What is the best internet provider in St. Cloud?
Spectrum is the best internet service provider for most St. Cloud residents. It checks all the right boxes with broad coverage, included equipment, unlimited data, and no annual contracts. Providers such as T-Mobile Home Internet and Quantum Fiber are also solid options if Spectrum doesn’t serve your address.
Shopping for the speediest or most affordable service in St. Cloud? We’ve also found those picks to help your broadband search. Quantum Fiber offers the fastest plans in St. Cloud; 3-gig and 8-gig multi-gig plans that cost $100 and $165 per month, respectively. And Spectrum’s Internet Advantage plan — which costs $30 per month — offers download speeds up to 100Mbps, making it the cheapest plan.
Best internet in St. Cloud, Florida, in 2024
St. Cloud internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink Read full review |
DSL | $55 | 20-100Mbps | $15 for modem/router rental (optional) | None | None | 6.7 |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | $50-$165 | 500-8,000Mbps | None | None | None | 6.7 |
| Spectrum Read full review |
Cable | $30-$70 | 100-1,000Mbps | Free modem; $10 router (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($20 discount on Home Internet Plus for eligible mobile customers) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
| Xfinity Read full review |
Cable | $35-$105 | 150-1,200Mbps | $15 (optional) | 1.2TB | 2 years on some plans | 7 |
Show more (2 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in St. Cloud?
| Provider | Starting monthly price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum Internet Advantage Read full review |
$30 | 100Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| Xfinity Connect Read full review |
$30 | 150Mbps | $15 (optional) |
| Xfinity Connect More Read full review |
$45 | 300Mbps | $15 (optional) |
| Quantum Fiber 500 | $50 | 500Mbps | None |
| Spectrum Internet Premier Read full review |
$50 | 500Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plan) | 300Mbps | None |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$50 | 245Mbps | None |
Show more (3 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in St. Cloud
The best internet deals and top promotions in St. Cloud depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
St. Cloud internet providers, such as Spectrum and Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Other services, such as Quantum Fiber and Verizon 5G Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Photo by Smithlandia Media/Getty Images
Fastest internet plans in St. Cloud
| Provider | Starting monthly price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantum Fiber 8 Gig | $165 | 8,000Mbps | 8,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Quantum Fiber 3 Gig | $100 | 3,000Mbps | 3,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review |
$105 | 1,200Mbps | 35Mbps | 1.2TB | Cable |
| Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review |
$70 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review |
$80 ($45 with eligible mobile plan) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
| Xfinity Gigabit Read full review |
$85 | 1,000Mbps | 20Mbps | 1.2TB | Cable |
| Quantum Fiber 1 Gig | $75 | 940Mbps | 940Mbps | None | Fiber |
Show more (3 items)
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 and streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
- 40 to 100Mbps should give one person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in St. Cloud
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. 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.
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?
The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but 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, although 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 consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in St. Cloud FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in St. Cloud?
Spectrum’s wide availability in the area and simple service details make it St. Cloud’s best internet service provider. This cable ISP also offers fast speeds and reasonable pricing for home internet.
Is fiber internet available in St. Cloud?
Yes, Quantum Fiber is St. Cloud’s largest fiber provider, but availability is limited. According to FCC data, fiber connectivity is an option at about 40% of St. Cloud addresses.
What is the cheapest internet provider in St. Cloud?
Spectrum offers the cheapest internet plans in St. Cloud: $30 per month for download speeds up to 100Mbps. Xfinity also offers two of the cheapest internet plans in St. Cloud. Customers can choose between 150Mbps for $35 or 300Mbps for $45 monthly.
Which internet provider in St. Cloud offers the fastest plan?
Quantum Fiber easily takes the gold for the fastest service in St. Cloud. For $165 a month, you can reach speeds up to 8,000Mbps.
Read the full article here
