Scottsdale, Arizona, has limited fiber deployment. According to CNET, your best choice is to get a fiber connection from CenturyLinkIt is also known as Quantum fiber. If the operator does not provide services to the address, Cox is your next best bet: Although the download speed is high, the upload speed is slower because it is a cable operator.
Our team recommends the best internet services in Scottsdale in a variety of categories, taking into account speed, pricing, customer service and overall value. Our assessment includes referring to our own databases built on reviews of Internet services over the years. Validate it against provider information by spot checking the local address for service availability. We also read the provider’s terms and conditions in detail and will call ISPS to find out more if necessary.
Despite our efforts to find the latest and accurate information, there are some limitations to our process that we need to know. Pricing and speed data fluctuates. Certain addresses may qualify for different service classes and may vary even with monthly costs within the city. The best way to identify a specific option is to connect your address to the provider’s website.
The prices mentioned in the text of this article are from our research and include applicable discounts (standard industry offerings) for setting up automated payments each month. Other discounts and promotions may also be available, such as committing to a contract or bundling it into a mobile plan.
It covers the in-depth process of reviewing broadband service providers on its methodology page.
Best Internet Options in Scottsdale
Scottsdale residents have three main options when it comes to the Internet: CenturyLink (now known as quantum fiber), Cox and T-Mobile Home Internet. We’ve also outlined other providers below, but it’s only worth considering if you can’t get one of the top three.
Scottsdale’s internet providers have been compared
| Provider | Internet Technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly Equipment Cost | Data Cap | contract | CNET Review Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink Read the full review |
DSL | $55 | 5-100mbps | $15 (optional) | none | none | 6.7 |
| CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber | fiber | $50- $95 | 500-2,000Mbps | none | none | none | 6.7 |
| Cox Read the full review |
cable | $50-$130 | 100-2,000Mbps | none | 1.25TB with some plans | none | 6.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-50 on a qualified mobile plan) | 87-415Mbps | none | none | none | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with a qualified mobile plan) | 50-250Mbps | none | none | none | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other available Scottsdale residential internet providers
I think CenturyLink, Cox and T-Mobile are the best bets for Scottsdale’s internet, but there are a few other options worth considering.
- Phoenix Internet: Phoenix Internet, which is available to approximately 11% of Scottsdale households, offers fixed wireless connectivity. The plan starts at $65 a month at just 50Mbps and goes up to $95 at 100Mbps. The faster 300Mbps and 1000Mbps plans are available for $115 and $140 respectively. However, high speed plans are very limited. It is worth considering whether the only other option is a satellite or a DSL.
- Satellite InternetSatellite Internet must be a last resort. The list of drawbacks, such as long contracts, slow speeds, low data caps, and high delays is long. Hughesnet and Viasat are the longest-running satellite providers in the country, but Starlink has been offering another option in recent years. All of them have higher advance costs for equipment.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Like T-Mobile, Verizon uses a wide range of cellular networks to provide home internet to the Scottsdale area. However, it can only be used by approximately half of the city’s households.
Scottsdale Home Internet Services Pricing Information
The starting price for internet in Scottsdale averages around $52 per month, which is comparable to nearby cities such as Mesa and Phoenix. CenturyLink’s fiber plans are the cheapest option in terms of value, starting at $50 per month, with a higher than average starting speed of 500Mbps, but availability may be limited. If you bundle your home internet services with a qualified mobile plan, you can get comparable monthly prices from T-Mobile and Verizon.
Cheap Internet Options in Scottsdale, Arizona
| Provider | Starting price | Maximum download speed | Monthly Equipment Fees | contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber | $50 | 500mbps | none | none |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 on a qualified mobile plan) | 318Mbps | none | none |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 on a qualified mobile plan) | 85Mbps | none | none |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Scottsdale broadband speeds
Three providers in Scottsdale offer gig speeds. 1,000Mbps is more than sufficient download speeds in most homes, but many online gaming and working from home can cause problems with slower upload speeds from Cox and Verizon.
Fastest Internet Plans in Scottsdale
| Provider | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | Starting price | Data Cap | contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cox 2 gig Read the full review |
2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $130 | 1.25TB | none |
| CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber 2 gig | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $95 | none | none |
| Cox 1 gig Read the full review |
1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $90 | 1.25TB | none |
| CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber 940Mbps | 940mbps | 940mbps | $75 | none | none |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is the last word from an internet provider in Scottsdale?
Scottsdale has fewer high-speed internet options than many other cities of its size. Cox is available almost anywhere – to ensure you get a more or less solid internet connection – but it is the only option in many parts of the city. In Scottsdale, fiber internet is relatively sparse and CenturyLink is the only provider that offers symmetric speeds.
How CNET Selected the Best Internet Providers in Scottsdale
There are many internet service providers and are local. Unlike the latest smartphones, laptops, routers and kitchen tools, it is unrealistic to personally test all ISPs in a particular city. What is our approach? To start off, leverage our own database of pricing, availability and speed information drawn from FCC.Gov’s Federal Communications Commission.
This guide utilizes an in-house artificial intelligence tool called RAMP. This is trained in our own writing and uses a database to generate content about a particular Internet service provider that writers can use to determine and present specific guide picks. For more information about how your team uses (and not) AI tools, please check CNET’s AI policies.
The database is not exhaustive, so visit the FCC website to review key data yourself and make sure you are considering all ISPs that will serve you in the area. Plans and prices vary from location to location, so enter your local address on the provider’s website to find specific options available to residents. To assess how happy a customer is with an ISP service, we consider sources such as the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power. ISP plans and prices are subject to change frequently. All information provided is accurate at the time of our previous publicly published fact check.
Once you have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider provide access to fairly fast internet speeds?
- Are customers getting decent value for what they are paying for?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
The answers to these questions are often layered and complicated, but all three recommend the providers closest to “yes.” To explore the process in more detail, see How to Test the ISPS Page.
Scottsdale Internet FAQ
Which is the best internet service provider in Scottsdale?
CenturyLink (rebranded as Quantum Fiber) is the best internet service provider in Scottsdale. It offers fiber internet for just $50 a month at a speed starting at 500Mbps. Cox is another solid option, costing $50 a month at a speed of 250Mbps. T-Mobile also offers 5G home internet for $50 a month at speeds up to 318Mbps, but its fixed wireless connections are less reliable than cables and fiber.
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Is Fiber Internet available in Scottsdale?
Yes, Fiber Internet is available in Scottsdale. CenturyLink offers fiber internet, focused on the neighborhoods of Arcadia, Papago Parkway and Vista Del Camino. Some plans do not offer up to 940Mbps, long-term contracts, unlimited data, or free equipment. Cox also offers fibers with speeds up to 2,000Mbps.
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