Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey 2023

We talked to nearly 7,000 internet users to find the best ISPs across the nation.

Jun 15, 2023 | Share

Update: Check out this year’s edition of CableTV.com’s internet customer satisfaction survey to see which internet providers are doing it right for customer service.

From work Slack calls to movie nights, an internet plan’s more important than ever. But with costs rising everywhere these days, is your internet service provider (ISP) holding up its end of the bargain?

For this year’s edition of CableTV.com’s annual internet customer satisfaction survey, we talked to internet customers across the US to see how they really felt about their ISPs. Read on to see which providers offer the best customer service.

Jump to:

• Internet trends for 2023
• Highest overall satisfaction
• Best customer experience
• Best bang for your buck
• Highest customer loyalty
• Most reliable
• Best speeds
• Methodology

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Internet trends for 2023

2023’s best internet providers for customer satisfaction

2023’s best ISPs for customer satisfaction are Google Fiber, Verizon Fios, and AT&T. All three ISPs have excellent fiber internet plans, no annual price increases, and stellar customer service.

Among cable ISPs, Xfinity, Astound Broadband, Cox, and Spectrum led the pack for customer satisfaction. In our polling, all four ISPs were generally behind fiber internet providers, but most customers were satisfied with their service.

Are customers leaving major ISPs for cheaper alternatives?

Traditionally, customers were stuck with major ISPs like Xfinity or Spectrum if they weren’t near a major city. But this conventional wisdom may be shifting, as 12% of respondents said they used local and regional ISPs or cellular data networks for home internet service. In last year’s survey, only 7% of respondents were using alternative ISPs.

Although this shift isn’t massive, it’s worth framing it against industry-wide trends like ISPs adopting no-contract or flat-rate pricing. Previously, customers had to learn to live with an ISP because they were the only option in town. But with increased competition, some ISPs have started to sweeten the pot to draw customers.

5G home internet trails far behind cable, fiber internet

On paper, 5G home internet could be a big threat to cable ISPs, as it’s designed to be cheaper than cable internet and fast enough for typical internet usage. But at the moment, fixed wireless access (FWA) services like 5G home internet are still niche products.

In our polling, only 2% of respondents said they were using 4G or 5G data networks for home internet, and this trend carries over to 5G home internet providers. As of the third quarter of 2022, T-Mobile has around 1.5 million FWA customers while Verizon has around 621,000 residential FWA customers. By comparison, Xfinity has nearly 30 million residential cable internet customers.

That said, both T-Mobile and Verizon continue to invest heavily in their 5G home internet services, and we’ll see if they gain significant traction in the future. As of this writing, Verizon is offering a 10-year price guarantee for new 5G home internet customers, and T-Mobile bundles significant home internet discounts for smartphone customers.

Rural internet customers frustrated with internet service

Across the board, rural internet customers were less pleased with their ISPs compared to urban and suburban customers.

Generally, rural internet customers have to settle for older DSL internet or satellite internet networks with lower download speeds and reliability. Groups such as the Federal Communications Commission have launched rural internet investment programs like the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, but these initiatives still have a lot of ground to cover.

What’s your overall satisfaction with your ISP?