Best Internet Providers in Flagstaff, Arizona

What is the best internet provider in Flagstaff?

According to our CNET experts, Optimum is the best internet provider overall in Flagstaff for most households. The provider offers broad coverage in Flagstaff and fast speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second. However, Optimum service isn’t available everywhere in Flagstaff, so Quantum Fiber is also a solid pick, depending on what’s available at your address.

If you’re looking for the lowest price available, Flagstaff’s cheapest internet is Optimum’s $40-per-month 300Mbps plan with equipment included. Flagstaff’s fastest internet speed is a tie between Optimum’s 1,000Mbps cable plan and Quantum Fiber’s 940Mbps plan. Quantum Fiber offers equally fast uploads, but availability is extremely limited.

Best internet in Flagstaff, Arizona

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Flagstaff

• Bluespan: Bluespan is one of several fixed wireless ISPs that fill in coverage areas not reached by wired internet options like cable or DSL. Bluespan doesn’t advertise prices or speeds, so you must check with the company for coverage and plan information for your address. Fixed wireless makes sense for rural homes that don’t have good wired internet options. Also, consider it as an alternative to slow DSL. Coverage and speeds depend on your location and a good line of sight to a tower. Here’s how fixed wireless compares to other types of internet.
• Choice Broadband: Choice specializes in rural phone and internet service. Expect internet speeds up to 25Mbps. Plans start at $45 monthly with a $150 installation charge and a two-year contract. 
• Hospitality Wireless: Fixed wireless provider Hospitality Wireless covers much of the Flagstaff area with plans starting at $60 per month for speeds up to 30Mbps with a two-year contract. There are no data caps. 
• Satellite internet: If you live in a rural area near Flagstaff and can’t get decent service from one of our top-recommended ISPs, look into satellite internet from Starlink, Viasat or Hughesnet. It can be pricey, and speeds tend to be variable, but satellite is a viable option for remote locations. You’ll need a clear view of the sky, so keep that in mind if you’re in a heavily forested area.

Cheap internet options in Flagstaff

Optimum is the main ISP for Flagstaff and it also has the cheapest plan in town (not counting T-Mobile’s home internet bundle deal). The cable company’s 300Mbps plan runs $40 per month. If you happen to be in one of the few areas serviced by Quantum Fiber, then jump on the $50-per-month 500Mbps plan with symmetrical speeds. Otherwise, it’s tough to top Optimum’s price/speed equation in Flagstaff. 

What’s the cheapest internet plan in Flagstaff?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Flagstaff

The best internet deals and top promotions in Flagstaff depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Flagstaff internet providers, such as Optimum, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including Quantum Fiber and Bluespan, tend to run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals. 

How fast is Flagstaff broadband?

Despite a lack of multi-gig options and fiber internet, Flagstaff turned in a decent performance in a recent Ookla speed test report. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) The city in the pines pulled down a median fixed internet download speed of 273Mbps, which is more than Arizona’s speed test average as a whole. Optimum checks in as Flagstaff’s fastest provider, which makes sense considering it has little competition. CenturyLink’s widespread but slow DSL network doesn’t put up much of a fight and Quantum Fiber is hard to find.

Fastest internet plans in Flagstaff

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

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

• 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics: browsing the internet, sending and receiving email and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Flagstaff

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov. 

It doesn’t end there: We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication. 

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions: 

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? 
• Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying? 
• Are customers happy with their service? 

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Flagstaff?

Flagstaff can be a tricky place for internet. Most residents will choose to go with Optimum thanks to availability and a gig speed tier if you need zippier downloads. It also offers one of the most affordable plans in town at the 300Mbps level. Give weight to Quantum Fiber and its symmetrical speeds if you happen to live in a pocket of coverage. If Optimum doesn’t work out for you, then check into T-Mobile’s 5G home internet offerings. After that, get in touch with Bluespan or another fixed wireless provider. Rural and remote homes may need to investigate a fallback option like Starlink satellite internet. 

Internet providers in Flagstaff FAQs

What internet provider has the best coverage in Flagstaff?

Lumen, the parent company of CenturyLink and Quantum Fiber, has the widest wired coverage across Flagstaff, according to FCC data. The combined DSL and fiber network reaches just over 92% of homes. Optimum’s cable network isn’t far behind at just over 88%.