Best Internet Providers in St. Petersburg, Florida
Our Experts
What is the best internet provider in St. Petersburg?
For most households in St. Petersburg, Spectrum is the best internet service provider. In addition to providing the widest coverage across city lines, Spectrum offers fast speeds with unlimited data and no yearly contract. However, if Spectrum isn’t available at your address, WOW Internet and Frontier are also solid picks for home internet.
We've also found the top options if you're hunting for the cheapest plan or the fastest speeds. WOW Internet offers the most affordable service in St. Petersburg, at $20 monthly for 100 megabits per second. For folks with a need for speed, check out Frontier's 5 gigabit plan, which offers symmetrical speeds up to 5,000Mbps for $155 per month.
Our methodology
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in St. Petersburg 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. At the same time, the text is specific to what's available in St. Petersburg. 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 St. Petersburg, Florida
Spectrum
Best internet provider in St. Petersburg
Our take - Offering unlimited data and no required contract, Spectrum easily takes the cake for St. Petersburg's top provider. Plus, most residents can access this provider's services, since it has a wider coverage map than any other ISP in the city. Though Spectrum does provide a free modem with all its plans, you'll have to rent a $5 router or provide your own.
WOW Internet
Cheapest internet in St. Petersburg
Our take - Though WOW isn’t the best cable provider in St. Petersburg -- that would be Spectrum -- this ISP does offer some of the cheapest services for home internet. For $20 per month, customers can reach speeds up to 100Mbps. WOW also offers a 200Mbps plan for $30 monthly, which is still one of the lowest prices for broadband in the area.
Frontier Fiber
Fastest internet in St. Petersburg
Our take - Regarding fiber connectivity in St. Petersburg, Frontier Fiber is the best. Frontier offers symmetrical speeds as high as 5 gigabits for only $155 per month, the fastest speed in the Sunshine City. With no monthly equipment cost, data cap or contract, this provider is a great option if you’re searching for speedy internet service.
St. Petersburg internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Frontier Fiber Read full review | Fiber | $50-$155 | 500-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 6.3 |
| Rapid Systems | Fixed wireless | $79-$99 | 10-25Mbps | None | None | None | N/A |
|
Spectrum Read full review | Cable | $50-$90 | 300-1,000Mbps | Modem free; $5 for router (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max mobile customers) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
|
WOW Internet Read full review | Cable | $20-$95 | 100-1,200Mbps | $14 (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What's the cheapest internet plan in St. Petersburg?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
WOW Internet 100 Read full review | $20 | 100Mbps | $14 (optional) |
|
Frontier 500 Read full review | $50 | 500Mbps | None |
|
Spectrum Read full review | $50 | 300Mbps | None |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plan) | 245Mbps | None |
|
Verizon 5G Home Read full review | $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plan) | 300Mbps | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in St. Petersburg
The best internet deals and top promotions in St. Petersburg depend on the discounts available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
St. Petersburg internet providers, such as Spectrum, Frontier and WOW Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including Rapid Systems, T-Mobile, and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
John Coletti/Getty Images
Fastest internet plans in St. Petersburg
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Frontier Fiber 5 Gig Read full review | $155 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Frontier Fiber 2 Gig Read full review | $100 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
WOW Internet 1.2 Gig Read full review | $95 | 1,200Mbps | 50Mbps | None | Cable |
|
Frontier Fiber 1 Gig Read full review | $60 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Spectrum Read full review | $70 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
|
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review | $70 ($45 with eligible mobile plan) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
|
WOW Internet 1 Gig Read full review | $50 | 1,000Mbps | 50Mbps | 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 Federal Communications Commission. 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 providers in St. Petersburg
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike with 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 FCC 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?
Though 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 the FCC.
Internet providers in St. Petersburg FAQ
What is the best internet service provider in St. Petersburg?
Spectrum is the best internet service provider in St. Petersburg due to its fast speeds and simple term agreements. Plus, Spectrum offers wide availability to city residents, so its services will likely be accessible at your address.
Is fiber internet available in St. Petersburg?
Yes. Frontier Fiber is the only fiber provider available in the area, offering the fastest speeds in St. Petersburg.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in St. Petersburg?
WOW Internet offers the cheapest plan in St. Petersburg: $20 per month for 100Mbps of speed.
Which internet provider in St. Petersburg offers the fastest plan?
Frontier Fiber offers the fastest plan in St. Petersburg. For $155 per month, customers can hit symmetrical speeds up to 5,000Mbps.
Home Internet Guides
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