Readers' Choice 2023: The Top ISPs in North America

pcmag.com:

It's essential that our broadband internet connection at home is as rock-solid and dependable as any other utility. So many devices depend on this connection: computers, phones, tablets, smart speakers, TVs, security systems, gaming consoles, smart home devices, and more.

That’s why we ask PCMag readers to rate their satisfaction with their home internet service providers. While we can’t all switch to a different provider—36% of respondents say their current ISP is the only one available to them—we can at least see how a provider stacks up against the competition. That way, if nothing else, we can pressure providers to live up to expectations.

Hopefully, more choice is arriving. Although just one company might have a monopoly on the broadband wire coming to a particular home, some of us can now get reasonably fast internet speeds through wireless means such as 5G fixed wireless and satellite. In addition, some communities underserved by existing broadband providers have rolled out their own services—known as municipal broadband—with great success (see more on that below).

Is your internet service provider delivering what it promises? Read on to see what your fellow PCMag readers think.

Note that this story doesn't dive deeply into the overall speeds you get with an ISP. For that, you can read The Fastest ISPs. And for the lowest-latency ISPs, check out The Best Gaming ISPs.

Four of our Readers’ Choice Award winners for broadband home internet also won last year. Astound Broadband, AT&T Fiber, Starlink, and Verizon 5G Home Internet continue to receive some of the best satisfaction ratings from our respondents. We'll discuss each below.

But this year’s standout is a local provider: NextLight serves the approximately