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What is the best internet provider in Spokane?
Quantum Fiber is the best internet provider in Spokane for most people. It only has two plans, but both offer plenty of speed at fair prices, and your bill won’t automatically go up after a year or two. Equipment is included at no extra cost in each plan, and you won’t have to worry about data caps or contracts.
The cheapest internet in Spokane is Xfinity, offering 75Mbps for just $20 a month. All Xfinity plans increase in price after one or two years, but they offer great value during the promotional period. If you’d rather not worry about your bill dramatically increasing, T-Mobile Home Internet has a price-lock guarantee on its single $50 monthly plan, and most households will be able to get by fine with the speed it offers.
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Spokane across a number of 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 Spokane. 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 Spokane, Washington
Fiber is almost always your best option for the internet when it’s available. In Spokane, Quantum Fiber (formerly branded as CenturyLink) offers fast upload and download speeds for reasonable prices, and you won’t have to worry about your bill going up after a year or two. Quantum Fiber received the second-highest score of any fiber provider from the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Quantum Fiber also received rave reviews on Spokane’s Reddit page, with comments like “pretty sick” and “awesome so far.”
Xfinity’s cable internet plans are available to more than 99% of Spokane residents, and they have some of the lowest starting prices you’ll find in the country. That said, the cheapest plan requires a one-year contract for the best price, and every other plan increases significantly after two years. Xfinity still scored slightly above average in the ACSI’s survey of non-fiber providers, but it’s worth noting if you plan on being a customer for the long haul.
T-Mobile Home Internet is a refreshingly simple alternative if you don’t want to deal with price increases or complicated plans. It only offers one plan at $50 a month, and everything is included in that price — no equipment fees, data caps or contracts. T-Mobile also guarantees it won’t raise your price as long as you stay a customer. Its speeds are slower than Quantum Fiber and Xfinity, but still plenty for most households.
Spokane internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | $50-$75 | 500-940Mbps | None | None | None | 6.7 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| TDS | Fiber | $40-$295 | 300-8,000Mbps | $12 (optional) | None | None | N/A |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
| Xfinity | Cable | $20-$80 | 75-1,200Mbps | $15 (included in most plans) | 1.2TB | Optional | 7 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Spokane?
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Spokane
The best internet deals and the top promotions in Spokane depend on what discounts are available during that time period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Spokane internet providers such as Xfinity may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including Quantum Fiber, T-Mobile and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Fastest internet plans in Spokane
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TDS 8Gig | $295 | 8,000Mbps | 8,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| TDS 5Gig | $225 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| TDS 2Gig | $165 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Xfinity Gigabit Extra | $80 | 1,200Mbps | 35Mbps | 1.2TB | Cable |
| TDS 1Gig | $60 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Xfinity Gigabit | $60 | 1,000Mbps | 20Mbps | 1.2TB | Cable |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet | $70 ($45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
| Quantum Fiber | $75 | 940Mbps | 940Mbps | None | Fiber |
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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 Spokane
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.
Internet providers in Spokane FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Spokane?
Quantum Fiber is the best internet provider in Spokane, offering the best combination of fast symmetrical speeds, reasonable prices and customer-friendly terms. If you can’t get Quantum Fiber at your address, Xfinity, T-Mobile Home Internet and TDS are all good backup options, though each has its own drawbacks.
Is fiber internet available in Spokane?
Yes, fiber internet is available to 43% of Spokane residents, according to FCC data. Fiber internet is primarily available through Quantum Fiber and TDS.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Spokane?
Xfinity is the cheapest internet provider in Spokane, with prices starting at just $20 a month for 75Mbps. That said, all Xfinity plans increase in the second or third year, so you’ll pay significantly more if you maintain your service for a while.
Which internet provider in Spokane offers the fastest plan?
TDS offers the fastest internet plan in Spokane, with upload and download speeds up to 8,000Mbps.
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