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Verizon Isn't The Fastest Internet Provider Anymore, And A New Winner Has Been Crowned


Verizon Isn't the Fastest Internet Provider Anymore, and a New Winner Has Been Crowned


Verizon Isn't the Fastest Internet Provider Anymore, and a New Winner Has Been Crowned

What's happening

Every three months, Ookla announces the results it gathers from info pulled from millions of customer uses of its Speedtest.net tool. Consider it a quarterly checkup on Americans' speeds from their internet service providers.

Why it matters

We've grown increasingly reliant on our home broadband connections for work and play, so the actual performance of those internet services is vital information.

Verizon has been knocked off the mountain. The latest Ookla Speedtest Intelligence report, released in late July, named Cox Communications as the fastest fixed broadband provider among top US internet service providers during the second quarter of 2022. To qualify as a top provider, a company must account for 3% or more of Ookla's total test samples. Verizon had finished on top in the first three months of 2022. 

In fact, Verizon had captured the top spot every quarter since the start of 2020. However, Ookla's report, which uses data from customer-run queries on Speedtest.net, now uses the median instead of the mean. So we're not exactly comparing apples to apples. The below image from Ookla's site gives an example of the difference.

Chart showing the difference between median and mean
Ookla

As an Ookla spokesperson told me via email: "We implemented this change to more accurately represent the typical performance that consumers actually experience on a network."

That means for the second quarter of 2022, Cox finished decisively on top with a median download speed of approximately 197 megabits per second. Xfinity, the runner-up, scored a median download speed of 184Mbps. Spectrum was third at 183Mbps, Verizon was next at 171Mbps, and AT&T capped off the top five at nearly 147Mbps.

Cox also did well regionally. It was the fastest fixed broadband provider in 14 of the 100 most populated cities in the country, including the fastest city in the US -- Gilbert, Arizona -- as well as Las Vegas, Phoenix and San Diego.

Additionally, it was the fastest ISP in four states: Arizona, Arkansas, Nevada and Oklahoma. Not bad, for sure, but Xfinity was top dog in 12 states, Spectrum in seven and Google Fiber and Verizon each won five states.

Despite its dominating performance at the top of the speed chart, Cox completely missed the top five regarding the fastest upload speeds. It registered a median upload speed just shy of 11Mbps. That was well below the top three providers of Frontier (113Mbps), Verizon (112Mbps) and AT&T (112Mbps). It also couldn't measure up to Xfinity (19Mbps), CenturyLink (12Mbps) or Spectrum (11.7Mbps).

That's not completely unexpected. The cable connections of Cox, Spectrum and Xfinity (or the DSL network of CenturyLink, for that matter) won't be able to compete with the higher upload speeds you can find with a fiber-optic internet connection, which AT&T, Frontier and Verizon all boast to a decent percentage within their respective footprints.

As Ookla continues its reporting throughout the year, it'll be interesting to see if any trends develop as it establishes the use of the median as its primary performance metric moving forward.


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Best Wi-Fi 6 Routers Of 2022


Best Wi-Fi 6 Routers of 2022


Best Wi-Fi 6 Routers of 2022

The good ol' 802.11 standard we commonly call Wi-Fi gets updated every several years with new features and faster speeds. The latest iteration (802.11ax) arrived in 2019, marking the sixth major generational update, and the Wi-Fi industry dubbed it Wi-Fi 6 to make things less complicated and easier to identify for customers.

Since then, Wi-Fi 6 has established itself as the de facto standard for next-gen gadgets. Just about every new phone and computer release supports it, and we're starting to see support pop up among peripheral devices, too. Did you pick up an Apple TV 4K or Amazon Fire TV 4K Max media streamer last Black Friday? Both of those support Wi-Fi 6. Have you managed to score a new PlayStation 5 console yet? That's a Wi-Fi 6 gadget, too.

Wi-Fi 6 devices like those are backwards compatible with older routers, but if you want to unlock their full potential, then you'll need a Wi-Fi 6 router running your home network. That was an expensive proposition back when Wi-Fi 6 first arrived, but not any more. Shop around, and you'll find a number of options available for less than $100, as well as mesh systems, gaming routers, range extenders and more. Some do the job better than others -- but that's where we come in, with comprehensive, hands-on tests to help identify the best upgrade picks for the money. 

Expect regular updates to this post as we continue to put Wi-Fi 6 to the test in 2022. Whenever we find a new router that merits consideration, we'll add it to the list. For now, here are the models I'd recommend for anyone making the purchase in August 2022.

Ry Crist/CNET

When a router supports Wi-Fi 6, that means that it's capable of using new features like OFDMA and 1024-QAM to deliver faster speeds and lower latency to busy networks with lots of connected devices. That's true even with the budget-priced value picks -- and among those, the one that performs the best is the TP-Link Archer AX21.

Currently priced at $100 and on sale for $70, the Archer AX21 did an outstanding job in my at-home speed tests. At the end of multiple days of tests across five spots in my house, the Archer AX21's average download speed on a 300Mbps fiber network was a near-perfect 299Mbps. That includes triple-digit download speeds in the very back of my house, a common dead zone where a lot of the routers I test struggle to stay connected at all. In 2022, I retested the AX21 after upgrading my home network to gigabit speeds -- it isn't powerful enough to top out a connection like that, but it still delivered fast, consistent speeds, with my downloads averaging in at 441Mbps.

That level of performance was strong enough for the Archer AX21 to beat out similar models from Netgear, Asus and D-Link, and it even kept the pace with fancier routers that cost significantly more. It's also a cinch to set up, thanks to TP-Link's Tether app for Android and iOS, which also offers quick access to basic network settings without bombarding you with ads like some other router apps will.

All of that makes the Archer AX21 an extremely worthy pick for small- to medium-size homes, and one of the best value picks you'll find that supports Wi-Fi 6.

Read our TP-Link Archer AX21 review.

Ry Crist/CNET

2021 was a very good year for TP-Link, and it wasn't just because of the Archer AX21. There's also the TP-Link Deco W7200, which cruised through my speed tests to earn a spot as my top-rated mesh router of the year. With multiple devices working like a team of routers to spread a faster, more reliable signal across a larger area than a single router can, it's a fantastic pick for large homes -- and one that won't set you back very much at just $233 for a two-pack.

What's great about the Deco W7200, along with its full support for Wi-Fi 6, is that it's a tri-band model with the usual 2.4 and 5GHz bands plus an additional 5GHz band that the system uses as a dedicated wireless backhaul connection between the main router and its satellites. That dedicated backhaul is the key to unlocking the best mesh performance, because it keeps those system transmissions separate from your regular network traffic. Tri-band mesh routers like those will often cost you $400 or more, but the Deco W7200 gets you there for hundreds less.

Sure enough, the performance was outstanding when I tested the system out. In fact, of all of the mesh routers that I've tested at home, only two averaged faster download speeds -- the first costs more than $200 more than the Deco W7200, and the other costs more than three times as much. That makes the Deco W7200 a flat-out unbeatable value, and a better, more noticeable upgrade for most homes than splurging on a high-powered standard router. 

The only real downside? So far in 2022, it's been a bit of a challenge to catch the Walmart exclusive in stock. If you're struggling to find it, keep reading for other suggestions, or check out the TP-Link Deco X90, a slightly higher-end model that performed even better than the W7200 in my tests. It's a bit more expensive, but Amazon currently has it marked down to $400.

Read our TP-Link Deco W7200 review.

Ry Crist/CNET

Asus is one of the top names in the gaming router category, boasting the best variety of fast, flashy routers that promise elite performance, low latency, and advanced controls for your connection. The Asus RT-AX86U is actually one of the more understated routers in that mix -- it doesn't include color-changing lights or an oversize, ostentatious design -- but it's still one of the best gaming routers you can buy. Gaming aside, it's one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers you can buy, period.

Along with offering fast, consistent speeds, the RT-AX86U did a better job at managing latency than any other router I tested it against, and it comes with a full suite of tools for optimizing your connection while gaming, including an adaptive quality-of-service engine and an Open NAT database of game- and platform-specific port forwarding rules. There's even a Mobile Game Mode designed to instantly prioritize traffic to your phone.

In other words, the RT-AX86U checks all of the boxes you'd want from a gaming router (except the color-changing lights, I guess -- though you can get it Zaku-styled if you're willing to spend a little more). Most importantly, it makes strong enough use of Wi-Fi 6 to ensure that even the non-gamers in your household will appreciate having it around. 

At around $250 or less, it's definitely an upgrade pick, but a reasonable one that's still less expensive than a lot of gaming routers (and, as of writing this at the start of June, it's marked down to $200 on Amazon). And, if you're thinking about upgrading to a new multi-gig internet plan from AT&T, Frontier, Xfinity, Verizon, Ziply Fiber or another provider offering plans like those, you can get an upgraded RT-AX86U equipped with a multi-gig Ethernet jack supporting incoming wired speeds of up to 2.5Gbps for $250.

Read our Asus RT-AX86U review.

Ry Crist/CNET

Remember how I mentioned that the TP-Link Deco W7200 outperformed every other mesh router I've ever tested except for one? Well, here's the one that beat it -- the AX6000 version of the Netgear Orbi mesh system. 

With that all-important tri-band design and full support for Wi-Fi 6, the AX6000 Orbi blew us away with excellent signal strength and downright impressive top speeds when we first tested it out a year or two ago. Those speeds have held up ever since -- whether we're clocking top speeds in our lab or testing real-world speeds at home, literally nothing else I've tested performs as well. On top of that, the AX6000 Orbi deserves credit for being one of the first mesh routers to offer a multigig WAN port and breaking the bottleneck that capped incoming wired speeds at just a single gig.

Performance like that usually comes at a premium, and sure enough, the AX6000 Orbi costs $700 for a two-pack. Like a Mercedes Benz for the mesh category, it's more machine than most people need, but there's nothing wrong with coveting one -- or waiting for the rare sale. If it were my money, I'd rather go with that Deco W7200 system and spend the hundreds I'd save on something else, but if you just want the best mesh router performance that we've seen in our tests, full stop, money be damned, here it is.

Read our Netgear Orbi AX6000 review.

Ry Crist/CNET

Going with a mesh router makes a ton of sense if you live in a large, multi-story home with a lot of space to cover. In cases like that, it's worth it to prioritize getting a system with more than two devices in the mesh -- and Amazon's Eero 6 Plus gets you there for $299, complete with full support for Wi-Fi 6.

The Eero 6 Plus takes the Eero 6 that preceded it and beefs things up with a faster AX3000 build and new support for full-width 160MHz channels, up from 80MHz. Those wider channels allow the system to move data twice as efficiently to compatible devices, and they made a huge difference in my performance tests, where the 6 Plus finished as a top ten finisher among the thirty or so mesh routers I've tested at home. None of the routers that beat its average download speeds can beat its value, and that makes the Eero 6 Plus an excellent pick.

Read our Eero 6 Plus review.

Ry Crist/CNET

It was a bit too pricey for me to recommend when it launched at $380 for a two-piece setup, but I've seen the Asus ZenWifi XD6 marked down to $300 at multiple outlets in recent weeks, which makes it a much better value -- and right now, Amazon and other outlets are offering it for even less, at $260 for a 2-pack.

For the money, you're getting a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh router that performed more like a fancier tri-band model in our tests, and one that was fully capable of optimizing our speeds throughout the entirety of the 5,400-square-foot CNET Smart Home. In fact, I'd go so far as to call it the most capable dual-band mesh router I've ever tested. 

As of writing this, multiple retailers (including Amazon and B&H Photo) have the XD6 on sale for $260, which is a great deal. If that price jumps up above $300 again, feel free to skip it. But this is a solid mesh router with one of the more comprehensive control apps available from a major manufacturer, making it a good pick for intermediate and advanced users who want to fine-tune their home network experience.

Read our Asus ZenWifi XD6 review.

Wi-Fi 6 router FAQs

If you've got questions about the ins and outs of Wi-Fi 6, be sure to check out my full explainer on the standard and what makes it better than the Wi-Fi of yore. You can also reach me by looking me up on Twitter (@rycrist) or by clicking the little envelope icon on my CNET profile page to send a message straight to my inbox. In the meantime, I'll post answers to any commonly asked questions below. 

What makes Wi-Fi 6 better than before?

Wi-Fi 6 includes support for new Wi-Fi features that help devices pass data back and forth faster and more efficiently. One of the key upgrades is 1024-QAM, which stands for quadrature amplitude modulation, or the trick your router uses to send radio waves that other devices can read as a series of ones and zeroes -- the binary code that makes up everything you see, read and experience online. 1024-QAM allows your router to send out 10 digits of binary code with each transmission, compared to eight digits of binary from Wi-Fi 5 routers that use 256-QAM. That's one of the key reasons why Wi-Fi 6 offers top speeds that are roughly 30% faster than before.

Other features of note include OFDMA, or orthogonal frequency division multiple access, which improves network efficiency by allowing your router to send data to multiple clients within a single channel at once. Think of that like a pizza delivery driver dropping off multiple pizzas to multiple customers in one trip to save gas. There's also Target Wake Time, which lets the router schedule devices that need to periodically check in so that they don't cause interference with one another. And, though it isn't specifically tied to Wi-Fi 6, most next-gen routers will support WPA3, the latest standard for Wi-Fi security.

Will older devices still work with a Wi-Fi 6 router?

Yes -- Wi-Fi 6 is fully backward compatible, so earlier-gen Wi-Fi devices will still be able to connect to them and get online. They just won't be able to take advantage of the new Wi-Fi 6 features that speed things up for current-gen devices.


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Best Internet Providers In Seattle


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Best Internet Providers in Seattle


Best Internet Providers in Seattle

As I see it, if a city can claim to be the birthplace of Starbucks and Jimi Hendrix, it must be doing something right. That said, Seattle isn't exactly in the espresso lane regarding high-speed internet options. While the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region rings in as the country's 15th most populous metro area, it could only muster a showing at no. 96 among the fastest cities in the US for broadband.

That news arrived with the latest data from the Speed-testing company Ookla, which tracks the top 100 cities in the US and categorizes them based on their median download speeds. According to Ookla's report covering the second quarter of 2022, Seattle placed in the bottom five, two spots below Denver and one above Las Vegas, with a median download speed of 102 megabits per second. 

The Ookla report also noted that Seattle's fastest provider -- again, based on median download speed -- was Astound Broadband (also known in the area as Wave), a cable internet provider whose average speed was about 146 megabits per second. As we've written many times in CNET's broadband coverage, cable internet connections -- though offering fast speeds and decent reliability -- aren't the speediest mode available. That claim belongs to fiber internet. And while you can get fiber internet service in and around Seattle, each provider, including CenturyLink and Ziply Fiber, also supplies internet service via DSL connections, which are far slower than fiber and less dependable than cable. That brings those average speeds ba ck down to earth -- and it also means that there's a lot to keep track of if you're shopping for a new internet plan in Seattle. 

In any case, whether you've relocated to the area or are a long-time Seattleite, you've got some options for getting connected. Let's dive into your choices and explore the best internet service providers in the area.

Sarah Tew/CNET
  • Price range: $49 to $65 a month
  • Speed range: 200 to 940Mbps
  • Highlights: No contracts, no data caps, and no equipment rental fee (gigabit plan only) 

To be clear, not all CenturyLink service in Seattle is fiber-optic internet service. According to the Federal Communication Commission's data, you'll still find DSL connections in many areas across the city, perhaps as much as 75% (though, admittedly, those December 2020 numbers aren't exactly current). But if you can get CenturyLink's fiber service you'll find a quality offering that features unlimited data and doesn't ask you to sign a term agreement to get the lowest price. It's also called Quantum Fiber in some, but not all, areas -- don't ask, it's just rebranding. 

Expect especially good value with the gigabit plan, which offers matching download and upload speeds of up to 940Mbps for $65 a month. That's an excellent value that comes out to 7 cents per Mbps, which is strong even by fiber standards. By comparison, cable plans typically run between 20 and 50 cents per Mbps, which goes even higher once the promo price wears off after a year. On top of that, your modem rental is included with CenturyLink's gigabit plan, which costs an additional $15 a month if you choose the 200Mbps option.

Most of CenturyLink's fiber service will be in and around Seattle, but some people will find availability as far south as Bonney Lake, Gig Harbor and Orting. You can also find it east of Seattle in Issaquah or west of the city in Poulsbo, just off Liberty Bay.

Read our CenturyLink home internet review.

CenturyLink
Sarah Tew/CNET
  • Price range: $20 to $300 a month
  • Speed range: 50 to 6,000Mbps
  • Highlights: A wide range of plans to help you customize for your needs, good customer satisfaction numbers
  • Special offers: Bundle discounts with Xfinity Mobile

You'll have to look far and wide before finding a provider that offers as many options as Comcast's cable internet service, Xfinity. Seven different tiers help you find the right fit for your household, from one of the area's cheapest internet plans (50Mbps for $20 a month) to the region's fastest residential offering (6,000Mbps for $300 a month). 

Xfinity's Gigabit Pro is notable not just for its superior speed but also because it's Xfinity's only fiber-to-the-home product. That means you'll get symmetrical download and upload speed, whereas all other Xfinity plans will have a max upload speed of 10 to 35Mbps. That said, Gigabit Pro is limited to select addresses, so there's a good chance it isn't available at yours. It isn't exactly cheap, either -- it's one of the most expensive broadband plans out there. You'll get a lot, but you'll pay a lot, too.

Xfinity also does well in customer satisfaction surveys. It scored two points above the industry average in the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index report and finished above average in all four regions of the J.D. Power study for 2021.

So why isn't it best overall? Cable, contracts and caps. Cable internet, while reliable, doesn't perform as well as fiber internet, with upload speeds limited to 35Mbps. Also, to get the best promo rates with Xfinity, you'll have to sign a contract (usually one year, but Gigabit Pro requires a two-year commitment). Finally, all Xfinity plans have a monthly data cap of 1.2 terabytes. You can sign up for unlimited data, but that'll add extra fees to your monthly bill. 

Read our Xfinity home internet review.

Xfinity Internet
Sarah Tew/CNET
  • Price range: $50 a month ($30 for eligible T-Mobile Magenta Max customers)
  • Speed range: 33 to 182Mbps
  • Highlights: Unlimited data, equipment included, no contracts, no additional fees
  • Special offers: Price Lock guarantee, 15-day Test Drive, free Paramount Plus for 12 months, 50% off YouTube TV for a year (for eligible Magenta Max customers)

T-Mobile has been aggressively campaigning for its home internet product. Exhibit A: Its recent "Internet Freedom" push includes the tagline, "Free yourself from internet BS." T-Mobile Home Internet is appealingly simple, as one monthly fee covers all your equipment needs and you won't have to worry about term agreements, data caps or added fees. Customers seem to be responding well, too: T-Mobile Home Internet was second only to Verizon Fios in the ACSI survey of Americans' satisfaction with their ISPs.

Additionally, T-Mobile offers a $20 discount for eligible Magenta Max customers. All new customers, no matter if they're also wireless customers or not, can try the service for 15 days without penalty and with a full money-back guarantee.

The biggest catch with T-Mobile Home Internet is that it still isn't widely available. While the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue market is among the 40 million households that can get it, you'll still need to determine if it's available at your address. For example, I can get T-Mobile 5G cell service at home, but my address still isn't eligible for T-Mobile Home Internet. To follow up on your household's availability, plug in your address (T-Mobile customers can also use their mobile phone number) on the T-Mobile Home Internet site.

Read our T-Mobile Home Internet overview.

Sarah Tew/CNET
  • Price range: $20 to $50 a month 
  • Speed range: 100 to 940Mbps
  • Highlights: Ultra competitive promo rates, no contract requirements

This cable internet provider is tough to beat regarding competitive starting rates. Case in point: Its cheapest plan matches the most affordable Xfinity tier at $20 but doubles its speed (Xfinity's $20 plan features 50Mbps download speed, while Astound gets your speeds up to 100Mbps). That means you're getting a decent value of 20 cents per Mbps compared to Xfinity's higher cost per Mbps of 40 cents.

You can emphasize that value further when you look at Astound's gigabit plan, which offers 940Mbps for $50 per month. That comes out to a stellar 5 cents per Mbps. That's the best value you'll find from any plan, no matter the provider, throughout the Seattle area.

But (and you had to feel it coming), there's a caveat: Astound Broadband features some of the highest one-year price increases among ISPs. Per the company's rate card, that $20 plan could jump up as high as $70 a month. While a spokesperson for the company told CNET that most customers would not see a full increase to the standard retail rate, I think you need to be aware of what might await you after the rosy returns of the first 12 months.

Read our Astound Broadband review.

Overview of Seattle internet providers


Astound Broadband/Wave CenturyLink Google Fiber Webpass T-Mobile Home Internet Xfinity
Internet technology Cable DSL/fiber Fixed wireless Fixed wireless Cable
Monthly price range $20 to $50 $49 to $65 $63 to $70 $50 $20 to $300
Speed range 100 to 940Mbps 20 to 940Mbps 1,000Mbps 33 to 182Mbps 50 to 6,000Mbps
Monthly equipment costs $12 (skippable) $15 (skippable) None None $14 (skippable)
Data cap 400GB to Unlimited None None None 1.2TB
Contract None None None None 1 year
CNET review score N/A 6.7 7.4 N/A 7

Which other internet providers offer service in Seattle?

The city set on the Puget Sound has more ISPs seeking your business than the four we highlighted above. Here are some of the other internet providers in Seattle. 

  • Google Fiber Webpass : Don't be confused by the fiber in the name. This is a fixed-wireless option from Google Fiber that's focused solely on apartment buildings. Even though it's not fiber internet, it's still plenty zippy: It offers symmetrical gigabit speeds for $70 a month (or an average of $63 a month if you sign up for the yearly plan, but it requires a full, $750 upfront payment). Webpass also features free installation, unlimited data and no equipment fees. If your building cannot support the full gig speeds, Webpass will reduce the pricing. Google Fiber Webpass is pretty much centered within Seattle city limits, including the neighborhoods of Belltown, Capitol Hill, First Hill, Fremont, Queen Anne and Uptown.
  • Satellite internet : This always feels a bit like cheating, but it must be said that no matter which city or area in which you live in the US, this mode of internet connectivity is always an option. Is it a great option for Seattle residents? If you live in the city, no. You'll have much faster and cheaper choices available to you. Even areas south of Tacoma or north of Everett should have some viable alternatives, but if you do find yourself in a rural town with limited options, then you might consider it. HughesNet and Viasat will be your top picks, although both require you to commit to a two-year contract. A more intriguing possibility is Starlink, which is not a viable option at the moment -- the Starlink availability map notes the Seattle area is on the waitlist until 2023. Once it arrives, it promises faster download speed s and no data cap or term agreement.
  • Verizon 5G Home Internet : Why choose Verizon's fixed wireless home internet product over T-Mobile Home Internet? On the plus side, it has a much faster average download speed (300Mbps) than T-Mobile and, if you're among eligible Verizon Wireless subscribers, it's cheaper too, with the same "all-in" approach where equipment, installation and fees are all covered in your flat, monthly rate. Where it falls short of T-Mobile is availability. Its exclusive use of its 5G network -- T-Mobile uses its 4G LTE network in addition to 5G, to more quickly boost its territory -- means it doesn't quite hit the same reach. 
  • Ziply Fiber : Despite being relatively new to the game -- it launched services in the middle of 2020 -- Ziply Fiber is a viable option if you're eligible for its fiber internet, which boasts unlimited data and no long-term contract requirements. However, despite its name, some of its footprint includes the much slower DSL type. A Ziply spokesperson tells CNET that the company is active in building out a fiber alternative for those communities, including over 80 projects in Seattle and the greater Northwest. Also of note, Ziply Fiber is rolling out several multigigabit plans as well. Confirmed cities around Seattle where multigig plans are currently available include Bellevue, Bothell, Brier, Edmonds, Everett, Kenmore, Kirkland, Lake Stevens, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Redmond, Shoreline, Snohomish and Woodinville.
The Space Needle and the Seattle skyline with Mount Rainier in the distance.

Scenic view of the Space Needle and the Seattle skyline with Mount Rainier in the distance.

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Is there more to know about home internet in Seattle?

As any good shopper knows, you have to look beyond just the brand name to know if you're getting a good deal. The same is true when evaluating internet providers in Seattle. You need to go further than just our overview to get more specific details about the available internet plans in the Emerald City. So let's take a deeper dive into both the cheapest internet plans in the area, as well as the fastest internet plans you can get in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region.

Seattle home internet pricing 

When you consider the starting prices of all ISPs (which takes into account the promo prices, not the regular rates that take hold after a year), the average price for internet service in Seattle is just under $42 a month. That's about the middle of the pack among the cities CNET has examined up to this point. That includes Brooklyn ($36 a month), Los Angeles ($38 a month), San Francisco ($40 a month), New York ($41 per month), Austin ($43 a month), Houston ($45 per month) and, all at $50 a month, AtlantaCharlotte, Chicago, OrlandoSan Diego and St. Louis

But digging in a bit on specific options, you'll find the lowest starting price of $20 a month shared by three providers: Astound Broadband, Xfinity and Ziply Fiber. Both Xfinity and Ziply Fiber feature 50Mbps download speeds at that price point but Astound Broadband doubles that to 100Mbps. However, it does have a data cap (400GB) that is less than half of Xfinity's data cap (1.2TB). Ziply Fiber, on the other hand, features unlimited data. So, depending on your household's usage and needs, you have a few elements to consider. 

Also, whenever talking about cheap internet, we should always mention there are additional, low-income internet options. Such is the case in Seattle. All providers we've mentioned participate in the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program, which gives a $30 a month discount to eligible low-income households for high-speed internet. You can use the ACP towards any internet plan (not just the cheapest ones) from participating providers. Additionally, multiple providers joined forces with the White House on its plans to address the digital divide and will make available plans of at least 100Mbps that customers would essentially get for free once joined with the ACP discount. 

Cheap internet plans in Seattle

Provider Starting monthly price Standard monthly price Max download speed Monthly equipment fee Data cap
Ziply Fiber 50/50 $20 $40 50Mbps $10 None
Xfinity Connect $20 $50 50Mbps $14 (skippable) 1.2TB
Astound Broadband/Wave $20 $70 100Mbps $12 (skippable) 400GB
HughesNet $45 $65 25Mbps $15 or $450 one-time purchase 2 years
CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber $49 $49 200Mbps $15 (skippable) None
T-Mobile Home Internet $50 $50 182Mbps None None
Verizon 5G Home Internet $50 $50 300Mbps None None
Viasat $50 $70 12Mbps $13 or $299 one-time purchase 2 years
Google Fiber Webpass $70 ($63 with year commitment) $70 ($63 with year commitment) 1,000Mbps None None

Internet speeds in Seattle

As I mentioned near the start of this article, Seattle isn't exactly lighting things up on the dial when it comes to average download speeds. That said, you can find plenty of options if you feel the need for extreme speed. The main caveat is that some of the fastest plans in the area aren't widely available throughout the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region. But some of our friends in the Bellevue area, for example, should have access to some of Ziply Fiber's fastest, multi-gig plans. Select addresses throughout Seattle may be able to access Comcast's Gigabit Pro plan, which is the absolute fastest in the area (at least for the moment) with symmetrical speeds of 6,000Mbps. 

Fastest internet plans in Seattle

Provider Starting monthly price Max download speed Max upload speed Data cap Contract
Xfinity Gigabit Pro $300 6,000Mbps 6,000Mbps 1.2TB 2 years
Ziply Fiber 5 Gig $300 5,000Mbps 5,000Mbps None None
Ziply Fiber 2 Gig $120 2,000Mbps 2,000Mbps None None
Xfinity Gigabit $80 1,200Mbps 35Mbps 1.2TB 1 year
Ziply Fiber Gig $60 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps None None
Google Fiber Webpass $70 ($63 with year commitment) 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps None None
CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber $65 940Mbps 940Mbps None None
Astound Broadband/Wave $50 940Mbps 10Mbps None None

What's the bottom line on Seattle internet?

If you've been keeping up on CNET's coverage of the best internet providers across the country -- and I certainly hope you have -- you may have noticed there are fewer options in Seattle than you find in other big US cities. On the other hand, Seattle can brag that it's got both more cheap internet options than most towns, and more multi-gig providers too. They're kinda spread out throughout the area, but they're there. Xfinity's seven different cable internet plans are the most widely available in Seattle but Astound Broadband's three cable internet tiers are cheaper and don't require you to sign a contract to get the lowest price. But as we always say, if you're serviceable for fiber internet -- and in Seattle that includes CenturyLink, Ziply Fiber or, in rarer cases, Xfinity's Gigabit Pro plan -- that should be your top option. 

Best internet providers in Seattle FAQs

What's the cheapest internet in Seattle?

On the surface, it's a flat-out tie between Astound Broadband, Xfinity and Ziply Fiber. Each provider offers a cheap internet plan that starts at $20 a month. However, each offers something different. Both Xfinity and Ziply Fiber feature plans with a maximum download speed of 50Mbps for that $20 monthly fee. Astound Broadband, however, doubles those plans, with a download speed of 100Mbps. So, while each provider has a $20-a-month plan, the Astound option is the cheapest, with a lower cost per Mbps of 20 cents compared to 40 cents for Xfinity and Ziply Fiber.

Can you get fiber internet in Seattle?

Yes. Both CenturyLink and Ziply Fiber offer 100% fiber-optic internet plans featuring symmetrical download and upload speeds. However, neither provider exclusively offers fiber plans. Each also includes DSL connections within their networks, so you must ensure your address is serviceable for the higher-quality fiber internet, not just DSL.

Which provider offers the fastest internet plan in Seattle?

The fastest residential internet plan you can find in Seattle is currently Xfinity's Gigabit Pro plan, which features 6,000Mbps of symmetrical speed. However, since most of Xfinity's network is a hybrid fiber-cable connection, customers will need to reach out to Comcast Xfinity (and schedule a site survey) to find out if your address is eligible for the plan. For most residents in the Seattle area, the more accessible multi-gig plan may be Ziply Fiber's 2-gig or 5-gig tiers.


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Motorola Moto X Pure Edition (unlocked) Review: Customization Champ, But Middle-of-the-pack Phablet Overall


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Motorola Moto X Pure Edition (unlocked) review: Customization champ, but middle-of-the-pack phablet overall


Motorola Moto X Pure Edition (unlocked) review: Customization champ, but middle-of-the-pack phablet overall

I like the Moto X Pure Edition (or Style as its globally known), but I was honestly ready to love it. For one thing, it's an unlocked phone available directly from Motorola at a reasonable price, and it's designed to work on all of the major US wireless carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint) -- that's a big step up from most unlocked phones that only work on the first two in that list. Likewise, the international Moto X Style should work on all the carriers in whichever territory it's sold -- and many countries will also get the stepdown Moto X Play phone, which is not currently slated for a US release.

In addition, this 5.7-inch follow-up to 2014's Motorola Moto X also promises the same customization options, like choosing between different trim colors and the material of the backing, that made me buy that model as my personal device. And in this sea of lookalike phones, this is a distinct advantage that the Moto X Pure Edition has over its rivals.

But instead, I was disappointed. Its larger design (up from 5.2 inches) feels far too cumbersome for smaller hands like mine. Battery life was unexceptional, its camera wasn't massively impressive and aside from a few minor tweaks, Motorola's Moto services don't feature anything substantially new.

When you compare it to a top-tier large-screen device like the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 , its drawbacks become even more obvious. And if you consider the current diverse landscape of unlocked handsets with the OnePlus 2 and ZTE Axon Pro , Motorola's phone doesn't quite come out on top. Though the Moto X was one of our favorite budget flagships last year, the same can't be said for the Moto X Pure Edition.

Availability

In the US, the handset starts at $400 unlocked ($100 less than last year's starting price). The price will increase, however, depending on storage capacity and certain design options.

In the UK the Style, as it's known, starts at £399 for 32GB of storage, with 64GB setting you back £434.

In Australia the Style is exclusive to Vodafone and only available on contract. It's available on both the AU$80 and AU$100 plans, for AU$3 of monthly handset repayments. That's a total cost over 24 months of AU$1,992 and AU$2,472 respectively.

Design and build

  • 5.7-inch display with 2,560x1,440-pixel (2K) resolution
  • 6.1 by 3 by 0.4 inches (154 by 76 by 11.1mm)
  • 6.3 ounces (179 grams)

Compared to the 2014 Moto X , Motorola increased the Moto X Pure Edition's display by half an inch, bumping up the device's overall footprint. Though it isn't as big as the Google Nexus 6 (which was manufactured by Motorola before Google sold it off to Lenovo), the size jump still makes it notably bigger than the previous 5.2-inch Moto X . That means -- for some -- it won't fit in your front pockets easily and you can't maneuver it with one hand comfortably. I passed it around for several opinions, and even tall people with large hands noted problems reaching for the notifications shade with their thumbs.

We got our hands on a black variant with a walnut wood backing and silver trim.

Josh Miller/CNET

But putting aside the size, it's still an attractive, quality built handset. Its curved backing conforms to your palm and the screen's glass panel smoothly curves down the side edges. The control buttons are narrow, and the ridges on the power/sleep button makes it easier to identify by touch. And Motorola's metal M-dimple on the back of the previous generation has now shrunken in size and sits in an elegant metal strip that runs between it and the camera lens.

Keep in mind that unlike its cheaper Moto G counterpart that came out this year, the phone is not submersible underwater. It is water repellent though, so you won't have to worry about a few water droplets here and there.

The Moto X Pure Edition also has dual front speakers -- as in both speakers will output audio for music and movies (though only the bottom grille will output phone calls on speaker), resulting in a louder and fuller experience. This is different from last year's, which only used one stereo speaker for media, and the other served as the in-ear speaker for calls.

Most importantly, Motorola continues its legacy to enable users to customize the look of the device. You can start with either a black or white base color, choose the accent colors (as in, the color of the speaker grilles on the front and the metal strip on the back), and the color of the back, which also comes in different materials: plastic, wood, bamboo and leather.

Some may argue that the ability to customize the handsets is trivial. But when the mobile market is saturated with so many phones that look the same, having a say over how yours looks (without the use of a case), is one of the few ways to have it stand out and make it truly yours. That matters to people, and it's a need that Motorola has tapped into well.

Other different design options for the Moto X Pure Edition.

Motorola

As for device's display, it's bigger as I mentioned before. It also has a sharp 1,440p resolution and it's maximum brightness level is bright enough to view comfortably outdoors in sunlight. Likewise, the minimum brightness level is also extremely dim, which is useful for avoiding eye-strain when viewing your handset in the dark.

The screen has a wide viewing angle and is responsive to the touch. I had no problems reading text and playing games, and streaming YouTube videos and watching the HD movie "Gravity" looked smooth and crisp. There's also a new setting under Display where you can choose between two color modes: normal or vibrant. Under normal mode, colors are already bright and vivid. But with the latter, hues are more saturated and richer.

Software and features

  • Google Android 5.1.1 Lollipop OS
  • Minimal Motorola software
  • Useful gesture controls

Despite its name, the Moto X Pure Edition isn't exactly the "purest" Android device, at least not compared to the Google's own Nexus family (understandably) and Play Edition handsets (though the latter has ceased all production since January). Don't be too disappointed, though -- if you want an untouched Android experience, Motorola's Moto line comes pretty close.

First, because you can get it unlocked, you won't get any carrier bloatware and branding. Instead, you'll get the usual set of Google apps such as the Chrome Web browser, Gmail, YouTube and more. Second, while you won't have a manufacturer user interface overlaid on top of the phone in the same way TouchWiz and Sense skins Samsung and HTC devices, respectively, Motorola still included some useful features under its Moto app.

These features are accessible under a single Moto app, which has Moto Assist, Actions, Voice and Display. Assist adjusts your Moto X Pure Edition settings depending on where you are or what you're doing. If you've scheduled a meeting into Google Calendar, for example, the device can switch to vibrate right and reply to any missed calls with a predetermined message.

Motorola's suite of software features (left), including Moto Voice commands (right).

Lynn La/CNET

Actions is all about gesture controls: Twist your wrist with the phone in your hand to launch the camera or chop your hand in the air to turn on and off the flash to use as a flashlight.

Motorola's voice input, called Voice, works similarly to Google Now, so if you've used that feature before, you have a good idea of what to do here. It works with both built-in and third-party apps and you can set an alarm, navigate to a destination with Maps, look up a song title that's playing at the moment, begin a Twitter post and more.

Display shows any missed notifications you have, even while the device is sleeping, with a wave gesture. The current time and any missed notifications will pop up in white. You can preview a missed notification by longpressing its app icon, or press-and-swipe to launch it directly from the screen.

Because it offers a nearly vanilla Android experience, you won't get any carrier bloatware.

Josh Miller/CNET

Two other apps, Moto Connect and Migrate, round up the last of the handset's Motorola software. Connect manages all peripheral Motorola gadgets you may have like the Moto 360 smartwatch or a pair of its wireless headphones. Migrate helps you port over your contacts, apps and other files from a previous phone onto your new Moto X Pure Edition.

For the most part, Motorola's software works well. I am a fan of Moto Display, which doesn't sound like much, but it saves you from having to press the power button throughout the day to see any missed notifications. And while it isn't a new feature, flicking the device to fire up the camera is convenient and saves a lot of time.

The handset is, however, loaded with your standard line of Google apps.

Josh Miller/CNET

I did run into some issues, however. For one thing, you'll need the latest version of the Moto app to update your status on Facebook hands-free through Moto Voice. Otherwise, the handset will reply that it can't connect to "the cloud" after you dictate a post. And while you can dictate Facebook posts and text messages, you can't do the same on Twitter. Voice just activates a small Twitter window so you can begin posting, but you'll need to type out the actual message.

It's also unclear what requires you to say your PIN when you use Voice commands while the phone is locked. For example, posting to Facebook prompts a PIN confirmation, but sending a text doesn't. The chopping gesture to activate the flash also doesn't feel natural or work as smoothly, and half the time I'm afraid I'll end up chucking my device across the room.

But perhaps the most disappointing thing is that compared to its predecessor, the Moto X Pure Edition doesn't offer anything substantial in terms of new software. A small amount of tweaks have been made, but overall, nothing substantial has been added. In some ways that's understandable since Motorola is purposely staying as close to the pure Android experience as one can get. But it's still a bit of a letdown to know that your new handset carries the same bag of tricks as it did last year.

Cameras and video

  • 21-megapixel rear-facing camera
  • 5-megapixel front-facing camera
  • Can record 4K (rear) and 1,080p (front) video
  • Night mode shooting and wide-angle front-facing camera has its own flash

The native camera app isn't loaded with tons of editing features, but both cameras do have HDR (high dynamic range) shooting, a touch-focus module where you can adjust the exposure as well, a digital zoom, a timer and geotagging. They also have a flash (yes, even the front-facing camera so you can brighten up your selfies) and a new shooting mode called "night mode" for low-light environments. Photos can be taken in either the wide 16:9 aspect ratio or the more squarish 4:3.

As for video, both front and rear cameras can record 1,080p HD footage and slow-mo videos in 720p (a change from the predecessor's better 1,080p slow-mo capabilities). While shooting video, you can also take pictures and pause recording.

The rear camera in particular can also take panoramic photos and scan QR codes and bar codes to look up via Google or copy onto the clipboard. And on top of already shooting 1,080p video, it can also record ultra-HD 4K video, which -- at 3,840x2,160p -- offers four times the resolution of 1,080p. That's state of the art -- albeit of dubious value, however.

Say cheese! The front-facing camera comes with its own flash. Josh Miller/CNET
In this well-lit indoor photo, objects are still clear and easy to make out, and lighting is evenly exposed. Lynn La/CNET

As for picture quality, photos looked decent, and the camera does well for everyday informal shots. Though they didn't manage to blow me away, it's still adequate enough to post online or print out a small photo.

Pictures taken outdoors or in amply-lit indoor environments looked great: colors were accurate, objects were clear with defined outlines and you can still see a lot of details retained at full resolution. There were a few times when the phone took a couple of tries to focus on an object up close, but eventually it'd lock on and snap a clear picture. Photos taken in low-light environments didn't fare as well, which is a common occurrence in smartphone photography. Though night mode improved exposure somewhat, I still saw a noticeable amount of digital noise, graininess and muted colors.

Because the front-facing camera has a wide-angle lens, my photos captured more content and space into the frame. As such, however, do expect to get some elongated angles near the corners of your pictures. For more information on camera quality, click the photos below to view them at their full resolution.

Video quality was solid. Nearby and distant audio was picked up well without any noticeable noise distortion, and both moving and still objects looked smooth and sharp. There was no discernible lag between my moving of the camera and what I saw in the viewfinder, and the camera was able to swiftly shift focus and exposure as I moved it around.

Night mode brightened up this dimly lit bar a tad -- but the photo is still not so great.

Lynn La/CNET

In our standard studio shot, these items look clear and defined, and the flash didn't leave any harsh reflections against the background.

Lynn La/CNET

This photo taken on a sunny day shows true-to-life colors and images that are sharp and in focus.

Lynn La/CNET

Though the stems and leaves on the right are clear, the right pomegranate gets blurry around the edges.

Lynn La/CNET

With its wide-angle front-facing camera, you can capture more content with your selfies (or groupies if you have friends).

Lynn La/CNET

Hardware performance

  • 1.8GHz 6-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808
  • 600MHz Adreno 418 graphics processing unit
  • 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage with up to 128GB of expandable memory
  • 3GB of RAM
  • 3,000mAh nonremovable battery

Though the Moto X Pure Edition's processor has a lower clock speed than its predecessor (from 2.5 to 1.8GHz), its Snapdragon 808 processor still operates swiftly and smoothly. For one thing, the CPU is no slacker (it's the same one featured in the LG G4 ) and the RAM has been bumped up to 3GB. In general, I didn't notice any stuttering issues or lag while executing a number of everyday tasks like calling up the app drawer, opening the camera and switching between apps. Images for graphics-intensive games like Riptide GP 2 and Kill Shot were rendered fast and smooth, and the overall gaming experience was solid. It took about 37 seconds to power off and restart the device and 1.38 seconds to launch the camera.

Also, unlike the previous two versions of the Moto X, Motorola added a MicroSD card slot that can hold up to 128GB of extra memory -- giving you more breathing room for your photos and files.

But while the handset provides plenty of power to satisfy your daily smartphone needs, its benchmark scores falls behind its competitors. That's not surprising since the Galaxy Note 5 belongs to a more premium caliber, and both the OnePlus 2 and the ZTE Axon Pro sport the 8-core Snapdragon 810 processor. In that sense, the Moto X Pure Edition performed well for itself, but aside from having the second-highest single-core Geekbench 3 result among the latter two, it altogether fell a bit short of the other devices.

Benchmark test comparison

Motorola Moto X Pure Edition 19,725 1,271 3,528 Samsung Galaxy Note 5 24,589 1,488 4,939 OnePlus 2 22,645 1,142 4,461 ZTE Axon Pro 25,742 868 3,958
  • 3DMark Ice Storm (unlimited)
  • Geekbench 3 (single-core)
  • Geekbench 3 (multi-core)
Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

Call quality and data speeds

  • GSM/GPRS/EDGE: (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
  • CDMA: (800/850/1900MHz)
  • UMTS/HSPA+: (850/900/1700(AWS)/1900/2100MHz)
  • LTE B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/25/26/38/41
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/g/b/n/ac + MIMO
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/g/b/n/ac + MIMO

For US customers, Motorola's handset is unique because it works for carriers that operate on either GSM or CDMA technology. Meaning, for example, the phone can make calls and surf the Internet on AT&T and T-Mobile's network (which uses the GSM standard) and do the same on Verizon and Sprint (which uses CDMA). This isn't a huge deal if you don't plan on leaving your carrier, but for those switching from a GSM to CDMA carrier or vice versa, or already have two devices on these different platforms, know that you can use the same Moto X no matter what network you go with.

Motorola Moto X Pure Edition average data speeds

4G LTE download rate 11.7Mbps
4G LTE upload rate 15.82Mbps
CNET mobile site load 4 seconds
CNET desktop site load 4 seconds
Temple Run 2 app download (44.52MB) 34 seconds
"Gravity" movie download (1.7GB) 24 minutes and 31 seconds

As for call quality, I tested the unlocked handset using AT&T's cellular network. Call quality was great. Volume range was appropriate (with the maximum volume being satisfyingly loud), my calling partner was clear and easy to understand and I didn't pick up any extraneous buzzing or static. Audio speaker was also reliable. As I mentioned before, speaker calls only comes out from the bottom grille, but that's still enough to hear my partner well, even when I was outdoors nearby noisy traffic. Likewise, I was told that I sounded good too, and when I stepped outdoors, my partner did not pick up any background sounds from the surrounding environment.

The phone's fast-charging Turbo Charger.

Josh Miller/CNET

Data speeds on AT&T's 4G LTE network were fast. According to Ookla's speed test, it had an average download rate of 11.7Mbps and upload rate of 15.82Mbps. It took about 4 seconds to load each of CNET's mobile and desktop site and 34 seconds to download and install the 44.52MB game Temple Run 2. One attempt to download the 1.7GB, high-definition movie "Gravity" took 24 minutes and 31 seconds.

Battery Life

With heavy usage, the Motorola X Pure Edition's non-removable battery can deplete quickly. After spending a workday surfing the Web, downloading apps and making calls, I hit 30 percent by late afternoon. To last the rest of the evening, I had to plug in the device for a charge.

During our battery drain test for continuous video playback, the handset lasted an average of 8 hours and 46 minutes. Although last year's Moto X had a smaller screen, its lower-capacity 2,300mAh battery lasted over 10 hours. And compared to its rivals, the OnePlus 2's 3,300mAh battery lasted 9 hours and 46 minutes (though we weren't very impressed with that performance either), and the Axon Pro's 3,000mAh battery lasted shorter at 8 hours and 8 minutes (again, not the best from all parties). I you want to know what does impress us, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 -- while admittedly a higher-tiered phone and expensive than all these devices -- lasted a whopping 15 hours of continuous playback on its 3,000mAh battery.

Motorola's handset, however, does come with a 25-watt Turbo Power charger, which promises to juice up your battery quickly. It does, in fact, charge the phone in a jiffy. When completely drained, it took only about an hour and 15 minutes to charge to 100 percent. And if you need to charge in a pinch, shutting it off and plugging it in for 10 minutes will gain about 20 percent battery life.

Conclusion

The Motorola Moto X Pure Edition is a great device for specific users. Google Android fans who can't wait until late September for the next Nexus reveal will enjoy the handset's nearly unsullied Android experience. The $400 phone bucks the current trend by offering external storage, and loops in support for the world's most prevalent network technologies -- CDMA and GSM -- so it should work with almost every carrier.

And with its numerous choices of color accents, engravings and materials, having a Moto X Pure Edition means having a device that reflects your own style. Heavily consider this handset if that's an important asset for you.

If it's not, however, there are lots of viable alternatives. If money isn't an issue, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is the reigning Android supersize phone: It's powerful, stylish and has a long-lasting battery.

The Moto X Pure Edition is witnessing a far more competitive landscape for unlocked handsets than its predecessor.

Josh Miller/CNET

In addition, the mobile landscape for unlocked phones has changed a lot since last year's Moto X came out. They are getting more powerful at a lower cost.

For US customers, the $500 ZTE Axon Pro costs $100 more but has a 8-core Snapdragon 810 processor, 4GB of RAM and tons of native camera features. Globally, you can try and nab the OnePlus 2 . Due to its limited availability it can be hard to get, but if you do, it starts at the very competitive price of $330 (£215 or AU$450, converted). It's also equipped with the 810 CPU and if you're keen on wood backings like the ones that come with the Moto Xs, the OnePlus 2 has that as well.

All in all, the Moto X Pure Edition is a reliable and quality-built device, but if you have the previous model, don't feel like you're missing out on anything. The competition is fierce these days, and while the Moto X may be partially to blame for setting my expectations too high, the X Pure Edition just doesn't deliver that winning combination of style, power and value that I've come to expect.


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