Internet Providers in Cleveland, Ohio

Best Internet Providers in Cleveland, OH

The best internet service in Cleveland is the fiber internet connection offered by AT&T Fiber. Our data shows that AT&T Fiber stands out for its high speeds and customer satisfaction; its prices, which start at $55 per month, are pretty good, too — particularly considering the speeds available on even its lowest-priced plans.

If fiber isn’t available in your area of Cleveland, you’ll most likely want to turn to cable internet. Cleveland, somewhat unusually, has a few different cable networks vying for the market. Spectrum, which serves 81.0% of Cleveland, is the closest thing the area has to the usual citywide cable monopoly. But Cleveland also has Cox in some areas (16.4% of town, to be exact); plus, about a third of Cleveland’s land area is also served by Breezeline, a smaller cable provider that is fairly well regarded in the city, according to our review data.

Generally speaking, choosing between these cable providers will just mean figuring out which one serves your address. In cases where you can choose between more than one option, we suggest comparing prices and considering bundles. Cox and Spectrum, in particular, are known for their bundles. If you’re looking for an internet-only plan, check out Breezeline’s prices to see if you can pay less.

Fastest Internet Providers in Cleveland, OH

For customers who care about speed (and who doesn’t?), AT&T Internet is the top dog in Cleveland. The company’s fastest internet plan can reach speeds up to 5 Gbps.

Fiber is the best internet connection type for customers who care about speed. It’s generally faster than cable; it also offers “symmetrical” speeds — which means that upload speeds are just as fast as download speeds (that’s not the case with cable, DSL, and other nonfiber connection types).

For most households, 500 Mbps to 1 Gbps will “feel” fast: You’ll be able to get all of your online activities done without feeling like your internet is sluggish. Past 1 Gbps, speed differences are harder to detect for most users; your internet will be faster, but you may find it hard to use enough bandwidth to even notice the difference.

At high-end internet speeds, remember to make sure that your Wi-Fi router is fast enough to handle your plan. If your Wi-Fi router is a bottleneck, then it doesn’t really matter how fast your actual internet connection is!

Internet Availability in Cleveland, OH

In many cases, where you live will affect your internet options. Fiber availability, in particular, can be very dependant on which neighborhood a person lives in — or even which block they’re on.

In Cleveland, fiber is synonymous with AT&T Fiber; its network is more widely available on the west side of Cleveland than it is on the east side. In areas that border suburban Lakewood and Fairview Park, like Edgewater and Westpark, you’re likely to be able to sign up for one of AT&T’s fiber-optic internet plans. Ditto for West Boulevard and Bellaire-Puritas. You’ll also find AT&T Fiber in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood (it’s in the city of Brooklyn, too).

AT&T Fiber’s network gets a little patchier as you head through Ashbury Towers and Ohio City into the downtown area. With the exception of some patches along 322 as you head toward the Cleveland Clinic and one area of coverage in North Collinwood, fiber coverage pretty much dries up; this holds true until you’re out past the city limits in places like Shaker Heights and Euclid.

As for cable, the most widely available provider in the city is Spectrum, which covers virtually all of Cleveland proper. Cox covers nearby Lakewood and Parma, and some Cleveland residents near those areas may have it available, too. Then there’s Breezeline, which is relatively new to the area but entered the market by taking over the network once run by WOW!. That former WOW! service footprint is pretty much what Breezeline’s footprint looks like today; it covers many of Cleveland’s suburbs and comes into the city in southeastern neighborhoods like Corlett and Mt. Pleasant.