Best Internet Providers in Portland, Maine
Our Experts
What is the best internet provider in Portland, Maine?
Spectrum is the best internet provider overall for most households in Portland, Maine. It offers speeds up to 1 gigabit per second, and its cable connections are available to just over 89% of the city. That being said, not all Portland homes can get Spectrum service. Fidium Fiber is another excellent option if you’re looking for a fiber connection, depending on what’s available in your area.
We've also found the top options if you're hunting for the lowest prices or fastest speeds. The cheapest internet in Portland, Maine, is Fidium Fiber, which offers 100Mbps for $25 monthly. Fidium's fiber connection is also responsible for the fastest plan in Portland: its 2-gigabit (2,000Mbps) tier.
Our methodology
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service, and overall value to recommend the best internet service provider in Portland, Maine, across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your options is to plug your address into a provider's website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what's available in Portland, Maine. The prices referenced within this article's text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month -- a standard industry offering. Discounts and promotions might also be available for signing a term contract or bundling multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Portland, Maine
Spectrum
Best internet provider in Portland, ME
Our take - Spectrum is one of the most available providers in the Portland area, offering up to gigabit speeds. With Spectrum, you get straightforward pricing, unlimited data and free access to Spectrum’s nationwide Wi-Fi hotspots. Prices increase after one or two years, and we wish the customer satisfaction scores were higher.
Fidium Fiber
Best fiber internet in Portland, ME
Our take - Fidium Fiber is the place to turn if you want symmetrical download and upload speeds in Portland. It also boasts the fastest plans in the area.
T-Mobile Home Internet
Best 5G wireless internet in Portland, ME
Our take - T-Mobile Home Internet boasts about its simplicity. There’s one plan, one price and all fees are included. There’s even a price-lock guarantee: your monthly bill will not change as long as you remain a customer.
Portland, Maine, internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated Communications | DSL | $57-$84 | 20-100Mbps | $12 | None | None | N/A |
| Fidium Fiber | Fiber | $25-$75 | 100-2,000Mbps | None | None | None | N/A |
| Spectrum | Cable | $50-$90 | 300-1,000Mbps | Modem free; $5 for router (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245 Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other available internet providers in Portland, Maine
- RedZone Wireless: RedZone Wireless is available to nearly 93% of residents in Portland and offers speeds of up to 50Mbps at $48 a month with a five-year price lock. This could be an option if you’re looking for a basic package without the stress of increased rates each year.
- TK Networks: TK Networks offers speeds of up to 500Mbps, with packages starting at $59 monthly. Its fixed wireless network covers 97% of the Portland area.
- Satellite internet: Satellite internet is available at almost every address in the country. However, it’s not always the best option due to slower speeds and the two-year contract commitments required by HughesNet and Viasat. An intriguing option is Starlink, which has unlimited data and no contract requirement, but there’s a hefty upfront cost of nearly $600 for its equipment.
Cheap internet options in Portland, Maine
If you’re searching for the cheapest internet plan in Portland, Fidium Fiber offers a 100Mbps plan for $25 a month. If you don’t have access to those fiber plans, the T-Mobile Home Internet plan is only $5 more if you also have one of the Go5G Next, Go5G Plus, or Magenta Max mobile phone plans.
All the providers we've listed here also participate in the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program, which gives eligible low-income households a $30 monthly discount (or up to $75 for households on tribal lands) for high-speed internet. You can also use the ACP benefits toward any internet plan -- not just the cheapest ones -- so you can take advantage of faster speeds for a lower price.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Portland, Maine?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fidium Fiber | $25 | 100Mbps | None |
|
Spectrum Read full review | $50 | 300Mbps | Modem free; $5 for router (optional) |
| Consolidated Communications | $57 | 20Mbps | $12 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Portland, Maine
The best internet deals and top promotions in Portland, Maine, will depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we check frequently for the latest offers.
Portland, Maine, internet providers, such as Spectrum, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. You can also bundle with a phone plan to get additional savings. Other providers, including Fidium Fiber and T-Mobile, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
How fast is Portland, Maine, broadband?
Everyone in Portland has access to at least 100Mbps, according to the FCC. Ookla data puts Portland’s median download speed at a healthy 230Mbps, higher than the US median of approximately 216Mbps. Those numbers can be attributed to the broad availability of Spectrum’s cable broadband connections and Fidium Fiber’s multi-gig internet plans.
Fastest internet plans in Portland, Maine
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidium Fiber 2 Gigs | $75 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Fidium Fiber 1 Gig | $55 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Spectrum Read full review | $90 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s a good internet speed?
Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines -- and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.
- 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics -- browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
- 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Portland, Maine
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. So what's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
But it doesn't end there. We go to the FCC's website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Do customers get decent value for what they're paying?
- Are customers happy with their service?
While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Portland, Maine?
It all comes down to your needs as a household. If you’re an average internet consumer, your best bet for broadband providers is either Spectrum for fixed broadband or T-Mobile Home Internet for fixed wireless, 5G coverage. If you need symmetrical speeds for online gaming or remote work (or crave multigigabit speeds), your best option will be Fidium Fiber.
Internet providers in Portland, Maine FAQs
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Portland, Maine?
Fidium Fiber offers the cheapest plan in Portland, Maine, starting at just $25 monthly for 100Mbps.
Which internet provider in Portland, Maine, offers the fastest plan?
Fidium Fiber offers the cheapest plan in the area and features the fastest plan with its symmetrical 2Gbps tier.
Is fiber internet available in Portland, Maine?
Yes. Fiber is accessible to half the households in Portland, Maine, according to the FCC, via Fidium Fiber.
What internet provider has the best coverage in Portland, Maine?
Apart from satellite internet, which covers 100% of the area, the greatest coverage belongs to the fixed wireless services of TK Networks. It serves 97% of households in Portland, Maine.
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