Best Internet Providers in Frederick, Maryland

What is the best internet provider in Frederick?

Frederick residents have a variety of internet options to choose from, but our experts can help you narrow your search. Xfinity is the best internet service provider in Frederick, Maryland, for most households, thanks to its wide availability and a range of competitively priced high-speed internet plans. For example, the Xfinity Connect tier is the cheapest internet plan in Frederick, starting at $20 monthly for speeds up to 150 megabits per second and currently includes unlimited data with no contract requirements. Some addresses may only qualify for the $30 plan with speeds of 300Mbps.

For those who prefer fast speeds over low costs, Glo Fiber offers the fastest internet plans in Frederick, with speeds of 600 to 2,400Mbps available in select areas. The 100% fiber connection promises equally fast upload and download speeds, a benefit you’ll typically get only from fiber internet.

Verizon Fios, another fiber-optic provider, may be available in select parts of Frederick, but it’s far more likely your address will be serviceable for Verizon 5G Home Internet, a wireless internet service. While it doesn’t have the same speed potential as Xfinity or Glo Fiber, Verizon 5G Home Internet is worth checking out for its fair pricing, simple service terms and mobile bundle discount, particularly on the city’s west side where serviceability is greatest.

T-Mobile Home Internet, another wireless home internet provider in Frederick, is also an option, but the relatively slow speeds make it more suitable for suburban and rural internet service.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Frederick

Frederick’s best internet deals and top promotions depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Frederick internet providers, such as Xfinity and T-Mobile Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or other incentives for a limited time. Others, however, including Glo Fiber and Verizon 5G 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 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 providers in Frederick

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:

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 answers to those questions are 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 Frederick, Maryland, FAQs