Best Internet Providers in Bakersfield, California

Those that reside in Bakersfield, California, have a combined bag in terms of the web. The nice? It seems that 100% of residents have entry to a plan with no less than 100Mbps obtain and 20Mbps add speeds — the Federal Communications Commission’s proposed minimum for broadband — and it’s one of many top 50 cities within the nation by median pace. 

Then what is the unhealthy? The choices for high-speed internet in Bakersfield are nonetheless very restricted. Whereas AT&T Fiber is now accessible to round one in 5 households (with costs beginning at $55), Spectrum is the one choice in lots of neighborhoods. Wi-fi suppliers like T-Mobile and Verizon additionally supply house web plans, however their speeds are inclined to fluctuate greater than wired connections. Plans provided by each suppliers begin at $50 and go as much as $70 or $75, respectively.

On the intense facet, in 2022 the Bakersfield City Council approved a cope with SiFi Networks to construct and keep a fiber community alongside each road within the metropolis for free of charge to taxpayers. SiFi will then promote community entry to non-public web suppliers. In keeping with a presentation given to the Board of Supervisors, residents would pay about $60 every month for 10,000Mbps. For comparability, AT&T at the moment fees $245 for five,000Mbps. However the venture is at the moment within the design part, with no clear timetable for development.

Finest web choices in Bakersfield

CNET examines customer support, pace, pricing and total worth earlier than recommending the very best broadband in your space. For a very long time, Spectrum was basically the one choice for high-speed web in Bakersfield. Then, in 2015, AT&T agreed to increase its fiber-optic community to twenty new metro areas inside 4 years as part of its deal to purchase DirecTV. In 2017, AT&T Fiber officially launched in Bakersfield, instantly turning into the town’s finest web choice. Nonetheless, fiber networks are solely accessible to about 25% of Bakersfield households.

Be aware: The costs, speeds and options detailed within the article textual content might differ from these listed within the product element playing cards, which signify suppliers’ nationwide choices. Your explicit web service choices — together with costs and speeds — rely in your deal with and will differ from these detailed right here.

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge.

What different web choices are there in Bakersfield?

We expect the three suppliers highlighted above are your finest choices for web in Bakersfield, however there are just a few different ISPs you may think about:

• Applied Technology Group: For residents in rural areas round Bakersfield, Utilized Expertise Group provides mounted wi-fi web plans with speeds as much as 35Mbps. If the selection is between Utilized and satellite tv for pc web, we’d in all probability go along with Utilized. However in each different state of affairs, there’s in all probability a greater choice. 
• unWired Broadband: That is one other mounted wi-fi supplier within the space, with plans beginning at $60 month-to-month. It’s focused towards folks dwelling in rural areas; once we requested them for a quote for an deal with within the metropolis, they really beneficial we glance into Spectrum or AT&T as an alternative. For those who can’t get the rest, unWired could also be value a glance.
• Satellite internet: Firms like Hughesnet and Viasat supply web service at nearly each deal with within the nation, nevertheless it’s solely your only option if it’s your solely choice. Satellite tv for pc web comes with sluggish speeds, low knowledge caps and excessive costs. One exception is Starlink, which supplies considerably quicker speeds however prices $120 a month with a $349 gear charge upfront.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Like T-Cellular, Verizon’s house web service provides wi-fi web all through Bakersfield. It has three plans: $50 a month for obtain speeds as much as 85Mbps or $70 for speeds as much as 250Mbps. Each plans get a good low cost when bundled with qualifying Verizon 5G cellular plans.

Pricing particulars on Bakersfield house web service

Bakersfield residents can anticipate to pay between $50 and $90 a month for web service, which is about common for cities throughout the nation. That mentioned, there’s a lack of really low-cost web plans within the metropolis, with solely Spectrum providing beginning costs at $30 a month.

Most cost-effective web plans in Bakersfield

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge.

Quickest web plans in Bakersfield

There are solely two suppliers providing gig speeds — obtain speeds reaching 1,000Mbps — however they’re each good choices. AT&T’s fiber plans go all the way in which as much as 5,000Mbps, which is excess of most individuals want, nevertheless it’s a pleasant choice for ultra-connected good properties. Whereas Spectrum’s obtain speeds attain 1,000Mbps, households that do plenty of working from house or gaming would possibly run into points with its 35Mbps add speeds. 

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge.

How CNET selected the very best web suppliers in Bakersfield

Web service suppliers are quite a few and regional. In contrast to the most recent smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it is impractical to personally take a look at each web service supplier in a given metropolis. What’s our method? For starters, we faucet right into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and pace info that attracts from our personal historic ISP knowledge, accomplice knowledge and mapping info from the Federal Communications Fee at FCC.gov. 

It doesn’t finish there: We go to the FCC’s web site to examine our knowledge and guarantee we think about each ISP that gives service in an space. We additionally enter native addresses on supplier web sites to seek out particular choices for residents. We have a look at sources, together with the American Buyer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Energy, to judge how blissful clients are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and costs are topic to frequent adjustments; all info offered is correct as of publication. 

As soon as now we have this localized info, we ask three fundamental questions: 

• Does the supplier supply entry to fairly quick web speeds? 
• Do clients get respectable worth for what they’re paying? 
• Are clients proud of their service? 

Whereas the solutions to these questions are sometimes layered and complicated, the suppliers that come closest to “sure” on all three are those we advocate. When choosing the most cost effective web service, we search for the plans with the bottom month-to-month charge, though we additionally consider issues like worth will increase, gear charges and contracts. Selecting the quickest web service is comparatively simple. We have a look at marketed add and obtain speeds and think about real-world pace knowledge from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the identical father or mother firm as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To discover our course of in additional depth, go to our how we test ISPs web page.

What’s the ultimate phrase on web suppliers in Bakersfield?

Bakersfield residents aren’t precisely swimming in nice choices for web, however all residents have entry to no less than one supplier providing 100/20Mbps speeds — the brand new minimal broadband pace proposed by the FCC. Whereas AT&T Fiber is by far your best option within the metropolis, not all residents have entry to their fiber plans. Nonetheless, Spectrum and T-Cellular are each good backup choices.

Bakersfield web FAQs