The internet has become a lifeline for the modern lifestyle. It powers so many aspects of our daily life, such as communication, entertainment, work, public health, banking, e-commerce, etc.
However, with some 3000 internet service providers in the US, choosing an ISP has now become harder than choosing your life partner. As every ISP touts ‘lightning-fast speeds’, ‘most-affordable plans’, or ‘all-around coverage’, it feels nearly impossible to choose which one to go for.
But that does not mean that this is a hopeless feat. You can still research and choose an ISP for your home if you take the right approach. And then you can easily make a choice to get good-quality internet for your home.
If you are curious about the approach, then you are at the right place.
Let us discuss how you research internet providers in the US.
It all starts with a Google search: ‘high-speed internet providers in my area’, which then lists the top ones. This gives you a head start in your research. Then you can take these ISPs from the list, and then evaluate them according to the following aspects, to choose the right one for your home.
1. Availability
This is an important aspect, which is why you need to get that sorted first.
Not every provider is available in your area, out of the 3,000-ish internet providers in the US. This is why you need to see if the ones that caught your eye are available in your area. Imagine researching to find the ideal provider with the best speeds at the best price, only to find later that they are not available in your town.
To research availability, you can either visit each provider’s website to see if they are available in your zip code. Another way is to just type in the provider’s name in Google, next to your area. The search result will be various ISP availability finder tools, such as LocalCableDeals, in which all you have to do is enter your zip code to see which providers have internet services where you live.
2. Connection Type
After you narrow down the providers that are available in your area, you need to see which connection types they offer. This is because you do not want to be stuck with an ISP that provides an outdated connection type.
Here is a small breakdown of major connection types available in the US, each with its own pros and cons:
- Fiber Internet: Best for high speeds (in gigabytes) but is on the pricier side
- Cable Internet: Provides decent speeds and is affordable, but prone to downtimes during peak hours
- Satellite Internet: Slow speeds but available in all around the US, even in rural and remote areas, and is expensive.
- DSL: Affordable and widely accessible, but slow speeds for a wired connection
However, this information is very brief. I would still recommend learning about the connection type you are thinking of going for to find the desired one.
3. Speeds
Wired connections in the US provide internet speeds ranging from 20 Mbps to 8000 Mbps.
This is why speed is the next thing you should research about while finding a provider. Not every ISP provides all speeds. If you want Gbps, then a fiber internet provider will be perfect for you. But if you want speeds somewhere between 50 to 500 Mbps, then you should look into cable internet.
Moreover, you should also know about asymmetrical and symmetrical speeds. These will also help you determine which internet speed plan and provider to go for.
4. Testimonials
If you have made it this far, congratulations! You are almost done researching internet providers in your area. By now, you will have a handful of ISPs to choose from, which means this will be an easy choice.
Your final deciding factor is testimonials or what users have to say about each ISP.
Testimonials or user reviews are a great way of determining how certain ISPs are in terms of service. You can find every ISP boasting about providing the best service, but oftentimes, the reality is much different.
So, to save yourself from being stuck in a contract with an ISP with terrible service, read as many reviews as you can – personal blogs, Quora, Reddit, and Trustpilot.
However, keep in mind that every ISP will have both 1-star and 5-star ratings. So, do not let that confuse you. Try to find reviews from people in your area to find out how the ISP will be for you.
And that’s it; as soon as you read reviews and testimonials, you will be done researching ISPs in your area. By now, making the choice will be so much easier. Just make sure you thoroughly research the testimonials to find out in detail about each ISP’s customer service, contract, and real pricing.
