Best Internet Providers in Vancouver, Washington

What is the best internet provider in Vancouver?

Xfinity is the best internet service provider in Vancouver, Washington, with widespread availability, a variety of plan options and low starting prices. Unfortunately, those prices increase significantly after a year or two. Still, Xfinity users are relatively happy with the service — the ISP received above-average customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power in Vancouver’s region. 

Quantum Fiber has the fastest internet in Vancouver, making it one of the best internet service providers in the area. The fiber internet company offers symmetrical upload and download speeds up to 2,000Mbps. If it were more widely available, it would be an easy choice for our top pick. Currently, only about 1 in 5 Vancouver residents can get it. 

If you can’t get Quantum Fiber and don’t want to deal with Xfinity’s price increases, T-Mobile Home Internet is a nice backup option. Its base plan costs $50 a month and provides plenty of speed for most homes. What’s most attractive about T-Mobile is that there are no hidden fees, and your price is locked in for as long as you stay a customer.

Best internet in Vancouver, Washington

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Vancouver

The best internet deals and top promotions in Vancouver depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Vancouver internet providers, such as Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including Quantum Fiber and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

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 Vancouver

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites 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 the time of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. 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 it comes to 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 also take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Internet providers in Vancouver FAQs