Internet Providers in Bronx, NY

Best Internet Providers in the Bronx, NY

Verizon Fios and Optimum are the best internet providers in the Bronx. We consider Verizon Fios the top option because its all-fiber network can deliver more consistent performance and better upload speeds than its rivals. Optimum edges out Verizon Fios in advertised download speeds, but its mix of cable and fiber-optic infrastructure can’t match Verizon Fios’ all-fiber approach.

Verizon Fios has a lot of happy customers in the Bronx and beyond. According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, no internet service provider rates better with its customers than Verizon Fios. As of this writing, Verizon Fios enjoys a respectable ASCI rating of 72 (out of a possible 100), while Optimum by Altice holds a respectable but less impressive score of 59.

Fastest Internet Providers in the Bronx, NY

Optimum by Altice is the fastest internet option in the Bronx. Optimum boasts a top speed of 1 Gbps on its fiber network, which beats Verizon’s best advertised speed of 940 Mbps.

It makes sense that fiber providers are the fastest options in the Bronx, because fiber-optic cables are the fastest kind of internet infrastructure. Fiber-optic cables also allow for symmetrical upload and download speeds, meaning upload speeds should theoretically be just as fast as download speeds — a relatively rare luxury in internet service.

It’s worth noting, however, that Optimum’s network makes use of cable infrastructure in some areas. The resulting mix of fiber and cable can still offer very fast download and upload speeds, but some of the upsides of an all-fiber network are more limited when cable infrastructure shares the load.

Internet Availability in the Bronx, NY

The patchwork of internet service providers in New York City can be a little confusing, but things are relatively simple in the Bronx, where Verizon Fios and Optimum dominate.

From the Harlem River to McLean Avenue and from the Hudson River to Pelham Bay, you’ll find Verizon Fios and Optimum by Altice in virtually every neighborhood of the Bronx. Optimum by Altice covers 98.4 percent of the Bronx, while Verizon Fios covers 94.5 percent.

There are very few exceptions, but one is Marble Hill, which — like much of Manhattan — is covered by Spectrum instead of Optimum. The other exceptions are a handful of individual blocks that are serviced by Astound Broadband Powered by RCN. Although it’s rare in the Bronx, Astound is much more common in Queens and Manhattan.

In all other parts of the Bronx, from Mott Haven, Melrose, and Highbridge all the way up to Woodlawn and Riverdale, you can expect to see Verizon Fios and Optimum by Altice.