What is the best internet provider in Berkeley?

Sonic Telecom is the best internet provider in Berkeley, according to our CNET experts. For just $50 a month, Sonic offers symmetrical gigabit speeds, which is an extremely rare find and an excellent value. But be aware that there are equipment fees and your bill will go up by $10 after the first month. However, it’s still an excellent deal for the speeds available.

If you need even faster connectivity, AT&T Fiber offers both 2,000Mbps and 5,000Mbps plans in Berkeley. Equipment is included in the price and plans start at an affordable $55 a month.

If cheap internet is what you’re seeking, consider Xfinity. Plans start at $40 for 400Mbps but are expected to go up after the first 12 months. T-Mobile and Verizon 5G are other operators to consider thanks to their low prices and price-lock guarantees.

Best internet in Berkeley, California

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Berkeley

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

Berkeley internet providers, such as Verizon, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including Sonic Telecom, AT&T Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

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

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 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 at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Berkeley

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. 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.

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:

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?

The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but 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, 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 consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (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 Berkeley FAQs