Internet Providers in San Jose, California

Top pick

$29⁹⁹- $299⁹⁵
Up to 987 Mbps

(800) 934-6489

Runner Up

$50⁰⁰- $90⁰⁰
Up to 100 Mbps

(844) 815-6944

Business pick

$69⁹⁵- $499⁹⁵
Up to 987 Mbps

(877) 870-0843

Written by Jessica Sims Published on September 11, 2017 Updated on February 1, 2018

Comcast, AT&T, and Sonic are the main wired residential Internet options in San José.
San José doesn’t have much competition compared to other parts of California, but still offers some good value depending on neighborhood.

Best Residential Internet Providers

For most of us in San José, DSL and cable are the primary home broadband options. All plans and providers considered, these are our top picks for home Internet in the area.

XFINITY from Comcast - Top Pick

Pricing: $19⁹⁹- $89⁹⁹
Max Down: 987 Mbps
Max Up: 35 Mbps
Ratings:

Their hybrid fiber-coaxial network is one of the strongest in the country, and in most neighborhoods within city limits it’ll be your fastest option for reliable, affordable Internet access. Xfinity has a wide variety of TV bundling options that are particularly appealing for families and sports fans.

Above-average Internet speed and performance

Below-average customer service reports

AT&T Internet - Runner Up

Pricing: $50⁰⁰- $90⁰⁰
Max Down: 100 Mbps
Max Up: 20 Mbps
Ratings:

AT&T Internet is one of the more prominently available providers within city limits. Their bundle deals combining Internet, phone, and TV service are hard to beat on price-to-performance value.

Reliable network

Data caps

Residential Internet Providers Available in San José

Particularly when you get out of range of high speed wired access from the primary providers, San José has a variety of niche and wireless Internet options. Here’s a full list of options currently providing residential Internet in San José. Keep in mind that some of these providers are only available in select neighborhoods, have very limited coverage, or only service specific buildings.

Pricing	Availability	Phone
$85⁰⁰+	100% Fixed Wireless	(650) 446-3622
$59⁹⁹+	100% Satellite	(844) 279-9732
$50⁰⁰+	100% Satellite	(855) 713-9640
$99⁹⁵+	100% Fixed Wireless	(831) 459-6301
$19⁹⁹+	98% Cable	(800) 934-6489
$50⁰⁰+	97% DSL	(844) 815-6944
N/A	54% Fixed Wireless	(831) 789-8149
$30⁰⁰+	11% DSL	(877) 813-5549
$55⁰⁰+	2% DSL	(800) 347-1991

Residential Internet Service Providers

This table includes every provider that has filed with the FCC as providing residential service to zip codes in this area. Some of these providers also offer advanced services like business broadband or VoIP.

Best Business Internet Providers

San José has several options dedicated to business Internet services. For basic features like dedicated IP, symmetrical speeds, and VoIP-friendly reliability, here’s the provider that checked the most boxes for us in San José.

XFINITY from Comcast - Business Pick

Max Down: 987 Mbps
Max Up: 35 Mbps
Ratings:

AT&T Business Internet is a reliable choice for running financial transactions, delivering voice connectivity, and other common needs of small to medium sized businesses. They also offer enterprise-level features.

Small-business pricing

Limited scalability on some features

Business Internet Providers Available in San José

See the table below for a full list of Internet providers specialized in business in San José.

Pricing	Availability	Phone
$199⁰⁰+	100% Fixed Wireless	(650) 446-3622
N/A	100% Satellite	(844) 279-9732
N/A	100% Satellite	(855) 713-9640
N/A	100% Fixed Wireless	(831) 459-6301
$69⁹⁵+	86% Cable	(800) 934-6489
$50⁰⁰+	100% DSL	(844) 815-6944
N/A	29% Fixed Wireless	(831) 789-8149
$80⁰⁰+	15% DSL	(877) 813-5549
$110⁰⁰+	16% Copper	(877) 611-6342
N/A	11% DSL	(800) 347-1991
N/A	14% Copper	(877) 297-7816

Small Business Broadband Service Providers

This table includes every provider we've noted that offers business-specific broadband service in this area. These providers are focused on the needs of small and medium-sized businesses.

Map of Broadband Internet Competition in San José

San Jose isn’t particularly competitive when it comes to broadband access. While there’s a lot of coverage overlap on paper, many residents only have one affordable real-world option. Here’s a breakdown of what each area of the city looks like from a bird’s-eye view on internet service competition.

Provider Competition Map

COVERAGE CENSUS TRACTS

Top Factors to Consider When Shopping for Internet Service in San José

As with most limited broadband markets, San José has two main strings attached to home Internet service: confusing bundled pricing and modem/router rental fees.

Bundle Pricing Issues

Cable and DSL Internet providers around San José frequently advertise “bundle” deals that combine TV, Phone, and/or Internet service from a single source. Are these a good deal? Absolutely. Are they as good a deal as they appear? Probably not.

One common issue with bundles in San José is customers who sign up but don’t actually use the services enough to justify paying for them at all. This is particularly common with home phones and TV, since many consumers just use cell phones and Netflix anyway. Only pay for phone and TV if you actually use that service on a daily basis.

The other issue with bundle deals is that the price is often much higher once the “promotional pricing” period runs out. Be sure you understand how long your reduced rate will last when you sign up for service, and are okay with the “final rate” you’ll pay once it’s over. (It’s often possible to call cable providers and argue down the rate after the first year, but we don’t recommend counting on it.)

Modem and Router Rental Fees

All the main cable and DSL providers in San José offer a modem, router, or “gateway” device as a standard option with your Internet plan. This is a good deal so far as simplicity, but a bad deal when you add up the $5–10 equipment leasing fee over the course of a multi-year contract.

If possible, we suggest purchasing your own equipment from a third party. Just be sure your ISP remembers to remove the fee from your monthly bill, and call them up if they don’t. Another bonus of using your own equipment is that it makes it easier to customize your home network and add your own security features, monitoring, and other techie goodies.

Local Information

Will Google Fiber come to San José

Google Fiber has been the big buzz in fiber Internet for low-competition cities. Unfortunately, they’ve been putting the brakes on expanding their fiber network in new cities recently. San José residents probably won’t be getting Google internet services anytime soon, although Google’s website still lists the city as a “potential” location.

However, Google is rolling out wireless millimeter-wave technology through WebPass in some cities nearby. If gigabit competition comes to San José, it will likely be in the form of millimeter-wave fixed wireless service, either from Google or a similar upstart provider.^[1]

Low-Cost Home Internet

San José offers some interesting options for low-income residents who otherwise can’t afford home Internet service. Partnerships with local providers offer basic service for as low as $10/month. Residents can check their income and housing eligibility here.

References and Footnotes

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/10/google-fiber-now-owns-a-wireless-isp-but-isnt-giving-up-on-fiber/ ↩

Experts

Ana De Castro

Ana De Castro cut her teeth as a SAP consultant for Deloitte during the original tech boom, and now works in a communications role in the telecom industry. When she isn’t explaining technical concepts to confused consumers, she enjoys traveling with her husband and two rambunctious kids.

James Webb

James Webb is a tech and gadgets expert with a focus on educational content development. He draws on his background in the startup world to make complicated technologies and topics easy to understand for normal folks.