Internet Service Provider Review of San Diego
Spectrum is San Diego’s best overall provider
Oct 31, 2025 | Share 
Annual Review, Data and Research, Featured
San Diego households have no shortage of world-class internet providers. Spectrum and Cox’s major cable networks, AT&T’s superfast fiber plans, and T-Mobile and Verizon’s home internet services give customers lots of services to pick from. But which provider is the best in San Diego? Which is the fastest? Which is right for you?
We took a close look at the San Diego area’s internet service providers (ISPs) to help customers decide which service they should choose, comparing providers using real-world performance data from speed tests, a regional customer survey, and a thorough pricing analysis. Let’s see how San Diego’s internet providers stack up.
2026 San Diego Internet Awards
Best Overall
Spectrum is San Diego’s best overall internet provider with affordable rates, fast speeds, and excellent real-world performance.
Best Value
With the best internet deal in the area, Spectrum also takes the crown as the Best Value provider in San Diego.
Fastest
Cox is the fastest ISP in San Diego, according to nearly 30,000 unique speed test results, proving again that it can outpace the country’s top fiber and cable internet competitors alike.
Customer’s Choice
Verizon received the best customer feedback in a 1,250-person San Diego survey. Verizon customers gave it the best marks in all categories, including reliability, performance, and customer service.
Most Trusted
Verizon received the highest trust ratings from San Diego customers.
Easiest Switch
Cox is San Diego’s easiest internet switch with the smoothest onboarding experience.
Methodology
Our methodology uses three proprietary datasets to determine ISP quality: performance data gathered from the HighSpeedInternet.com speed test, pricing data from our internet plan index, and customer survey data.
See our detailed methodology for a breakdown on exactly how we determine the best ISPs for each region.
Why Spectrum is the Best Overall in San Diego
Spectrum’s cable internet is the best all-around service in San Diego, with a good balance of price and performance. It focuses on keeping the speeds fast and the rates low, and limits the extra costs with good policy. Spectrum performs at the top tier as well, with nearly the fastest real-world speeds in the area. Being the best internet provider means maintaining favorable conditions for customers across the board, and that’s precisely what Spectrum does.
“Reliable service with no downtime and high performance.”
—Spectrum customer
San Diego, CA
Why Spectrum is the Best Value in San Diego
Spectrum’s pricing is highly competitive; you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better value. It simply delivers more internet speed, performance, and features for the money. Taking a close look at the plans makes it crystal clear how much value Spectrum brings to its customers.
“Love the high-speed internet. Plus cheap on the price.”
—Spectrum customer
San Diego, CA
Best value internet plans in San Diego
| Plan | Price | Speed | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum Internet® Premier | $50/mo.* for 1 yr. | 500Mbps (wireless speeds may vary) | |
| Cox Go Even Faster | $80/mo.† | 500Mbps | |
| AT&T Internet 500 | $65/mo.‡ | 500Mbps | |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus | $60/mo.§ | 500Mbps | |
| T-Mobile Rely Home Internet | $50/mo.|| | 415Mbps |
Data as of 10/27/2025. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See disclaimers.
Spectrum’s plans definitely give customers the most bang for their buck in the San Diego area, no question. Its Premier internet plan delivers 500Mbps of internet speed for only $50 per month, with no data caps or contracts—that’s an exceptional deal for internet speeds that could handle a large household.
The only provider that comes close is T-Mobile, but even its advertised speeds don’t stand up to Spectrum’s. Plus, you’re likely to see worse performance on a 5G plan compared to a closed network like Spectrum’s cable internet.
Which internet provider can you get in San Diego?
Enter your zip code to see what’s available in your area.
Why Cox is the Fastest in San Diego
Cox is the fastest internet provider in San Diego, according to over 29,000 real-world speed tests. It never ceases to amaze us how Cox outperforms fiber providers in the country’s most competitive markets. In 2024, Cox was the nation’s fastest provider, even topping cutting-edge fiber providers like Google Fiber and Verizon Fios.
Cox maintains the fastest speeds by consistently upgrading its plan speeds, oftentimes at no charge to the customer, keeping residential customers’ connections competitive with increasing internet demands year-over-year. In 2023, Cox pushed a free speed upgrade for most of its internet plants, including doubling the speeds of its most popular internet plan from 250 to 500Mbps.
“Great service. I always have fast, reliable internet.”
—Cox customer
San Diego, CA
Why Verizon is the Customer’s Choice in San Diego
Our area analysis of San Diego included an extensive survey of over 1,200 San Diego internet customers. Verizon’s 5G home internet received the best direct feedback from customers. In fact, not only did Verizon receive the highest ratings on average, but Verizon also received the highest ratings for almost every individual category.
Verizon is one of the longest-standing internet providers in the country, with a brand synonymous with reliability and high performance. And that’s exactly what its customers echoed in our survey.
Why Verizon is the Most Trusted in San Diego
Verizon received the highest ratings across the board, but we want to call out the exceptionally high trust rating it received from surveyed customers. Verizon’s trust rating reached far above any other provider in San Diego. Digging deeper into additional customer sentiments from the survey shows why Verizon customers have more trust in their internet.
Customer reliability rating
| Provider | Reliability rating |
|---|---|
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | 4.47 |
| T-Mobile 5G Home Internet | 4.28 |
| AT&T Fiber | 4.27 |
| Spectrum | 4.18 |
| Cox | 4.08 |
Customers trust their internet provider when they can count on the service 24/7. If there’s anything Verizon is known for across all its services, it’s reliability. Verizon’s San Diego customers gave the highest reliability ratings by a significant margin.
Why Cox is the Easiest Internet Switch in San Diego
If you’re looking for a breezy internet switch in San Diego, Cox is your best bet. With self-install kits, a very intuitive app, and techs and live agents at the ready, getting up and running with Cox is as easy as it gets.
Disclaimers
* Limited time offer; subject to change; new residential customers only (no Spectrum services within past 30 days) and in good standing with Spectrum. Taxes and fees extra in select states. SPECTRUM INTERNET: Standard rates apply after promo period. Additional charge for installation. Speeds based on wired connection. Actual speeds (including wireless) vary and are not guaranteed. Capable modem required for all Gig speeds. For a list of capable modems, visit Spectrum.net/modem. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change. Not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. ©2025 Charter Communications, all rights reserved.
† Excludes taxes and fees. No annual contract. For 24 mos.
‡ Price includes $10/mo. discount when you sign up for paperless billing and AutoPay with a debit card or bank account. Or $5/mo. with a credit card.
§ Price per month with Auto Pay & without select 5G mobile plans. Consumer data usage is subject to the usage restrictions set forth in Verizon’s terms of service; visit: https://www.verizon.com/support/customer-agreement/ for more information about 5G Home and LTE Home Internet or https://www.verizon.com/about/terms-conditions/verizon-customer-agreement for Fios internet.
|| w/AutoPay. Guarantee exclusions like taxes and fees apply.
Author - Austin Aguirre
Austin worked as a broadband technician installing and troubleshooting countless home internet networks for some of the largest ISPs in the U.S. He became a freelance writer in 2020 specializing in software guides. After graduating with a BS in technical communication from Arizona State University, he joined the team at HighSpeedInternet.com where he focuses on home network improvement and troubleshooting.
Editor - Jessica Brooksby
Jessica loves bringing her passion for the written word and her love of tech into one space at HighSpeedInternet.com. She works with the team’s writers to revise strong, user-focused content so every reader can find the tech that works for them. Jessica has a bachelor’s degree in English from Utah Valley University and seven years of creative and editorial experience. Outside of work, she spends her time gaming, reading, painting, and buying an excessive amount of Legend of Zelda merchandise.
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