Internet Providers in Washington, District of Columbia
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Home Internet in Washington, DC
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1. Xfinity 
Speeds Up To2 Gbps
Connection: Cable, FiberAvailability: 99.2%Washington speed tests confirm high speeds for Xfinity -
2. Verizon
Speeds Up To1 Gbps
Connection: 5G Internet, FiberAvailability: 85.9%Washington speed tests confirm high speeds for Verizon -
3. Viasat
Speeds Up To150 Mbps
Connection: SatelliteAvailability: 100% -
4. HughesNet
Speeds Up To100 Mbps
Connection: SatelliteAvailability: 100% -
5. Starlink
Download Speeds:50 - 220 Mbps
Connection: SatelliteAvailability: 100% -
6. RCN
Speeds Up To1.5 Gbps
Connection: CableAvailability: 71.2% -
7. EarthLink
Speeds Up To940 Mbps
Connection: FiberAvailability: 62.3% -
DC Access
Speeds Up To75 Mbps
Connection: Fixed WirelessAvailability: 13% -
Starry Internet
Speeds Up To1 Gbps
Connection: Fixed WirelessAvailability: 3.8% -
Believe Wireless Broadband
Speeds Up To1 Gbps
Connection: Fixed WirelessAvailability: 1.5%
Best Internet Providers in Washington, D.C.
Verizon Fios is the best internet service provider in Washington, D.C., and it is also the biggest fiber provider in the area. Fiber uses physical cables to connect you to the internet, resulting in a more stable connection with symmetrical speeds and unlimited data. Verizon Fios offers speeds up to 2 Gbps, with plans starting at $49.99. Our data indicates customers are also very satisfied with Verizon’s customer service.
The other fiber provider in the city is Earthlink, which also has speeds up to 5 Gbps. Earthlink’s internet plans are more affordable than Verizon Fios, starting at $49.99 per month. Washingtonians will have to shop based on what is available in their particular area (to narrow down your results, just use the ZIP code check on this page).
If you don’t have access to a fiber internet provider in your area, you’ll likely want to turn to D.C.’s biggest cable internet provider, Xfinity. Xfinity’s download speeds are even better than its fiber competitors, up to 1 Gbps. Although its reputation in the metro area is mixed, customers keep coming back for the impressive speeds and competitively priced internet plans, starting at $30 per month. Xfinity also offers some of the best bundle options that include phone and TV, starting at $55 per month. It’s available just about everywhere in D.C., making it an important source of fast internet for folks who don’t have access to one of the capital’s fiber providers.
One more option to consider is Astound Broadband Powered by RCN, which is another cable provider offering gigabit-or-faster speeds and good coverage in the D.C. area.
Smart shoppers can get the best price on internet in Washington D.C. by keeping their eyes peeled for promotions from internet providers, especially for new customers. The biggest providers in the city, like Verizon Fios and Xfinity, frequently offer discounts for a variety of customers, including military members and first responders. Currently, Verizon Fios is giving $400 of savings on Samsung home appliances at The Home Depot when you get the Fios 2 Gig, 1 Gig, or 5G Home Plus plan. Xfinity, on the other hand, is offering a $100 Visa Prepaid Card for students as a bonus for signing up.
Fastest Internet Providers in Washington, D.C.
The fastest internet service provider inside the Beltway is none other than Xfinity, which offers speeds of up to 1 Gbps.
Fiber connections are usually better for overall speed, even when cable competitors offer comparable download speeds. Fiber internet has “symmetrical” upload and download speeds, which becomes very important for tasks like gaming, streaming, or making video calls. Comparing D.C’s major providers; Verizon Fios offers upload speeds the same as its download speeds, 2 Gbps, but Xfinity only has upload speeds of 35 Mbps. Cable and DSL connections can also be susceptible to traffic overload during busy periods.
For most users, you won’t be able to tell the difference between 1 Gbps and 5 Gbps unless you are doing data-heavy work. Any speed above 1 Gbps will feel very fast to the average user. With faster-than-gigabit speeds, make sure that your Wi-Fi router is fast enough to handle your plan or you may end up with slower speeds than advertised.
Data caps can also affect your internet speed, or incur extra charges if you go over your download data limit. Fiber customers don’t have to worry about caps, because fiber providers don’t have them. But if you go with a cable broadband provider like Xfinity, you will be subject to data caps unless they pay extra for unlimited data.
What’s a Good Internet Speed?
| Internet Speed | Appropriate For | Providers in your Area offering this Speed | Availability in your Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 Mbps |
|
|
100% |
| 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps) |
|
|
99.21% |
Learn more about internet speeds:
Internet Availability in Washington, D.C.
D.C. is well-served by broadband internet companies, but shopping can be tricky because of the patchwork coverage provided by the city’s 11 different internet service providers.
Figuring out which cable provider you’ll have access to is relatively simple: Xfinity covers 99.2% of town, and that’s that. But fiber providers are trickier, and savvy shoppers will want to find out which ones are available in their particular neighborhood.
In D.C., 62.3% has access to fiber internet from Earthlink, and 85.9% has access to fiber internet via Verizon Fios. But which areas have access to these fiber options?
The good news is that the most underserved areas of Washington, D.C., are the ones that you’re least likely to be living in. Verizon Fios doesn’t serve much of the city’s core. There are a handful of notable addresses that have its service, including the National Museum of American History and Ford’s Theater (but, curiously, not the White House), according to our data. Tourists milling around the National Mall and Penn Quarter won’t, for the most part, find Verizon Fios speed when they hop onto a coffee shop’s Wi-Fi. The busy professionals of K Street are also often cut off from Fios’ coverage area.
In more residential areas of the city, however, Verizon Fios offers extensive coverage. It’s available in Bellevue and Southeast Washington, up in Lincoln Heights and Northeast Boundary, and in Central Northeast. Back across the Anacostia River, you’ll find Verizon Fios in the areas surrounding Lincoln Park and all along the border with Maryland. Verizon Fios covers neighborhoods on both sides of Rock Creek Park, including Chevy Chase. The area around American University is covered well, and so is all of Georgetown.
This gives D.C. residents a better chance at signing up with Verizon Fios than certain statistics like 85.9% might imply. When it comes to the neighborhoods where long-term residents actually live in, Verizon Fios is pretty widely available.
Internet Provider Store Locations in Washington, DC
Provider Connection Types in Washington, DC
| Connection Type | About this Connection Type | Availability in Washington, DC |
|---|---|---|
| Satellite |
|
100% |
| DSL |
|
8.77% |
| Cable |
|
99.59% |
| Fiber |
|
85.8% |
List of Internet Providers in Washington, DC
| Provider | Type | Top Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable, Fiber | 2 Gbps | |
| Verizon | 5G Internet, Fiber | 1 Gbps | |
| Viasat | Satellite | 150 Mbps | |
| HughesNet | Satellite | 100 Mbps | |
| Starlink | Satellite | 220 Mbps | |
| RCN | Cable | 1.5 Gbps | |
| EarthLink | Fiber | 940 Mbps | |
| DC Access | Fixed Wireless | 75 Mbps | |
| Starry Internet | Fixed Wireless | 1 Gbps | |
| Believe Wireless Broadband | Fixed Wireless | 1 Gbps |
Internet Providers in Nearby Cities
Frequently Asked Questions About Internet in Washington, D.C.
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