Verizon Fios is the best internet service provider overall for most households in Maryland because of speed, straightforward plans and availability across most of the state’s major metro areas. That being said, Verizon Fios service isn’t available everywhere in Maryland, so Xfinity or T-Mobile Home Internet are also solid picks, depending on what’s available in your area. If you’re on the hunt for the lowest prices or the fastest speeds, we’ve also found those top options. The cheapest internet in Maryland is Breezeline’s cable offering of 100 megabits per second for $20 a month. Shentel’s Glo Fiber 5,000Mbps plan is one of the fastest in Maryland, but availability is limited. Xfinity’s 2,000Mbps and 1,200Mbps plans are easier to find across the state. There are more ISPs in Maryland than we cover in this guide, but you’ll find a range of large and small ISPs alongside providers with the widest coverage across the state. Our methodology CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Maryland across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider's website. Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what's available in Maryland. The prices referenced within this article's text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month -- a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might also be available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services. To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page. Verizon’s fiber network (not to be confused with its DSL, LTE or 5G home internet offerings) hits the sweet spot for speed, availability, straightforward plans and customer satisfaction. It’s the most wide-reaching residential fiber ISP in the Old Line State.Availability Verizon Fios fiber internet is available in the Baltimore, Bethesda, Columbia and Germantown metro areas. In April 2023, Verizon announced a major rural fiber expansion push in the counties of Charles, Garrett, Cecil, Howard, St. Mary’s and Washington. Notably, some sections of central Baltimore aren’t covered by Fios but may be included instead by Verizon 5G Home Internet with speeds up to 1,000Mbps.Plans and pricing There are three plans to choose from: 300Mbps for $50 per month, 500Mbps for $70 or 940Mbps for $90. Speeds are symmetrical, except for the 940Mbps plan, which has 880Mbps uploads. When bundling with an eligible phone plan, Verizon mobile customers can save $25 monthly.Fees and service details A setup charge of $99 applies to some plans, but you may be able to get it waived with the gig plan. A router is included. There’s no data cap or contract. Keep an eye out for gift card offers of up to $200. No matter where you live in Maryland, chances are good Xfinity services your address with its cable network. The ISP offers some decent introductory pricing deals, including a 200Mbps service for $30 a month. It’s also one of the few multigigabit providers in the state, with speeds topping out at 2,000Mbps. Availability Xfinity covers nearly 87% of Maryland homes, according to FCC National Broadband Map data. That’s the most of any wired provider in the state. That means you’ll likely have Xfinity as an option unless you live in a rural area. Plans and pricing Xfinity’s most affordable plan is $30 a month for 200Mbps service, with pricing good for a year. The top-end 2,000Mbps Gigabit X2 service runs $120 a month. You’ll also find 400, 800, 1,000 and 1,200Mbps plans within that range, giving you many choices. Fees and service details Xfinity has been offering plans with no data caps and no contracts in Maryland. Equipment pricing can vary. Some plans include a gateway, while it costs $15 to add the gear to other plans. You can choose to skip that cost by providing your own equipment. Keep an eye on how long your introductory pricing period lasts, and prepare to negotiate when it expires. T-Mobile and Verizon run neck and neck when providing 5G home internet. The choice between the two comes down to availability, the speeds you can get at your location and whether or not you’re a phone customer. Both offer an alternative to regular wired ISPs. T-Mobile gets a nod here thanks to its coverage area across Maryland. Here’s what you need to know about 5G home internet.Availability Check in on T-Mobile’s coverage map to see if its 5G Ultra Capacity network covers your area. Maryland is a bit patchwork, but the network is concentrated around more populated areas. However, network coverage doesn’t necessarily mean a home internet slot will be open. You may be asked to sign up for a waitlist.Plans and pricing T-Mobile has one plan at $50 monthly for typical download speeds of 72 to 245Mbps. Bundle that with an eligible phone plan to get your home internet for as low as $30 a month. Fees and service details There are no data caps or contracts. Equipment is included. T-Mobile typically charges a $35 service fee when you sign up, but keep an eye out for a gift card to offset that charge. The Verizon Fios fiber network is our top pick for Maryland overall, but it doesn’t reach every part of Baltimore. If you don’t want to go with Xfinity and can’t get Fios, check into Verizon 5G Home Internet instead. It’s an especially good deal for Verizon mobile customers who bundle an eligible phone plan.Availability Zoom in on Verizon’s coverage map and look for the dark red areas that mark the company’s 5G Ultra Wideband network. There’s good availability across Baltimore, alongside some patchwork areas of standard 5G coverage.Plans and pricing There are two plans to choose from. The 5G Home plan offers up to 300Mbps downloads for $50 a month ($35 with eligible phone plan). The 5G Home Plus Plan has download speeds up to 1,000Mbps for $70 a month ($45 with eligible phone plan). That top speed eclipses T-Mobile Home Internet quite a bit, so the extra cost can be worth it if you need extra fast downloads. Fees and service details There are no data caps, contracts or equipment fees. Verizon has been dangling some bonus offers like a gift card or a HomePod for new home internet customers.Source: CNET analysis of provider data.CNET has covered the best ISPs in several major cities in Maryland. We’ve compiled information on internet connection types, data caps, max speeds and more. If you don’t see your hometown below, don’t worry -- we’re working to add more city lists each week.Most ISPs in Maryland have plans that cost around $50, but there are ways to slim that down. Xfinity’s widely available 200Mbps Connect More plan runs $30 a month for the first year of service. It’s an especially good deal if you have your own equipment and don’t have to add $15 a month for an xFi Gateway rental. Verizon mobile customers with an eligible phone plan can pull down some pretty sweet home internet savings. With Fios, for example, you can get $25 off, bringing the lowest-price home internet plan down to $25 a month. Bethesda, Gaithersburg or Anne Arundel County residents with access to Astound Broadband’s network can get a one-year intro price of $25 a month for 300Mbps cable service. Breezeline’s cable plans start at $20 monthly for 100Mbps for the first year. Low-income households should check on eligibility for the federal Affordable Connectivity Program. Most ISPs participate, and it can get you free or cheap home internet.Source: CNET analysis of provider data.The best internet deals and the top promotions in Maryland depend on the discounts available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. Maryland internet providers such as Xfinity may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including Verizon Fios and Point Broadband, tend to run the same standard pricing year-round. For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals. Maryland does pretty well when it comes to broadband speeds. A recent Ookla ranking put Maryland in 12th place for fastest median download speeds among the states and Washington, DC. The Old Line State logged a median download speed of 216Mbps. That general peppiness in home internet speed is thanks in part to wide coverage by Verizon Fios and Xfinity across the state. Both offer plans in the gig range, making fast internet available to most households. The speeds you get at home will depend on many factors, including which ISPs are available and the internet technology you choose. Fiber has the advantage of fast uploads, which makes a difference if you move large files around. Maryland’s cable providers offer plans at the gig level or above, making them solid options for fast downloads.Source: CNET analysis of provider data.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 FCC. 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.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. So what's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov. But it doesn't end there. We go to 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: While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, 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, though 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, you can visit our How we test ISPs page.Verizon Fios and Xfinity are the home internet heavyweights in Maryland. Thanks to reliability and fast upload speeds, fiber is nice if you can get it. That’s why we picked Fios as the top ISP in the state. With cable providers like Xfinity, you can typically get great introductory rates and access to gig speeds or above, but you’ll find yourself wrestling with a price hike down the line. Be sure to check which other ISPs are available at your address. You may find service from a local or regional ISP or another cable provider that works well for your speed needs or pocketbook. Who is the cheapest internet provider in Maryland? Cheap internet options will depend on which ISPs service your address. Xfinity and Verizon are the most broadly available ISPs in Maryland. Of the two, Xfinity has lower-cost introductory plans, notably a 200Mbps plan for $30 a month, with that pricing good for a year. However, you’ll need to factor in renting or buying equipment. Bundling an eligible phone plan with Verizon home internet service can net you big savings, knocking your 300Mbps Fios plan down to just $25 monthly. That’s remarkably cheap for fiber internet. If Breezeline or Astound Broadband service your address, you can take advantage of some low-cost promotional rates. Which internet provider in Maryland offers the fastest plan? Of the widely available Verizon Fios and Xfinity plans, Xfinity offers faster downloads with a top speed of 2,000Mbps in some areas but uploads max out at 50Mbps. Verizon’s top-end Fios plan comes with 940Mbps downloads and 880Mbps uploads. There are faster plans to be found in some pockets of the state. Glo Fiber, for example, is available in areas of Frederick County and goes up to 5,000Mbps. Choptank Fiber delivers 2,500Mbps service to parts of the Eastern Shore. Is fiber internet available in Maryland? Verizon Fios is the fiber provider you’re most likely to run into around Maryland, but there are some ISPs with smaller fiber footprints around the state. Choptank Fiber, for example, delivers speeds up to 2,500Mbps to the Eastern Shore. Point Broadband brings gig fiber to Hagerstown, and Antietam Broadband offers fiber in parts of Washington County. What internet provider has the best coverage in Maryland? The most recent FCC National Broadband Map data crowns Xfinity as the widest-reaching wired ISP in Maryland. It’s accessible to nearly 87% of homes in the state. Internet Providers by City Internet Providers and Services Internet Routers Helpful Internet Resources Updated on Oct. 21, 2023 Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. How we test ISPs Enter your address to view internet providers available near you