Trey Paul
2025-05-16 07:30:00
www.cnet.com
Your internet connection is more important than ever. Whether you’re working remotely, taking online classes, streaming your favorite shows or running a smart home, your internet service provider plays a key role in keeping everything running smoothly. In fact, it’s become as essential as your other utilities like gas, water and electricity.
One of the simplest ways to ensure you’re getting the service you’re paying for is to run a speed test. It gives you a quick look at the download and upload speeds your provider is delivering in megabits per second.
Several reliable speed tests are available online. However, this page focuses on results from Speedtest.net, a widely used platform created by Ookla. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Those reports are based on millions of tests run by internet users across the country.
Where did Xfinity place among the top US internet providers?
For the most recent data (July to December 2024), Xfinity found itself in third place — behind AT&T Fiber and Verizon Fios — among the country’s biggest ISPs. It had a Speed Score (which Ookla defines as a combination of download and upload performance) of just over 251.
Fastest fixed internet providers in the US
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To qualify as one of the country’s top internet providers, an ISP must appear in 3% or more of the total test data taken during the six-month period. For example, Ziply Fiber, a provider that services the Northwest, boasts the country’s fastest residential internet plan at 50 gigabits per second. But because it’s only available in that portion of the country, it won’t show up on the national list (although it certainly registered as the fastest provider in the state of Washington).
Also of note is that the 3% threshold is based on the data taken from tests run by customers across the country, not simply whether a provider covers 3% of the country. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, for example, is now available to 70% of the country, according to the Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Map. However, its customer base, which has grown to nearly 7 million subscribers, was not quite large enough for it to crack into consideration on the top list.
Ookla speed test info doesn’t use its dataset’s average (or mean) but the median, aiming to better represent the typical customer’s experience.
Does every Xfinity customer get 251Mbps?
Although Xfinity speed test results with Ookla garnered a Speed Score of 251, that doesn’t equate to every Xfinity subscriber getting at least 251Mbps. However, it does show that most Xfinity customers will have a consistent internet experience. Ookla has a “Consistency” ranking — which shows the percentage of results registered above broadband speed (based on the FCC’s old 25Mbps download and 3Mbps upload, not the more recent designation of 100/20) — and Xfinity landed in third place, with a 92.4% rating.
That can also be combined with the FCC’s findings that more than 90% of participants experienced actual median download speeds of at least 95% of the ISP’s advertised download speed. That’s certainly another good way to determine consistency for the customer. But what are the advertised speeds offered by Xfinity?
Available Xfinity internet speeds
Most ISPs offer three or four speed tiers but Xfinity is unique because it boasts sixn internet speed options. That’s quite a bit more choice for customers than one usually encounters.
Xfinity speed tiers
Plan | Monthly price | Max speeds | Fees and service details |
---|---|---|---|
Connect More | $40 ($83 after 12 months) | 400Mbps download, 150Mbps upload | Equipment and unlimited data free for 1 year; $15 gateway rental after 12 months |
Fast | $45 ($98 after 12 months) | 600Mbps download, 150Mbps upload | Equipment and unlimited data free for 1 year; $15 gateway rental after 12 months |
Gigabit | $50 ($108 after 12 months) | 1,100Mbps download, 300Mbps upload | Equipment and unlimited data free for 1 year; $15 gateway rental after 12 months |
Gigabit Extra | $70 ($113 after 12 months) | 1,300Mbps download, 300Mbps upload | Equipment and unlimited data free for 1 year; $15 gateway rental after 12 months |
Gigabit X2 | $90 ($116 after 12 months) | 2,000Mbps download, 300Mbps upload | Equipment and unlimited data free for 1 year; $15 gateway rental after 12 months |
Gigabit Pro (fiber) | $300 | 10,000Mbps download, 10,000Mbps upload | $20 gateway rental (required), unlimited data, 2-year contract |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
For Xfinity, all plans are a hybrid fiber-coaxial cable connection so customers’ download speeds will be much faster than their upload speeds. The one exception is the Gigabit Pro plan, which is a 100% fiber connection. While it’s theoretically available throughout Xfinity’s national footprint, FCC numbers indicate it’s only available to approximately 4% of Xfinity’s customer base.
US states where Xfinity was the top ISP
Comcast’s Xfinity internet service is available in 39 states, giving it a decent chance at grabbing the top spot in several areas. It grabbed the crown for five regions, second only to AT&T Fiber at 18.
US cities where Xfinity was the top ISP
The Ookla data only considers the country’s top 100 most populous cities for city speeds. On that list, Xfinity was the fastest provider in eight towns, second again only to AT&T Fiber, which grabbed the top spot in 17 US cities.
Final thoughts on Xfinity’s speed test results
If you’ve read any of CNET’s home internet coverage, you’ve heard us say that fiber internet trumps cable internet in almost every way. That’s undoubtedly true. But most fiber ISPs with a large national footprint — AT&T, Frontier, Optimum and Verizon — don’t offer fiber internet plans exclusively. Their coverage areas include a mix of slower connection types, like digital subscriber line. The speed test results in those areas will be significantly lower than the fiber numbers, thus making the providers’ total numbers lower. But Xfinity and other cable internet providers that don’t have to deal with DSL dragging down their numbers will see a much more consistent performance across the country. In that way, cable trumps the fiber-DSL combo.
Xfinity speed test FAQs
Why should I bother to run an Xfinity speed test?
If you feel like your internet connection is performing poorly, running a speed test is one of the quickest ways to see if you’re getting the speed your ISP advertised. If you’re getting the internet speed you’re paying for then perhaps your struggles mean you need to upgrade to a faster plan. But if your speed test results show speeds below what is advertised, then further investigation is warranted. It could be an issue with your provider (especially if you ran the test while connected via Ethernet cable), or you may have uncovered some problems with your Wi-Fi connection.
How fast is Xfinity’s cheapest plan?
Xfinity is unique in that it offers several speed tiers. While the Connect More plan, at 400Mbps, is the cheapest regular tier it offers, it does have a low-cost option for eligible households that’s even cheaper. Xfinity Internet Essentials features plans for 50Mbps to 100Mbps.
What is a good speed for Xfinity?
During a recent earnings call, Comcast executives noted that nearly one-third of its customer base subscribes to its Gigabit Extra plan. That said, Xfinity speed test data from Ookla shows that Xfinity’s median download speed is around 251Mbps, and recent data from OpenVault shows that most US subscribers (approximately 36%) receive 200Mbps to 400Mbps. Ultimately, a “good speed” depends on the needs of your household. The more internet users (and connected devices) you have, the greater your need for a higher internet speed tier.
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