Living in Hawaii involves sacrificing some things you’d find on the mainland — snakes, daylight saving time, billboards — but fortunately, high-speed internet isn’t one of them. Gig speeds from Spectrum, our pick for the best internet provider in Hawaii overall, are available throughout much of Hawaii from the Big Island to Kauai.
There’s also Hawaiian Telcom, which uses a fiber-optic network to deliver speeds as fast as or faster than Spectrum, possibly even for a lower monthly price. Speaking of low pricing, T-Mobile’s $50-per-month 5G home internet service is a decent broadband alternative, and its wireless delivery may help fill in the gaps that other internet service providers don’t reach.
Best internet providers in Hawaii
Which ISP is best for your Hawaiian home? That’ll depend on what you’re looking for and what’s available in your area. You can use the serviceability check tool at the top of this page to find providers in your area. See the list below for more details on what sets each provider apart.
Note: The prices, speeds and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed in the product detail cards, which represent providers’ national offerings. Your particular internet service options — including prices and speeds — depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.
SORT BY
Cable
100 – 1,000 Mbps
$30- $90 per month
Our take – Spectrum is among our top picks for best internet providers anywhere and one of our favorite cable ISPs thanks to its simple pricing, fast speeds and favorable service terms. As a cable TV provider, Spectrum is also a great choice for bundling internet and TV together.
Cable
100 – 1,000 Mbps
$30- $90 per month
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Our take – T-Mobile is leading the US’ 5G home internet coverage race, and Hawaii is no exception. Speeds are admittedly slower than what’s available from Spectrum or Hawaiian Telcom, but the low pricing and simple setup are worth giving T-Mobile Home Internet a look.
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Satellite
12 – 150 Mbps
$70 – $300 per month
Our take – For the few places where cable, fiber-optic or 5G internet connections do not reach in Hawaii, there’s satellite internet. Viasat is Hawaii’s primary satellite provider as HughesNet is unavailable in the Aloha State.
Satellite
12 – 150 Mbps
$70 – $300 per month
Fiber
300 – 1,000 Mbps
$40 – $70 per month
Our take – Spectrum’s cable internet service is a great choice for broadband, but I’d prefer a fiber-optic connection if I can get it. Cincinnati Bell-owned Hawaiian Telcom is the primary fiber internet provider in Hawaii.
Fiber
300 – 1,000 Mbps
$40 – $70 per month
All internet providers in Hawaii
Unfortunately, there aren’t many internet options in Hawaii other than those listed above. Verizon 5G Home Internet is available to about 10% of Hawaii households, but the provider’s Ultra Wideband 5G service isn’t yet offered in the Aloha State. Here’s a quick comparison of Hawaii internet providers, followed by a look at the cheapest and fastest plans available in the state.
Compare top Hawaii internet providers
| Provider | Connection type | Monthly price range | Speed range (Mbps) | Monthly data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian Telcom | Fiber | $40-$70 | 300-1,000 | None | None |
| Spectrum | Cable | $50-$90 | 300-940 | None | None |
| T-Mobile 5G Home Internet | 5G wireless | $50 ($30 for qualifying Magenta Max customers) | 33-182 | None | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | 5G wireless | $50 ($25 for qualifying Verizon mobile customers) | 85-300 | None | None |
| Viasat | Satellite | $70-$300 | 12-150 | 40GB-300GB | 2 years |
Show more (1 item)
Hawaii broadband at a glance
Provider options are somewhat limited in Hawaii, but overall connectivity is still better than in most states. The FCC reports 100% of households in Hawaii are eligible for broadband speeds (that’s speeds of at least 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up), and the most recent Ookla speed test data ranks Hawaii’s average download speeds 13th among all states (and Washington, DC) at 199Mbps.
Internet pricing in Hawaii
Unless you qualify for the T-Mobile or Verizon 5G discounts, Hawaiian Telcom has the cheapest starting price for internet in Hawaii at around $40 per month for speeds up to 300Mbps. Spectrum is $10 more monthly for the same download speed potential but has a lower equipment rental fee than Hawaiian Telcom.
Cheapest internet plans in Hawaii
Show more (1 item)
Internet service for low-income households in Hawaii
The Affordable Connectivity Program grants eligible households up to $30 per month (potentially $75 on Hawaiian Home Lands) to apply toward home broadband service. Spectrum and Hawaiian Telcom also offer a unique plan designed to make high-speed internet more accessible to low-income households.
Spectrum’s Internet Assist and the Internet for All plan from Hawaiian Telcom are available for a net cost of $0 when applied with the ACP credit. You’ll get unlimited data and free equipment with both, but Hawaiian Telcom is the better deal, with symmetrical speeds up to 100Mbps, compared to the 30Mbps down and 4Mbps up you’d get with Spectrum.
How fast is broadband in Hawaii?
FCC data shows around 90% of Hawaiian residences are eligible for download speeds up to 250Mbps and upload speeds of 25Mbps or higher. Spectrum and Hawaiian Telcom (and possibly Verizon 5G Home) will be your best bets for those speeds and higher.
Regarding speed potential and reliability, I’d prefer a fiber-optic connection like the one you get with Hawaiian Telcom over a cable one from Spectrum. Fiber internet is equipped to support much faster upload speeds and is less susceptible to speed fluctuations during peak usage times.
Fastest internet plans in Hawaii
Final thoughts on internet in Hawaii
Though some amenities are less accessible or affordable in Hawaii than other parts of the US, broadband connectivity and pricing are as good in Hawaii as anywhere. Spectrum is the best high-speed internet source throughout much of Hawaii, but Hawaiian Telcom’s fiber service could be the better value if available at your address.
If neither offers service where you live, T-Mobile’s 5G home internet solution is a decent option for low-cost, low-hassle broadband. And as a last resort, satellite provider Viasat is available throughout the Aloha State.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Hawaii
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’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. To evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service, we look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power. 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.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our How We Test ISPs page.
Internet in Hawaii FAQs
Does Hawaii have fiber internet?
Yes. Hawaiian Telcom is the largest fiber-optic provider in Hawaii, with service available to approximately 36% of residences.
Is Spectrum or Hawaiian Telcom better?
Like many fiber versus cable versus DSL provider comparisons, the answer will come down to which connection type is available at your address. If your address is only wired for cable internet from Spectrum or DSL from Hawaiian Telcom, Spectrum will be the better choice for speeds and overall value.
However, if your address is serviceable for fiber internet from Hawaiian Telcom, you’ll likely find the local provider to have better pricing and speed consistency than Spectrum.
Is Xfinity available in Hawaii?
Xfinity does not offer home internet service in Hawaii, but the provider does have hotspots in many places throughout the state. So, if you are visiting Hawaii and have Xfinity at home, you may be able to connect to Xfinity’s Wi-Fi hotspot network during your stay.
https://www.cnet.com/rss/all/
David Anders
