What is the best internet provider in Santa Ana, California?
Surprisingly, there aren’t many internet providers in Santa Ana. After reviewing the available options, AT&T Fiber was at the top of our list as the best internet provider in Santa Ana for most households. Although it doesn’t offer the best coverage, AT&T Fiber offers by far the fastest speeds in the city. It’s also the only fiber optic provider in the region, meaning you get the same upload and download speeds – ideal for working from home or gaming online. It also offers some of the most hassle-free and affordable prices you can find from an Internet service provider. Prices start at $55 per month for the 300 Mbps plan and go up to $245 per month.
If you are looking for the lowest prices, spectrum has the cheapest internet rates in Santa Ana for $30 per month for 100 Mbps. What’s even better is that Spectrum is available almost everywhere in the city, making it a solid option as standard if AT&T Fiber isn’t available at your address. The biggest downside is that Spectrum increases prices significantly after a year or two.
If you don’t want to worry about these built-in price increases, Verizon 5G home internet is the best WiFi provider in Santa Ana. There’s no guarantee this won’t increase your rates, but unlike Spectrum, they won’t come on time and probably won’t be that egregious.
Best Internet in Santa Ana, California
Compare internet providers in Santa Ana
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber Read the full review |
fiber | $55-$245 | 300-5,000 Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| AT&T Internet Read the full review |
DSL | $55 | Up to 140 Mbps | None | 1.5TB on some plans | None | 7.4 |
| spectrum Read the full review |
Cable | $30-$70 | 100-1,000 Mbps | $10 (500 Mbps plan only) | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed WiFi | $50-70 | 72-245 Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G home internet Read the full review |
Fixed WiFi | $50-70 ($35-45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 100-300 Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Santa Ana?
| Provider | Starting price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum Internet Read the full review |
$30 | 100 Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| Spectrum Internet Read the full review |
$50 | 500 Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| Verizon 5G home internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible wireless plans) | 100 Mbps | None |
| AT&T Internet 300 Read the full review |
$55 | 300 Mbps | None |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($40 with eligible wireless plans) | 245 Mbps | None |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Santa Ana, California
The best internet deals and top promotions in Santa Ana depend on what discounts are available at any given time. Most offers are short-lived, but we regularly check for the latest offers.
Santa Ana internet providers like Verizon 5G Home Internet and AT&T Fiber may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including Spectrum, offer the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more detailed list of promotions, see our guide on the The best internet offers.
Fastest Internet Rates in Santa Ana, California
| Provider | Starting price | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Internet 5000 Read the full review |
$245 | 5,000 Mbps | 5,000 Mbps | None | fiber |
| AT&T Internet 2000 Read the full review |
$145 | 2,000 Mbps | 2,000 Mbps | None | fiber |
| AT&T Internet 1000 Read the full review |
$80 | 1,000 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps | None | fiber |
| Spectrum Internet Gig Read the full review |
$70 | 1,000 Mbps | 35 Mbps | None | Cable |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is 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 allows for video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more stable connection. Here you will find an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications. according to the FCC. Please note that these are guidelines only and that internet speeds, service and performance vary depending on connection type, provider and address.
For more information, see our guide at How much internet speed you really need.
- With 0 to 5 Mbps, you can handle the basics: surf the web, send and receive emails, and stream low-quality videos.
- With 5 to 40 Mbit/s you get higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
- 40 to 100 Mbps should provide a user with enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming, and online gaming.
- 100 to 500 Mbps allows one to two users to participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming at the same time.
- With 500 to 1,000 Mbps, three or more users can participate in high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.
How CNET chose the best Internet providers in Santa Ana
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest one Smartphone, laptop, routers or kitchen toolIt is impractical to personally test every ISP in a particular city. What is our approach? We begin by researching pricing, availability and speed information, relying on our own historical ISP data, provider locations and Federal Communications Commission map information FCC.gov.
But it doesn’t stop there: We go to the FCC’s website to review our data and make sure we’re including every ISP that offers service in an area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power to evaluate how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; All information provided is correct at the time of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Are customers getting fair value for what they pay?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
The answers to these questions are often multi-faceted and complex, but the providers that are most likely to answer “yes” to all three questions are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, but also consider things like price increases, device fees, and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively easy. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla And FCC reports. (Disclaimer: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
To explore our process in more detail, visit our how we test ISPs Page.
Frequently asked questions about Internet providers in Santa Ana
What is the best internet provider in Santa Ana?
AT&T Fiber is the best internet provider in Santa Ana. It offers by far the fastest speeds and is the only fiber optic internet provider in the city. Unlike Spectrum, AT&T Fiber doesn’t automatically increase its prices after a year or two.
Is fiber optic internet available in Santa Ana?
Yes, fiber optic internet is reported to be available to 29% of Santa Ana households FCC data. AT&T Fiber is the only internet provider offering fiber optic internet in the area.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Santa Ana?
Spectrum is the cheapest internet provider in Santa Ana, with plans starting at $30 per month for 100 Mbps.
Which internet provider in Santa Ana offers the fastest rate?
AT&T Fiber offers the fastest plan in Santa Ana with upload and download speeds of up to 5,000 Mbps.
