Rhode Island Internet Coverage & Availability in 2023

Rhode Island Internet Facts in 2023

  • Rhode Island currently ranks 1st among states in BroadbandNow’s annual rankings of internet coverage, speed and availability.

  • This means that roughly zero in ten Rhode Island residents are not able to purchase an internet plan of at least 25Mbps download and 3Mbps upload.

  • This means that nearly six in ten residents are not able to purchase broadband at a price of $60/month or less (excluding promotions and government programs).

  • This means that two in ten residents are unable to purchase a fiber internet plan.

  • The U.S. has more than 2,901 internet service providers, with most covering very small areas. It is worth searching by zip code to see who is available in your town.

At BroadbandNow, we advocate for a definition of broadband internet to be at least 100Mbps, as opposed to the FCC definition of 25Mbps, which would be considered slow for many internet-intensive activities.

In Rhode Island, 98.7% of people have access to 100Mbps broadband, ranking 3rd among all states.

Internet Availability by County

100 Mbps Coverage By County, Highest and Lowest

Highest
Bristol 99.99%
Kent 99.98%
Providence 99.83%
Newport 99.82%
Washington 99.09%
Lowest
Washington 99.09%
Newport 99.82%
Providence 99.83%
Kent 99.98%
Bristol 99.99%

In Rhode Island, 98% of people have access to 1G broadband, ranking 2nd among all states.

Internet Coverage by Demographic in Rhode Island

Individuals or households with no internet access by characteristic (includes broadband and non-broadband packages)

Percentage of households with and without any type of internet access

  • With: 88%
  • Without: 12%

Type of internet connection

  • Dialup only: <1%
  • Broadband of any type: 88%
  • Cellular data only: 11%
  • Satellite: 3%

Individuals or households with no internet access by characteristic

  • <18: 3%
  • 18-64: 4%
  • 65+ adults: 6%

  • <$20,000: 36%
  • $20,000-$74,999: 15%
  • $75,000+: 3%

  • Black: 3%
  • Native American/Alaska Native: (Unavailable)
  • Asian: 2%
  • Mixed race: 6%
  • Hispanic or Latino: 6%
  • White: 4%

  • Employed: 3%
  • Unemployed: 6%

  • Less than high school: 11%
  • Some college or associate degree: 5%
  • Bachelor’s degree: 2%

Internet Speed in Top Rhode Island Cities

City Avg. Download Speed No. of Providers
Providence 176.4 MBPS 16 Providers
Warwick 97.9 MBPS 15 Providers
Pawtucket 98.4 MBPS 15 Providers
Cranston 205.0 MBPS 16 Providers
Woonsocket 182.1 MBPS 14 Providers

Fastest Major Providers in Rhode Island

Provider Avg. Download Speed
Verizon High Speed Internet 255.6 MBPS
Verizon Fios 202.0 MBPS
Cox Communications 186.0 MBPS
Xfinity 135.3 MBPS
Towerstream 121.3 MBPS

Metro & Rural County Coverage

County Name % Broadband Coverage
Bristol 100.0%
Kent 100.0%
Newport 99.8%
Providence 99.8%
Washington 99.1%

Internet Providers By City in Rhode Island

Ashaway 100.0% 11 providers
Barrington 100.0% 13 providers
Bradford 99.9% 11 providers
Bristol 100.0% 12 providers
Central Falls 100.0% 14 providers
Charlestown 99.6% 11 providers
Chepachet 100.0% 12 providers
Coventry 100.0% 13 providers
Cranston 98.6% 16 providers
Cumberland 100.0% 14 providers
East Greenwich 100.0% 15 providers
East Providence 100.0% 16 providers
Exeter 99.9% 11 providers
Foster 99.6% 12 providers
Greene 99.0% 10 providers
Greenville 100.0% 14 providers
Harrisville 99.9% 11 providers
Hope 100.0% 11 providers
Hope Valley 99.9% 12 providers
Jamestown 100.0% 10 providers
Johnston 100.0% 14 providers
Kingston 100.0% 11 providers
Lincoln 100.0% 14 providers
Little Compton 100.0% 10 providers
Middletown 100.0% 13 providers
Narragansett 100.0% 11 providers
Newport 100.0% 11 providers
North Kingstown 100.0% 14 providers
North Providence 100.0% 13 providers
North Scituate 99.8% 12 providers
North Smithfield 100.0% 12 providers
Pascoag 99.9% 14 providers
Pawtucket 100.0% 15 providers
Portsmouth 100.0% 11 providers
Providence 100.0% 16 providers
Riverside 100.0% 14 providers
Rumford 100.0% 16 providers
Saunderstown 100.0% 11 providers
Shannock 100.0% 11 providers
Smithfield 100.0% 13 providers
Tiverton 100.0% 11 providers
Wakefield 100.0% 14 providers
Warren 100.0% 12 providers
Warwick 100.0% 15 providers
West Greenwich 99.9% 15 providers
West Kingston 100.0% 11 providers
West Warwick 100.0% 14 providers
Westerly 100.0% 14 providers
Woonsocket 100.0% 14 providers
Wyoming 100.0% 11 providers