Internet providers in Portland, OR

What is the best internet provider in Portland?

• CenturyLink - Low-cost options
• Xfinity - High speeds widely available
• Frontier - No-contract plans available
• Viasat - Widely available
• HughesNet - Perfect for rural areas

Carrie Brownstein once declared that the dream of the ’90s was alive in Portland. But when it comes to ISPs (Internet Service Providers), Oregon’s largest city is fully situated in the twenty-first century with its range of options for high-speed internet and cheap Wi-Fi.

CenturyLink and Xfinity both have the widest coverage across the Portland metro area. Both also offer extra fast, gigabit internet plans (i.e., speeds up to 1,000 Mbps). And Xfinity boasts a stunningly fast 2 Gbps (2,000 Mbps) option for heavy-duty internet users—like folks who livestream their video gameplay or upload video content to cloud servers. Nine smaller providers, including InfoStructure and Sawtooth Technologies, also offer fiber and DSL options for homes and businesses.

Frontier’s fiber-optic network offers speeds up to 940 Mbps in parts of the Portland metro area. Frontier covers the Southwest and Southeast neighborhoods of the city, but its network mainly spans the surrounding suburbs of Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties. Those living in rural areas can tap into satellite internet with Viasat or HughesNet.

Highest-rated internet providers in Portland

Of all the providers available in Stumptown, Xfinity is the clear standout in our 2018 customer satisfaction survey, coming in fifth place on a list of 12 ISPs across the country. CenturyLink and Frontier took ninth and tenth place respectively in terms of overall satisfaction. The 2019 J.D. Power survey puts Xfinity at third place in the West of the United States, second place in the South, and first place in the North Central region.

When you look at the numbers, it may be surprising to see that CenturyLink and Frontier rank low in our customer satisfaction survey in terms of speed. But the results could be skewed because these ISPs provide both fiber-optic and DSL connections. DSL runs through the copper wiring of your landline phone, making it much slower than fiber technology.

Nationwide, only 25% of the population can access fiber-optic service. Lucky for you, CenturyLink and Frontier are both widely available in Rip City and the wider metro area. Make sure to check if a fiber connection through either ISP is available in your neighborhood, as it can vastly improve your download and upload speeds and cut down on streaming latency.

When it comes to cheap Wi-Fi, Frontier takes the lead in our survey, ranking fourth in terms of monthly billing. CenturyLink, whose package prices skew higher, comes in ninth.

Here’s one last notable tidbit: Xfinity has been known for inadequate customer service in the past, but the 2019 report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index shows it making 2% gains on overall satisfaction rankings compared to 2018. That’s a notable change over one year, especially considering that Xfinity’s ACSI rankings didn’t change at all between 2017 and 2018.

Fastest internet service providers in Portland

CenturyLink offers internet at speeds up to 1000 Mbps

Xfinity offers internet at speeds up to 1000 Mbps

Frontier offers internet at speeds up to 100 Mbps

InfoStructure offers internet at speeds up to 50 Mbps

Those with a truly ravenous need for internet speed should look into Xfinity’s Gigabit Pro internet plan, which offers speeds of 2 Gbps (i.e., 2,000 Mbps) and goes for $299.95 a month with a two-year agreement. Don’t worry if you can’t afford the price: 2 Gbps download speeds are like having a Formula One race car in your garage. You won’t need it unless you’re a competitive gamer, video editor, or other kind of super-internet user, consuming tons of bandwidth on a regular basis.

For everyone else, Xfinity boasts 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps) speeds on its cable network, which is still lightning fast, with packages starting at $70 a month for the first 12 months with a one-year agreement. If that’s too painful for your wallet, Xfinity’s Performance Starter plan only costs $29.99 a month, although it’s considerably slower at 15 Mbps.

As for other gigabit plans, CenturyLink edges in with a more affordable option, featuring up to 940 Mbps download speeds in some parts of Portland, starting at $65 per month.* Make sure to check if CenturyLink’s fiber network covers your area, because otherwise you’ll have to settle for slower (but still dependable) DSL. Or, you can go with Frontier’s fiber plans if you’re in the suburbs.

Frontier doesn’t cover much of Portland itself, but its network does span across the surrounding metro area. The company’s much-ballyhooed FiOS fiber network allows for max speeds of 940 Mbps. Frontier also offers the Simply FiOS 50/50 plan featuring symmetrical upload and download speeds of 50 Mbps each. This makes it easier to upload large files and use cloud-based services. And it’s an affordable $29.99 a month.^†

*Rate requires paperless billing and excludes taxes. Additional fees apply. Speeds may not be available in your area. Maximum download/upload speed of up to 940 Mbps via a wired connection.

^†per month for 12 months. Actual speeds may vary. Installation, Equipment fees, Internet Infrastructure Surcharge, taxes & other fees apply. Services subject to availability and all applicable terms and conditions.

Portland residential internet coverage

Famed for its thriving arts scene, award-winning craft beers, and advanced manufacturing industry, Portland is a fast-growing regional hub with plenty of options for both high-speed internet and cheap Wi-Fi.

Not every provider has service in Portland, so take a gander to see who operates in your part of town. Xfinity and CenturyLink have a prominent presence across the metro area, stretching from downtown out to many of the suburbs in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. They also have network service in the Washington State city of Vancouver, just across the Columbia River.

If you live anywhere farther south, east, or west in the metro area then you’ll be good to go with Frontier. Its network begins in Southwest and Southeast Portland neighborhoods like Raleigh Hills and Lents and radiates outwards from there. However, it’s mostly unavailable within Portland and Vancouver city limits, and also doesn’t have coverage in the area around Jennings Lodge and Gladstone.

Local provider InfoStructure covers parts of Portland. Washington-based company Sawtooth Technologies has fiber coverage in the Northeast and Northwest quadrants of Portland, heading west into Multnomah County. Either of them may be worth looking into, since local ISPs are known to offer more accessible and reliable customer service compared to national competitors.

 Last but not least, HughesNet and Viasat provide satellite coverage in and around Portland, but it’s mostly useful in areas where fiber, cable, or DSL options aren’t available. Hard to reach pockets of the Willamette Valley might require satellite service.

Portland has fast internet in the Silicon Forest.

We can’t talk about Portland without mentioning the city of Hillsboro, the famed tech hub in Washington County.

The fastest internet you’ll find in the Silicon Forest comes from Xfinity, with speeds up to 2 Gbps (2,000) Mbps through the Gigabit Pro plan. CenturyLink offers its Fiber Internet plan in Hillsboro, featuring 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps) download speeds starting at $65 a month. You can get Frontier’s Simply FiOS Gig Service for 1 Gbps at $79.99 per month. There’s also Frontier’s Simply FiOS 500/500 plan, which gives you symmetrical upload/download speeds starting at $39.99 a month.

Xfinity’s cable lines extend across the Tualatin Valley, covering much of Silicon Forest. CenturyLink covers the area around the Hillsboro Airport and other parts of the city. Frontier covers the whole area except for a patch of territory immediately north of US Route 26.