What is the best internet provider in San Diego?

AT&T Fiber is the best option for home internet in San Diego. It offers speeds of up to 5 Gbps. Thanks to its fiber connection, those speeds are “symmetrical,” meaning that upload speeds are just as fast as download speeds.

What is the fastest internet provider in San Diego?

AT&T Internet is the fastest internet provider in San Diego. Its top internet plan offers speeds of up to 5 Gbps.

What is the cheapest internet provider in San Diego?

The single most affordable home internet plan in San Diego is offered by Spectrum. With their cheapest plan, you’ll pay $30 per month.

Is there financial assistance for internet in San Diego?

San Diego created the SD Access 4 All program to bridge the digital divide for thousands of residents. The program offers free public Wi-Fi at over 300 locations across San Diego, mainly at libraries and city-owned parks and recreation areas. It also provides free laptops and hot spots you can check out at any branch of the San Diego Public Library.

Internet Providers in
San Diego, CA

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Best Internet Providers in San Diego, CA

The very best internet service provider in San Diego, California, is AT&T Fiber. AT&T, the company, actually offers two major types of internet in San Diego: a fiber option (AT&T Fiber) and an IPBB internet service called AT&T Internet. We consider the fiber offerings from AT&T to be the best choice for most users in San Diego because these plans offer blazing symmetrical speeds that range between 300 Mbps and 5 Gbps. Standalone internet plans start at $42 per month with the higher end being $194 per month. One benefit of signing up for AT&T Fiber is that it doesn’t require contracts and each plan and bundle comes with unlimited data.

In areas not served by AT&T Fiber, you could opt for AT&T Internet. But we recommend looking at one of the city’s two cable internet providers as your second choice. Depending on where you are in San Diego, your local cable provider will likely be either Spectrum or Cox (and you probably won’t be able to access both). Spectrum is a solid cable internet alternative offering download speeds between 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps. Price-wise, plans start at $30 per month and can go up to $30 per month. Similar to AT&T Fiber, it doesn’t require contracts or employ data caps on any of its plans or bundles. On the other hand, Cox offers speeds between 300 Mbps and 2 Gbps. Either cable internet provider is second-best, depending on whether you live within their coverage zones.

While cable doesn’t have symmetrical speeds — meaning that upload speeds on cable internet will be slower than download speeds — it still has excellent broadband internet download speeds. Streaming movies and working from home are no problem with a cable provider. Cable providers also typically allow you to bundle a pay TV plan with your internet service, and Spectrum and Cox are no exceptions.

If you need a wireless internet option, consider T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. Its download speeds range from 133 Mbps to 415 Mbps, which is enough for the everyday internet user to stream their favorite shows in HD and play online games. Prices start at $60 per month, making it an affordable alternative if the wired internet providers don’t fit your budget. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet uses the latest 5G technology to deliver an internet connection to your home via its cell towers and the gateway device set up in your home.

San Diego internet providers offer deals and promotions to new subscribers, helping them save more money on their internet plan. Spectrum, for example, offers various deals when you bundle. Currently, you can get Advanced WiFi when choose the Spectrum Internet Gig plan, as well as a free Xumo Stream Box when you add a Spectrum TV plan. You also get free antivirus software on any plan. Looking for reward cards as incentives? AT&T is offering up to $150 in Reward Cards when you sign up for eligible fiber plans. These deals change frequently and may apply to certain areas in the city, so be sure to check back for the latest deals and if they’re available for you.

AT&T - Fastest Provider
Spectrum - Cheapest Provider
Viasat - Widely Available
Viasat - Great for Rural Areas
T-Mobile - Offers 5G Home Internet
AT&T - Great Value

Fastest Internet Providers in San Diego, CA

AT&T is the fastest provider in San Diego, with speeds up to 5 Gbps.

Fiber is the fastest type of internet connection, so it’s no surprise that a fiber provider is the fastest option in San Diego: AT&T Internet. The fastest plan available reaches speeds of up to 5 Gbps.

San Diego’s local cable internet providers, Spectrum (1 Gbps) and Cox (2 Gbps) are pretty fast, too. Depending on your internet needs, you may find that these cable speeds are sufficient.

Speed and data caps go hand in hand — that’s something you’ll have to keep in mind when you’re shopping around for internet service in San Diego. While AT&T Fiber and Spectrum include unlimited data with their plans, Cox’s internet plans have a data cap. Granted, it’s a sizable amount, so even if you’re a power internet user, chances are you won’t go over the allotted monthly limit. All that said, that’s why fiber internet takes the cake when it comes to speed — they don’t restrict your data usage!

What’s a Good Internet Speed?

Internet Speed	Appropriate For	Providers in your Area offering this Speed	Availability in your Area
100 Mbps	Streaming Video chat Online gaming Larger households	Viasat T-Mobile EarthLink Hughesnet XNET WiFi San Diego Broadband Starlink	100%
1000 Mbps (1 Gbps)	Heavy streaming (4K video multiple devices etc.) Video chat Lag-free gaming Large households	Spectrum AT&T Cox Verizon	95.19999999999999%

Learn more about internet speeds:

Internet Availability in San Diego, CA

When it comes to cable internet providers, San Diego is divided more or less right down the middle from east to west. The border between Spectrum territory and Cox territory is the San Diego river.

North of the San Diego River, you’re in Spectrum territory. Spectrum will be your cable internet option in Bay Park, Linda Vista, Serra Mesa, Allied Gardens, and pretty much all points north of those neighborhoods, all the way up to the Carmel Country Highlands. (Spectrum also serves some areas north of San Diego proper, like Del Mar.) If you’re sitting in class at UC San Diego or golfing at Torrey Pines, you’re in Spectrum’s territory.

Cox’s domain is just across the San Diego River. South of the river, meaning Ocean Beach, Old Town, Mission Hills, Hillcrest, and so on, is Cox’s area. Their network extends all the way down into neighboring Chula Vista and beyond, and it covers all of downtown San Diego as it goes. The Gaslamp District and San Diego Zoo are also part of the Cox kingdom.

Of course, that’s just the cable providers. AT&T doesn’t pay any attention to Cox or Spectrum’s territory. You’ll be able to get AT&T home internet plans at virtually any address in any neighborhood of San Diego.

The important thing to consider with AT&T, however, is whether you have access to the company’s premium AT&T Fiber product. AT&T’s fiber footprint blankets neighborhoods north and east of Balboa Park, with particularly good coverage in Mission Hills, North Park, Burlingame, and Altadena. These aren’t the only areas with AT&T Fiber, though, so it’s worth checking availability in your area before you give up.

Provider Connection Types in San Diego, CA

Connection Type	About this Connection Type	Availability in San Diego, CA
Satellite	Available even in very rural areas Typically has high latency (lag)	100%
DSL	Typically about 100 Mbps Slower than Cable or Fiber	63.629999999999995%
Cable	Typically 250 Mbps - 1 Gbps Widely available A good choice for most users	98.06%
Fiber	Typically 1 Gbps or faster Upload speeds match download speeds	34.73%