fiber provider in the city.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Hayward?
Xfinity is the cheapest internet provider in Hayward, offering plans that start at just $20 a month for 150Mbps download speeds.
Which internet provider in Hayward offers the fastest plan?
AT&T Fiber offers the fastest internet plan in Hayward, with upload and download speeds up to 5,000Mbps.
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