Rhode Island Internet Coverage & Availability in 2023
Rhode Island Internet Facts in 2023
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Rhode Island currently ranks 1st among states in BroadbandNow’s annual rankings of internet coverage, speed and availability.
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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.
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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).
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This means that two in ten residents are unable to purchase a fiber internet plan.
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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 |