Best Internet Providers in Kalamazoo, Michigan

What is the best internet provider in Kalamazoo, Michigan?

It’s easy for Kalamazoo residents to access a variety of plans from top internet providers but not all plans are worth the money. CNET’s experts have researched and tested available providers in the Michigan city to help you find the best one for you. For most households, AT&T Fiber is the best internet provider in Kalamazoo. It has the fastest speeds and it’s the only fiber provider in the city, meaning its upload speeds are as fast as downloads. AT&T Fiber also includes equipment in every plan and it doesn’t automatically increase prices after a year or two. 

While AT&T Fiber is our favorite provider by far, it doesn’t actually have the lowest prices. Xfinity is the cheapest internet provider in Kalamazoo, with prices starting at just $20 a month for 150 megabits per second. There is some fine print that’s worth paying attention to but it’s still a great deal (at least for the first year or two).

Verizon 5G Home Internet is the best fixed wireless internet provider in Kalamazoo. It doesn’t reach the same top speeds as AT&T Fiber or Xfinity but most households won’t notice the difference. Verizon also includes some nice sign-up perks and cellphone customers can save by bundling with home internet.

Best internet in Kalamazoo, Michigan

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

JTGrafix / Getty Images

How to find internet deals and promotions in Kalamazoo

The best internet deals and top promotions in Kalamazoo depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Kalamazoo internet providers, such as Xfinity and Verizon 5G Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including AT&T Fiber and Spectrum, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

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.

• 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics -- browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give one person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Kalamazoo

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites 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:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. Are customers happy with their service?

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. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Internet providers in Kalamazoo FAQs