Pennsylvania's two big cities got lucky. Verizon inherited the old Bell of Pennsylvania network and spent years swapping copper for Fios fiber across Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, so fiber now passes well over eight in ten addresses in both. Then the build stopped. Reading, an hour from Philadelphia, has fiber at barely a third of homes, and Erie is about the same. Those are cable cities[1].
Our pick for most Pennsylvania homes is Verizon Fios. Verizon reaches most of the state, almost neck and neck with Xfinity, and Fios is fiber, which beats cable on upload speed and consistency. That is our rule for picking: widest reach first, then fiber over cable over 5G over satellite. Where Fios has not been built, Xfinity is the answer, and in Erie it is Spectrum.
Which internet providers cover most of Pennsylvania?
Cable passes nine in ten Pennsylvania locations at broadband speed, fiber a bit under six in ten, and 5G home internet a little under half. Four brands reach most of the state: T-Mobile, Xfinity, Verizon and AT&T. Verizon's footprint blends Fios fiber with 5G Home Internet. AT&T has no fiber here; its reach is AT&T Internet Air, the fixed-wireless product[1].
| Provider | Type | Where it's available | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon | Fios fiber where built; 5G Home elsewhere | Available across most of Pennsylvania | No annual contract |
| Xfinity | Cable | Available across most of Pennsylvania | No annual contract |
| T-Mobile 5G Home Internet | 5G fixed wireless | Available across most of Pennsylvania | No annual contract |
| AT&T Internet Air | Fixed wireless | Available across most of Pennsylvania | No annual contract |
| Astound Broadband | Cable | In some areas (Lehigh Valley) | No annual contract |
| Service Electric | Cable | In some areas (Lehigh Valley) | Not stated |
| Kinetic by Windstream | Fiber where built, older DSL elsewhere | In some areas | Not stated |
CTI Networks and Brightspeed each serve some areas outside the big metros, and Spectrum is the cable company in Erie[1]. Starlink, Hughesnet and Viasat are available almost everywhere.
Verizon advertises Fios at $30 a month for 300 Mbps, or 5G Home at $35 a month, both with a Verizon mobile plan and no annual contract[2]. Xfinity sells 300 Mbps at $45 a month held for five years for new customers, with autopay and paperless billing, no annual contract and unlimited data[3]. Astound's promotional price is $40 a month with autopay and e-bill, no contract required[4]. Spectrum's main site blocked our requests, so the only Spectrum price we can quote is Internet Assist at $25 a month for qualifying households[5].
What is the best internet in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Reading and Erie?
Philadelphia is a fiber city. Xfinity, headquartered downtown, covers every address, and Verizon reaches nearly as many. Fiber passes more than eight in ten homes. The contest is Fios versus Xfinity, and our pick is Fios[1].
Pittsburgh mirrors Philadelphia: Xfinity everywhere, Verizon at nearly every address, fiber at more than eight in ten homes. Fios first, Xfinity second[1].
Allentown has its own cable duopoly. Astound and Service Electric both cover nearly the whole city, Verizon reaches most of it, and fiber passes about three in four addresses[1].
Reading is cable-first. Xfinity reaches every home and fiber only about a third, so count on Xfinity. Erie is the other cable-first city, and it is Spectrum country: Spectrum reaches nearly every address and fiber passes about a third. Scranton, by contrast, has fiber at more than nine in ten homes, the highest of any large city in the state[1].
Is 5G home internet a good choice in Pennsylvania?
It is a reasonable second choice, not a first one. 5G home internet reaches a little under half of Pennsylvania locations, and even in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh it covers only about half of addresses. T-Mobile's Rely plan is $50 a month with AutoPay, with unlimited data and no annual contract[6]. Verizon's 5G Home is $35 a month with a Verizon mobile plan[2]. AT&T Internet Air is as low as $47 a month with eligible AT&T wireless[7].
Most households here will have a wire available, and the wire will be steadier. 5G earns its place in rowhouse blocks where the cable company has let you down and in townships where the alternative is DSL or satellite.
Why did fiber stop at the Fios line?
Fios exists where Verizon owned the phone lines and chose to upgrade them, which in practice means Philadelphia and its suburbs, Pittsburgh and the eastern corridor. Where Verizon never finished, or where the lines belong to Kinetic or Brightspeed, the fiber map goes dark except where those companies have upgraded a town. Erie shows how uneven it has been: Verizon reaches a majority of addresses there, yet fiber passes only about a third, so Spectrum has the wired market nearly to itself[1].
Scranton is the exception, with fiber at almost every address from ICON Technologies and Verizon. If a Pennsylvania town has fiber today, it is usually because Verizon finished the job or a local company did it.
What should I ask before I sign up?
- What is the regular price when the promotional rate ends, and is it written on the order?
- Is there a contract term, and what does early cancellation cost?
- Is there a data cap or a throttle after heavy use?
- Is the gateway included, or is there a monthly equipment fee?
- When is the first install slot, and does the rate change on its own at renewal?
Frequently asked questions
Who has the best internet in Pennsylvania?
Verizon Fios is our pick because Verizon reaches most of the state and Fios is fiber. Xfinity is the cable alternative nearly everywhere, and in Erie it is Spectrum.
What is the fastest internet in Pennsylvania?
Fios fiber, which runs equal upload and download speeds. Xfinity cable is fast on downloads but much slower on uploads, and 5G sits below both on consistency.
Is Verizon Fios available in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Verizon reaches nearly every address in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, where fiber passes more than eight in ten homes, but its fiber is thin in Reading and Erie. Verizon advertises Fios 300 Mbps at $30 a month with a Verizon mobile plan[2].
What is the cheapest internet in Pennsylvania?
Verizon Fios at $30 a month with a phone plan is the lowest advertised price we found[2], followed by Astound at $40 a month[4] and Xfinity at $45 a month[3]. Starlink starts at $55 a month where nothing else reaches[8].
Sources
- FCC National Broadband Map, Broadband Data Collection. FCC National Broadband Map, Broadband Data Collection, state file as of December 30, 2025, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- Verizon home internet (official). Verizon, Home Internet, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- Xfinity home internet (official). Xfinity, Internet Service, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- Astound Broadband home internet (official). Astound Broadband, Internet, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- Spectrum home internet (official). Spectrum, Spectrum Internet Assist support page, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- T-Mobile 5G Home Internet (official). T-Mobile, 5G Home Internet Plans, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- AT&T home internet (official). AT&T, Internet Plans and Services, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- Starlink Residential (official). Starlink, Residential, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed; our data from FCC/Census as dated. FCC data as of December 30, 2025; Census ACS 5-year 2020-2024. Editorial policy