Best Internet Providers in Virginia Beach, Virginia

What is the best internet provider in Virginia Beach?

For most customers, the best internet service provider in Virginia Beach is Cox Communications. Although all of the provider’s plans enforce a 1.25 terabyte data cap, customers won’t have to sign a contract to receive the lowest price possible per month. Cox also has the widest coverage in Virginia Beach, covering almost 99% of customers. If you’re interested in a fiber or fixed wireless ISP, Verizon Fios and T-Mobile Home Internet are also solid picks depending on what’s available at your location. If speed is what you need, Verizon and Cox offer speedy 2-gigabit plans, which is the fastest service you’ll find in the city.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Virginia Beach

• Satellite internet: No matter where you are in the country, satellite internet will always be an option. It’s probably not the best one. With high prices and slow speeds, providers like HughesNet, Viasat and Starlink shouldn’t be your go-to for broadband.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: If Verizon Fios isn’t available in your household, its fixed wireless network might be. For $50 per month, customers can reach speeds up to 300Mbps with no data cap or equipment fee. Customers can also upgrade their service to a gigabit of speed for $20 more per month.

Cheap internet options in Virginia Beach

The lowest-priced internet plans you’ll find in Virginia Beach cost $50 for around $300Mbps. If you’re a Verizon or T-Mobile mobile customer, you may be able to bundle your internet for as little as $35-$40 per month.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Virginia Beach

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

Virginia Beach internet providers, such as Cox Communications, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including T-Mobile and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

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

How fast is Virginia Beach broadband?

According to Ookla speed data, Virginia Beach has a median download speed of about 268Mbps, with Cox and Verizon being the city’s two fastest providers. If you want a more rapid internet connection, many providers offer plans faster than that. 

Cox Communications has a $120 per month 2,000Mbps plan, which is the fastest speed Virginia Beach residents can reach.

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 Federal Communications Commission. 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 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 Virginia Beach

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 FCC.gov. 

It doesn’t end there. We use 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? 

The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but 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 Virginia Beach?

As we like to say, you can’t go wrong with a fiber connection for your household. In addition to offering symmetrical download and upload speeds, fiber service is also less prone to lags and delays caused by network congestion. If you can get your hands on Verizon Fios in the Virginia Beach area, that should be your top pick for home internet. Fios coverage misses almost half of the area’s residents, so for most addresses, your top option will be Cox Communications. Cable may not be able to match all of fiber’s capabilities, but it’s still a reliable connection type that should allow most households to do all they need to do. 

Virginia Beach internet provider FAQs

What internet provider has the best coverage in Virginia Beach?

Cox’s coverage map extends across almost 99% of the Virginia Beach area, so its service will most likely be available at your address.