The best internet providers in Bakersfield, CA

Those who live in Bakersfield, California have a mixed bag on the internet. OK? It seems that 100% of residents can access plans to download at least 100Mbps and 20Mbps upload speeds – the minimum broadband proposed by the Federal Communications Commission – it is one of the median speeds in the country’s top 50 cities.

What's that bad thing? The options for Bakersfield high-speed internet are still very limited. Although AT&T fiber now accommodates one in five homes ($55), Spectrum is the only option for many communities. Wireless providers such as T-Mobile and Verizon now offer home internet plans, but they tend to be more speed than wired connections. Plans offered by both providers start at $50 and up to $70.

On the bright side, Bakersfield City Council approved an agreement with SIFI Networks in 2022 to establish and maintain a fiber network along every street in the city without taxpayers. SIFI will then sell network access to private internet providers. According to a speech given by the Commission, residents pay about $60 per month for 10,000Mbps. For comparison, AT&T currently charges $245 for 5,000Mbps. However, the project is currently in the design stage and there is no clear construction timetable.

Best Internet Options in Bakersfield

CNET checks customer service, speed, price and overall value before recommending the best broadband in your area. Spectrum has long been essentially the only option for the Bakersfield high-speed internet. Then, in 2015, AT&T agreed to expand its fiber network to 20 new metropolitan areas within four years as part of its purchase of DirecTV. In 2017, AT&T fiber was officially launched in Bakersfield, immediately becoming the best internet choice in the city. Currently 79% of Bakersfield homes use it.

notes: The prices, speeds, and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed in the product details card, which represents the provider's national product. Your specific internet service options (including price and speed) depend on your address and may differ from the detailed description here.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What other internet options are there in Bakersfield?

We think the three providers highlighted above are the best choices for Bakersfield Internet, but there are a few other ISPs you can consider:

• Application Technology Group: For residents of rural areas around Bakersfield, Applied Technology Group offers a fixed wireless Internet plan with speeds up to 35Mbps. If the choice is between the application and the satellite internet, then we may use the application. But in other cases, there may be a better option.
• Unpopular broadband: This is another fixed wireless provider in the area, with plans to be $60 per month. It targets people living in rural areas; when we ask them to quote their addresses in the city, they actually recommend us to study spectrum or AT&T. If you can't get anything else, then unmarried might be worth a look.
• Satellite Internet: Companies like Hughesnet and Viasat offer internet services at almost every address in the country, but if your only option is, this is just your best choice. Satellite Internet has slow speeds, low data caps and high prices. Starlink is an exception, which offers significantly faster speeds, but costs $120 per month, with a $349 upfront fee for the equipment.
• Verizon 5G home internet: Like T-Mobile, Verizon's home internet service provides wireless internet in Bakersfield. It has two plans: Download speeds up to 85Mbps for $50 per month or up to 250Mbps for $70. Both plans get decent discounts when bundled with the qualified Verizon 5G mobile program.

Pricing details for Bakersfield Home Internet Services

Bakersfield residents can expect internet services to pay between $50 and $90 per month, which is about average for cities across the country. That said, the city lacks a truly cheap internet plan, starting at around $50 a month.

The cheapest internet plan in Bakersfield

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Bakersfield's fastest internet plan

Only two providers offer performance speeds – with download speeds up to 1,000Mbps – but they are both great choices. AT&T's fiber plan has been speeding up to 5,000Mbps, which is far beyond what most people want, but it's a great choice for a super-connected smart home. Although Spectrum has a download speed of 1,000Mbps, families who do a lot of work at home or in games may experience issues with their 35Mbps upload speed.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to choose the best internet provider in Bakersfield

There are numerous and regional Internet service providers. Unlike the latest smartphones, laptops, routers, or kitchen tools, it is impractical to test every internet service provider in a given city in person. What is our method? For beginners, we leverage a proprietary database that leverages information from FCC.GOV’s Federal Communications Commission from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information.

It doesn't end: We visit the FCC's website to check our data and make sure we consider all ISPs that provide services in a certain area. We also enter our local address on the provider website to find specific options for residents. We look at resources including the U.S. Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power to evaluate how satisfied ISP services have with customers. ISP plans and prices change frequently; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

Once this local information is obtained, we ask three main questions:

• Can providers access reasonable and fast internet speeds?
• Do customers get decent value for the money they pay?
• Are customers satisfied with their service?

Although the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, the three we recommend are closest to the provider of “yes”. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the lowest monthly plan, although we also consider issues such as price increase, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We view upload and download speeds on ads and consider actual speed data from sources such as Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET.)

To explore our process more deeply, visit our test ISP page.

What's the last sentence of Bakersfield's internet provider?

Bakersfield residents aren't a great choice for swimming on the internet, but all residents can use at least one provider that offers 100/20Mbps speeds – the new minimum broadband speed proposed by the FCC. While AT&T fiber is by far the best choice in the city, not all residents can use its fiber plan. However, both spectrum and T-Mobile are good backup options.

Bakersfield Internet FAQ