The Fastest ISPs of 2016

Internet service providers (ISPs) in the US are getting faster on average all the time. Most ISPs show gains in our PCMag Speed Index score year to year.

There are only a couple of notable exceptions. If we narrow things down to the "major" ISPs—those with the biggest footprint nationally, and the biggest customer base, we see a major change in our Fastest ISP coverage that dates back to when we started the series in 2010. This is the first time that Verizon FiOS isn't a clear winner. FiOS certainly is a winner—but FiOS's PCMag Speed Index is in an almost perfect tie with Comcast's Xfinity service. Comcast has been pushing speeds ever faster in the face of growing competition and regulation that prevented its merger with TWC. That has translated into great things for customers, obviously. The differences between the two services are stark, of course: FiOS fiber has symmetrical speeds (in fact, its national upload speed average is higher than its download speed!); Xfinity's cable-based service is all about download speed, reaching a 59.4Mbps number; it's the 10.6Mbps upload that drags down its index. It all leads to a mathematical tie that's almost too close to call.