Cox stands out as the best internet service provider in Roanoke thanks to its broad local coverage and low pricing. Cox is available to nearly every Roanoke household and, with service starting at $50 per month, the cable ISP is tied with T-Mobile Home Internet for the lowest starting price in the area.
Cable internet has drawbacks, such as slower upload speeds and the occasional data cap, like Cox’s 1.25TB monthly limit on select plans. Local fiber provider Glo Fiber offers faster upload and download speeds, up to 5,000 megabits per second, the fastest in the area, and unlimited data. Starting monthly rates are slightly higher at $70 to $290.
T-Mobile Home Internet also offers unlimited data, plus free equipment rental, which could save you $12 or $13 per month compared to Cox and Glo Fiber. Speeds are slower with T-Mobile Home Internet, ranging from 72 to 245Mbps, but if that’s enough for your household, the hassle-free fixed wireless service is worth considering.
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Best internet in Roanoke, Virginia
Speed range
25 – 2,000Mbps
Price range
$40 – $100 per month
Our take – With speed tiers ranging from 100 to 1,000Mbps and coverage throughout Roanoke, Cox has something for just about everyone in the area. Be aware that slower, cheaper plans may come with a data cap, and all plans have a $13 equipment rental fee if you lease your router.
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Speed range
25 – 2,000Mbps
Price range
$40 – $100 per month
Speed range
600 – 5,000Mbps
Price range
$65 – $285 per month
Our take – Glo Fiber, a Shentel brand, is Roanoke’s largest fiber internet provider. Speeds range from 600 to 5,000Mbps, and all plans include unlimited data. It’s certainly the fastest ISP in Roanoke, but it’s not the cheapest with service starting at $70 monthly, plus a $12 equipment fee should you choose to rent.
Speed range
600 – 5,000Mbps
Price range
$65 – $285 per month
Speed range
72 – 245Mbps
Price range
$50 per month
Our take – If you can get by on the speeds (72 to 245Mbps), T-Mobile Home Internet is arguably the best choice for internet in Roanoke. There are no equipment fees, data caps or contracts and qualifying Magenta Max customers can get $20 off the cost of home internet. Discount or not, your rate is locked in for as long as you keep your service.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Roanoke
The best internet deals and the top promotions in Roanoke depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Roanoke internet providers, such as Cox, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including Glo Fiber, T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
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 Federal Communications Commission. 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 Roanoke
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. 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.
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:
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 selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although 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, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in Roanoke, Virginia, FAQs
according to the FCC. Serviceability is greatest in the Raleigh Court, Morningside and Villa Heights communities, although fiber service can be found in random neighborhoods throughout Roanoke. Glo Fiber is the largest fiber internet provider in Roanoke, although Cox also has a small fiber presence in the area.
