'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
There are few places in the country changing at the speed of Seattle. According to The Seattle Times, its population grew 18.7% from 2010 - 2018, making it the fastest-growing city in the U.S. over that time. Along with the growth, the city wants to ensure that technology and infrastructure can keep up.
Several internet providers serve the Seattle area to provide connectivity to everyone. The city of Seattle wants to make technology accessible to all as well, offering programs that provide discounted smartphones and free computer access. And residents who cannot afford home broadband service may qualify for low-cost internet access for as little as $10 per month through a city program. Take a closer look at the best Seattle internet providers.
Let's see how the top contenders in Seattle compare:
Defining trait | Best Long-Term Deal | Best Speed Options | Best Local Provider | Best Bundles |
Connection type | Fiber and DSL | Fiber | Fiber | Broadband Cable |
Download speeds (Mbps) |
|
|
|
|
Prices starting at | $49 per month for life | $29.99 per month | $69.95 per month* | $29.99 per month |
Contract length | None | 24 months | None | 12 months |
Data cap | None | None |
| 1TB per month to unlimited, depending on the internet service plan |
CenturyLink offers unique internet services to Seattle customers. When you sign up for a plan, they'll guarantee the same price "for life." The Price For Life plan locks in your monthly price as long as you keep your plan current. Here's more of what CenturyLink has to offer in Seattle.
Features:
Frontier Fiber is available in downtown Seattle and Bellevue, Edmonds, Kirkland, Bothell, Lynnwood, Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, and Redmond.
Features:
For an internet provider that knows all about the Seattle neighborhood you live in, Wave Broadband is a great choice. Wave offers local customer support 24/7 to provide help anytime you need.
Wave also has a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you're not happy, you can cancel the service and receive a refund within the 30-day limit with no obligations.
Features:
Xfinity Comcast delivers cable internet to much of the Greater Seattle area, including downtown Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Renton, Vashon and Kent.
Features:
We analyzed several companies to find the best internet companies in Seattle.
Some of the key features we examined are:
The speed you need for streaming depends on how many people will be streaming at once in your household. A service plan of 1000Mbps would be ideal to avoid lag times, although 100Mbps could work if more than one device isn't streaming high-definition movies.
Seattle residents are in luck -- fiber is available in most neighborhoods. Many in the area are likely to have access to high-speed internet service as fast as 1000 Mbps (1Gbps).
Yes, fiber is faster than broadband cable. Fiber-optic cable can carry more data faster and straight to your home. Broadband cable is shared with your neighbors -- the more neighbors online, the slower your speed is likely to be.