When I last visited Annapolis, its internet service providers were far from my mind. I was preoccupied with the area’s renowned crab cakes. But residents of this historic city on the Chesapeake Bay have a handful of broadband options. The area is dominated by two nationally known brands, cable provider Xfinity and DSL/fiber provider Verizon. You can find a few other choices, including 5G home internet and cheaper cable internet plans from Astound Broadband, but most area households will be choosing between the two major players.
What is the best overall internet in Annapolis?
Verizon Fios is CNET’s pick for the best overall internet provider in Annapolis. It’s got the distinct advantage of being the only extensive fiber internet provider in the area. Additionally, it boasts straightforward pricing, symmetrical speeds and high customer satisfaction ratings. CNET examines customer service, speed, pricing and overall value before recommending the best broadband in your area.
Your ISP choices will vary depending on your location, but most in the area are capable of delivering gigabit speeds. All prices listed on this page reflect available discounts for setting up paperless billing. If you decide not to go with automatic monthly payments, your price will be higher.
Best internet options in Annapolis
Our general rule of thumb when it comes to home internet connection types is that fiber rules. It’s the most reliable form of broadband and is less prone to outages or slowdowns due to network congestion. That’s why Verizon Fios is head of the class in Annapolis. But if you can’t get fiber at your house, all is not lost. You can lean on Xfinity’s superior range of plan selections, Astound Broadband’s cheap promo prices or 5G home internet from Verizon and T-Mobile.
Note: The prices, speeds and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed in the product detail cards, representing providers’ national offerings. Your particular internet service options — including prices and speeds — depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.
Verizon Fios
Best overall
Price range
$50 – $120 per month
Speed range
300 – 2,000Mbps
Connection
Fiber
Key Info
Unlimited data, no contracts, free equipment with gig service
Verizon Fios is the company’s 100% fiber-optic internet service. Expect straightforward pricing, symmetrical download and upload speeds and decent perks (including a free season of NFL Sunday Ticket for subscribers to the company’s gigabit plan).
Availability: While Verizon covers 95% of households in Annapolis, according to the Federal Communications Commission, not all of that is Verizon Fios. Some pockets of Annapolis will have to deal with Verizon’s older DSL technology. If that’s the case, turn to Xfinity.
Plans and pricing: Verizon Fios features three plan options. The cheapest plan offers 300 megabits per second download and upload speed for $50 per month. The top, 1-gig plan (940/880Mbps) costs $90 monthly. In the middle is a 500Mbps plan for $70 per month. There’s a two- to four-year price guarantee (depending on your selected