Xfinity is the best internet provider in Salem, offering both the fastest and cheapest plans in the city. It’s also the most widely available — according to FCC data, 99% of Salem homes are eligible for Xfinity. Prices increase on most plans after two years, but contracts aren’t required, so you can switch if the cost gets too high.
Quantum Fiber is Salem’s best fiber internet provider, offering fast, symmetrical speeds at competitive prices. Quantum Fiber includes a “Price for Life” guarantee on all plans. Unfortunately, it’s available to only about one in five Salem households. T-Mobile Home Internet is another great backup option if you can’t get Quantum and want an alternative to Xfinity. It uses a wireless connection, so its speeds won’t blow you away, but T-Mobile also comes with a price-lock guarantee, and customers have largely been happy with their service.
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Salem across many 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 Salem. 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.
Best internet in Salem, Oregon
Speed range
75 – 2,000Mbps
Price range
$20 – $120 per month
Our take – Xfinity is by far the most widely available internet provider in Salem, covering 99% of homes in the city, according to FCC data. It’s a pretty good option to have as your default. Xfinity has the city’s lowest starting prices ($20 per month) and the fastest plans (2,000Mbps download speeds). The main drawback is its steep price increases, which kick in on most plans after two years. Still, Xfinity received above-average customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power and the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
...Or call to learn more: (877) 498-5506
Check with Xfinity
Speed range
75 – 2,000Mbps
Price range
$20 – $120 per month
Speed range
200 – 8,000Mbps
Price range
$30 – $165 per month
Our take – Quantum Fiber — the internet provider formerly known as CenturyLink — is the only provider in Salem that uses a fiber-optic connection. That means it’s the only provider with upload speeds that are just as fast as its download speeds, which is ideal if you do a lot of online gaming or videoconferencing. Quantum Fiber also offers a “Price for Life” guarantee on all plans. Unfortunately, only one in five Salem residents have access to the service.
...Or call to learn more: (877) 609-6623
Check with Quantum
Speed range
200 – 8,000Mbps
Price range
$30 – $165 per month
Connection
Fixed wireless
Speed range
72 – 245Mbps
Price range
$50 per month
Our take – If you don’t want to deal with Xfinity’s price increases, T-Mobile Home Internet is a straightforward option that guarantees it won’t ever raise your rates. It’s not quite as fast as Xfinity or Quantum Fiber — download speeds top out around 245Mbps — but small to mid-size households will get by fine with T-Mobile’s wireless internet service.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Salem
The best internet deals and top promotions in Salem depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Salem internet providers, such as Xfinity and Verizon, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including Quantum Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Fastest internet plans in Salem
Show more (1 item)
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.
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 user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Salem
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 the time of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
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 it comes to 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 also take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in Salem FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Salem?
Xfinity is Salem’s best internet service provider, offering the widest availability, lowest starting prices and fastest speeds. That noted, Xfinity’s prices increase significantly after two years on most plans.
Is fiber internet available in Salem?
Yes, fiber internet is available to 17% of Salem households, according to FCC data. Quantum Fiber is the only fiber provider in the area.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Salem?
Xfinity is the cheapest internet provider in Salem, with plans starting at $20 per month.
Which internet provider in Salem offers the fastest plan?
Xfinity offers the fastest plan in Salem, with download speeds up to 2,000Mbps and upload speeds up to 200Mbps.
