What is the best ISP in Sarasota?
A top CNET recommendation for the best ISP in Sarasota is Xfinity. It's our top choice for most households because it has wide area coverage and offers speeds of up to 2 gigabit at competitive prices. Xfinity has a decent selection of plans to suit all budgets and needs, whether you're streaming, gaming or working from home.
If you're outside the area covered by the Xfinity network, you can also take a look Border hairs and T-Mobile Home Internetboth are solid options. If you want the cheapest internet, you can opt for the Xfinity Connect plan, the cheapest offered in Florida's Cultural Coast at $35 per month, which offers download speeds of up to 150 Mbps. If the budget is no bandwidth and you need the fastest speeds, Frontier Fiber provides symmetrical speeds of up to 7,000 Mbps for $300 per month.
Best Internet in Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota ISPs compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Agreement | CNET Review Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue stream fibers | Hair | 45-50 dollars | 100-1,000 Mbps | No one | No one | 2 years (optional) | N/A |
| Border communications Read the full review |
DSL/Fiber | $30-$299 | 200-7,000 Mbps | No one | No one | No one | 6.3 |
| Rapid Systems | Fixed wireless | $79-$99 | 10-25 Mbps | It varies | No one | No one | N/A |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$55 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max mobile customers) | 72-245 Mbps | No one | No one | No one | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $60-$80 ($35-$45 with eligible Verizon 5G cellular plans) | 50-1,000 Mbps | No one | No one | No one | 7.2 |
| Xfinity Read the full review |
Cable | 35-95 dollars | 150-2000 Mbps | $15 portal rental (optional) | 1.2 TB | 1-2 years on some plans | 7 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other available ISPs in Sarasota
- Blue stream fibers: This DSL, cable and fiber provider offers a limited network in Sarasota that serves less than 1% of addresses. Speeds up to 1 gigabit are available for select homes, and prices start at $45 per month.
- Rapid Systems: Rapid Systems is a local ISP covering Sarasota, Hardee, Fort Lonesome, Desoto and other small cities in Florida. It is on the more expensive side for home internet and speeds only go up to 25 Mbps.
- Satellite internet: No matter where you are in the country, satellite internet will always be an option. Probably not the best. With high prices and slow speeds, ISPs like it Hughesnett, Viasat and Starlink it should not be your favorite for broadband.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Similar to T-Mobile, Verizon also offers fixed wireless service in Sarasota. Customers can choose from two plans: $50 per month for 100 Mbps or $70 per month for 300 Mbps. Plus, eligible mobile customers can get $15 to $25 off their monthly bill.
Cheap internet options in Sarasota
The average price for residential broadband in Sarasota is $50 per month. That number may seem high, but there are several providers in the area that offer internet for less than that.
Xfinity is Sarasota's cheapest ISP, offering a 150 megabit per second plan for just $35 a month. Frontier Fiber and Blue Stream Fiber also offer service for less than the average price, but Frontier's plan offers better cost per Mbps compared to the Blue Stream.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Sarasota?
| Provider | Initial monthly price | Maximum download speed | Monthly subscription for equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity Connect Read the full review |
35 dollars | 150 Mbps | $15 (optional) |
| Xfinity Connect More Read the full review |
35 dollars | 300 Mbps | No one |
| Blue Stream 100 | 45 dollars | 100 Mbps | No one |
| Boundary fiber 500 Read the full review |
45 dollars | 500 Mbps | No one |
| Home on Verizon 5G Read the full review |
$60 ($35 with eligible mobile plan) | 300 Mbps | No one |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plan) | 245 Mbps | No one |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find online deals and promotions in Sarasota
The best online deals and top promotions in Sarasota depend on what discounts are available at that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we often look for the latest offers.
Sarasota ISPs, such as Xfinity and Blue Stream Fiber, may offer lower introductory rates or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, such as Frontier Fiber and Verizon, have the same standard prices year-round.
For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide to the best internet deals.
Photo by Thomas Wintz/Getty Images
How fast is Sarasota broadband?
According to Speedtest by OoklaSarasota's average download speed is 280 Mbps, with an upload speed of 61 Mbps. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Xfinity and Frontier Fiber compete for speed in this Florida city, both reaching download speeds close to 210Mbps.
If you're looking for a faster connection in Sarasota, Frontier Fiber will be your best bet. This ISP offers symmetrical speeds of up to 7 gigabits — or 7,000 Mbps — for $300 a month.
Fastest internet plans in Sarasota
| Provider | Initial monthly price | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Border fiber 5 giga Read the full review |
130 dollars | 5,000 Mbps | 5,000 Mbps | No one | Hair |
| Border fibers 2 gig Read the full review |
100 dollars | 2,000 Mbps | 2,000 Mbps | No one | Hair |
| Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read the full review |
85 dollars | 1,200 Mbps | 35 Mbps | 1.2 TB | Cable |
| Blue stream 1 gig | 50 dollars | 1,000 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps | No one | Hair |
| Border fibers 1 gig Read the full review |
65 dollars | 1,000 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps | No one | Hair |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read the full review |
$70 ($45 with eligible mobile plan) | 1,000 Mbps | 75 Mbps | No one | Fixed wireless |
| Xfinity Gigabit Read the full review |
65 dollars | 1,000 Mbps | 20 Mbps | 1.2 TB | Cable |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is 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 video conferencing, streaming video, or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a stronger connection. Here's an overview of recommended minimum download speeds for different apps, according to the FCC. Note that these are guidelines only and that internet speed, service and performance will vary by connection type, provider and address.
- 0 to 5 Mbps lets you handle the basics: web browsing, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality video.
- From 5 to 40 Mbps, you can enjoy video streaming and video conferencing with higher quality.
- 40 to 100 Mbps should give a person enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500 Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming, and online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000 Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
For more information, see our guide to how much internet speed do you really need?.
How CNET picked the best ISPs in Sarasota
Internet providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest ones smart phone, laptop, router or kitchen toolit is impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What is our approach? We begin by researching pricing, availability, and speed information, drawing our own historical data from ISPs, provider locations, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission to FCC.gov.
It doesn't stop there: we use the FCC's website to check our data and make sure we account for every ISP that provides service in a given area. We also enter local addresses on supplier websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to gauge how satisfied customers are with an ISP's service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent change; all information provided is correct as of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Are customers getting decent value for what they are paying for?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
The answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to saying yes to all three are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also take into account factors such as price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and look at real-world speed data from sources like Okla and The FCC reports.
To explore our process in more detail, visit our how we test ISPs page.
ISPs in Sarasota Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best internet service provider in Sarasota?
Xfinity's wide availability and cheap introductory price make it the best ISP in Sarasota for most households. The cable giant also offers speeds up to 2 gigabit and prices as low as $35 per month.
Is fiber internet available in Sarasota?
Optical Internet is available for 60% of homes in Sarasotawith providers like Frontier Fiber, Xfinity and Blue Stream Fiber offering the largest fiber networks in the area.
What is the cheapest ISP in Sarasota?
Xfinity offers the cheapest Internet service in Sarasota, costing $35 per month for speeds up to 150 Mbps.
Which ISP in Sarasota offers the fastest plan?
Frontier Fiber, Sarasota's fastest provider, offers multi-gigabit speeds up to 7 gigabits for $300.