The best internet providers in Norfolk, Virginia

What are the best internet providers in Norfolk?

Cox Communications CNET is the best advice for Norfolk Internetdue to its fast speed and wide availability throughout the city. This is the best choice for most families, but if Cox is not in your area, Verizon Fios and T-Mobile Home Internet are powerful alternatives with solid value.

If you focus on keeping your monthly expenses low, Metronet offers one of the cheapest plans for around $35 per month. T-Mobile and Verizon fixed wireless customers may also be eligible for discounts to lower their bills to the same price. For those who need a faster connection, Cox offers a 2GBPS plan per month, with no contract or additional equipment charges.

The best internet in Norfolk

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Norfolk

• Metronet: Metronet is only available to a small number of residents and is one of Norfolk's only fiber providers except Verizon Fios. The provider offers speeds up to 2 Gigabits, with just $70 a month.
• spectrum: While you won't find coverage directly in Norfolk, Suffolk and Chesapeake families can access Spectrum's service as low as $50 per month for 300mbps. The spectrum is worth checking if it is not available on your address.
• Satellite Internet: Satellite Internet in Hughesnet, Viasat or Starlink is the choice for where you live. But that shouldn't be your top choice: the high price and slow speed of satellite internet means cheaper, faster options should be offered.
• Verizon 5G home internet: If you don't have Verizon Fios in your location, it may be a fixed wireless service from the provider. Verizon 5G Home Internet offers a two-month plan with speeds up to 1 gigabit from $50 to $70.

Cheap Internet Options in Norfolk

The average internet price in Norfolk County starts around $44, but if you want to pay the least amount of money per month on main broadband, there are several options. Metrot's basic plan costs $35 per month, up to 150Mbps. However, eligible mobile customers under T-Mobile or Verizon can get a discount of $15 to $25 per month, reducing your bill to $35.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Norfolk

The best internet deals and top promotions in Norfolk are dependent on the discounts available during this period. Most transactions are short-lived, but we often look for the latest quotes.

Norfolk internet providers such as Cox and Spectrum may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many people, including Verizon and T-Mobile, run the same standard pricing throughout the year.

For a wider list of promotions, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

How fast is Norfolk broadband?

Nearby Richmond city residents have the fastest broadband speeds in the United States. So how does Norfolk pile up? According to Ookla Speedtest data, Norfolk's median download speed is 303Mbps, which is much faster than Richmond's 253Mbps. (Ookla is owned by CNET and Ziff Davis, the same parent company.)

If you are looking for a service that is faster than the city’s median speed, consider Cox or Verizon’s 2,000Mbps plan for $120 and $110 per month, respectively. Spectrum, Metrot, and Verizon also offer gigabit speeds, but depending on which providers in your home.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What is good internet speed?

Most Internet connectivity programs can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you are looking for an internet plan that can accommodate video conferencing, streaming videos or games, you will get better experience and have a stronger connection. According to the FCC, this is an overview of the minimum download speeds recommended for various applications. Note that these are just guides – Internet speed, services and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, see our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

• 0 to 5Mbps allows you to solve the basics – browse the internet, send and receive emails, and stream low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps provides you with higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should provide a user with enough bandwidth to meet the needs of modern remote office, video streaming and online gaming.
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to perform high bandwidth activities for two users simultaneously, such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high bandwidth activities simultaneously.

How to choose the best Internet provider in Norfolk

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. So 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.

But that's not over. 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 a local address on the provider's 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.

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

What is the last sentence for Norfolk internet providers?

In Norfolk, only a small percentage of fiber Internet via Verizon Fios, Metrot, and Cox are available, so you may not be able to access it. Instead, Cox's wired service is your best choice, with speed and higher coverage than Verizon offers.

Internet providers in Norfolk FAQs