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Best internet providers in Brighton, New York

Spectrum is our number-one pick for internet service providers (ISPs) in Brighton because it is the most widely available and offers a variety of plans. Greenlight is our second pick because its fiber service is excellent, but its availability is a bit slimmer than Spectrum. Frontier comes in at third place because, while its fiber service is also great, its availability is the least prevalent in Brighton.

EDITOR'S CHOICE
Spectrum
Charter Spectrum brand logo
Staff rating
3.5
Customer rating
4.0

  • Plans starting at $29.99 - $169.97
  • Download speeds up to 1 Gbps
  • Upload speeds up to 35 Mbps

Click below for all current Spectrum deals

Disclaimer: Availability and pricing are subject to location. Conditions apply. For offer details, view disclaimers

RUNNER-UP
Greenlight Networks
Greenlight Networks logo

  • Plans starting at $50.00 - $200.00
  • Download speeds up to 5000 Mbps
  • Upload speeds up to 5000 Mbps

Click below for all current Greenlight Networks deals

Disclaimer: Availability and pricing are subject to location. Conditions apply.

RUNNER-UP
Frontier Communications
Frontier Communications brand
Staff rating
4.1
Customer rating
3.9

  • Plans starting at $49.99 - $164.99
  • Download speeds up to 5000 Mbps
  • Upload speeds up to 5000 Mbps

Click below for all current Frontier Communications deals

Disclaimer: Subject to availability. Cannot be combined with other offers. Other restrictions, Frontier policies and service terms apply. For a list of terms, view disclaimers

How we rank internet providers
We have a robust rating system to score internet service providers overall, but the quality of service could vary city to city. When narrowing down the best providers specific to Brighton, we considered factors like availability, value, performance, and customer experience. We source information directly from the ISP's themselves, the FCC, and first-hand insights from residents of Brighton.
Headshot of Michal Ash
Researched by
Michal AshManaging Editor
Headshot of Vilja Johnson
Reviewed by
Vilja JohnsonEditor-in-Chief
Updated 5/8/23

Our top 3 ISP choices in Brighton, NY

Our top picks for internet service in Brighton are Spectrum, Greenlight Networks, and Frontier Communications.

#1: Spectrum internet

Spectrum is the most accessible ISP in the entire state of New York, and Brighton is no exception. We love that Spectrum has a wide range of plans so you don’t have to pay for more speed than you need. We also appreciate the fact that Spectrum offers package deals with TV and phone, so you can save on your overall monthly expenses by bundling multiple Spectrum services. Spectrum is known for bumping up your monthly price after the first year of service, so just be sure to keep an eye on your bill and call to negotiate your price back down.

Read our full Spectrum internet review.

#2: Greenlight internet

Greenlight is our second pick because it provides truly fantastic fiber internet, but is still in its growing period. It can be tough to get Greenlight fiber service depending on your neighborhood—but if you are able to get it, do it! Greenlight’s plans are fairly straightforward, with just four download speed options. We don’t recommend the higher-end plans because they’ll likely give you more speed than you’ll know what to do with. However, Greenlight’s lower-end plans are quick, reliable, and reasonably priced. Just look out for the installation fee, which is pretty high compared to competitors.

#3: Frontier internet

Frontier is extensively available across the Brighton area, but almost entirely only with its DSL service. We don’t love Frontier’s DSL service—or any DSL service, for that matter—but we are big fans of its fiber service. In fact, we’d normally rank Frontier first because we like its fiber service so much…but we’ve knocked it down to third place because Frontier’s fiber coverage is available to such a small percentage of Brighton. If you’re one of the lucky few who can get fiber with Frontier, you’ll love its fast speeds and competitive pricing.

Read our full Frontier internet review.

All internet providers in Brighton

Aside from our top picks, options for alternative ISPs in Brighton are a bit lackluster. If you are unable to get service—or choose to forego it—from Spectrum, Greenlight, or Frontier, your choices are limited to fixed wireless or satellite internet.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is available to more than 95% of the Brighton area. Its direct competitor, Verizon, services only 5% of the area. Regardless, fixed wireless can be a bargain if you go with your current mobile provider as you’ll likely qualify for a discount. However, the reliability isn’t great, and the speeds are typically a bit slower.

Starlink, Viasat, and HughesNet offer satellite internet service to 100% of Brighton. However, satellite internet is the slowest and most expensive of all the internet types. We only really recommend going with a satellite provider if it’s your only option. If this describes you, see how the satellite providers compare to find the right choice for your home.

Fastest internet providers in Brighton

Greenlight and Frontier are tied for fastest provider in Brighton because they both offer the same maximum download and upload speed—5 Gbps. This speed is way faster than the majority of even the heaviest internet users really need. If you have a need for speed, we recommend looking into a 1 Gbps plan, which is offered in Brighton through Frontier, Greenlight, and Spectrum.

How much speed do you need?

When choosing an internet plan, you want to keep all of your activities running smoothly without paying extra for speeds you don't need. At the bare minimum, you need 25 Mbps to do light browsing on one or two devices. Most households with multiple people and multiple devices will want to look for speeds in the 100–500 Mbps range. Learn how much speed your household needs in our guide to internet speed.
Illustration showing how much internet speed you may need

Cheapest internet providers in Brighton

Spectrum is technically the cheapest provider due to its $20 per month plan. This plan boasts a download speed of a measly 30 Mbps, so this is only a good option for budget shoppers who don’t use the internet for anything more than checking email occasionally. You can upgrade to 100 Mbps for only $10 more per month with Spectrum, which is a much better deal when you consider the bang-for-your-buck factor. T-Mobile and Verizon also have plans starting at $25, but these are available only to existing mobile customers with qualifying accounts.

Learn how to get low-cost or free internet.

Internet options in nearby cities

Brighton itself doesn’t have incredible fiber coverage (although Greenlight’s more prevalent than Frontier here, that’s for sure), but the cities surrounding it do! Henrietta and the southeastern to eastern regions of Rochester itself have really great fiber availability. Even Penfield has decent fiber coverage. All suburbs of Rochester pretty much have equal access to Spectrum, because Spectrum is available to almost everyone in the entire state. See what’s available in these cities:

city map lines pattern
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What Brighton residents are saying on Reddit

Residents of the greater Rochester area generally say the same thing—get fiber if you can. Those with fiber service through either Greenlight or Frontier seem pretty happy with their service. There are some qualms with Frontier’s installation timelines, but the installation is at least half the price of Greenlight’s. It’s free if you opt for self-install, which Greenlight offers only if your home has been outfitted for Greenlight service in the past.

Spectrum customers have expressed general satisfaction with their actual internet connection, but we’ve seen a decent number of comments complaining about price hikes and poor customer service. We’ve noticed these comments are fewer and fewer as Spectrum starts to feel the heat of competitor expansion, and have even seen a number of comments suggesting the customer service is getting better.

Post by u/oldBarnacle-1
10/22/2022
What internet provider should I get?

I am looking for decent internet for a decent price. I see Rochester gets spectrum but I am curious if there is a lesser known internet provider that is either cheaper or better etc.

Most helpful response

In order of best speed / pricing:

-Greenlight

-Frontier Fiber

-Spectrum

In order of availability:

-Spectrum

-Greenlight

-Frontier Fiber

If you go with Spectrum, buy your own modem and router***.*** I cannot stress that enough. The stuff they loan out is horrendously unreliable and the cause of the overwhelming majority of service complaints.


Post by u/tahrq78
11/12/2022
How fast is home internet?

We are interested in moving to Rochester. We still have some research to do, but our biggest concern is home internet, because we both work remotely. What’s the fastest that is offered and who is it through? Thanks so much!

Most helpful response

Your biggest concern moving to Rochester is internet speed? You must need some serious bandwidth for that WFH.

I have greenlight but I am pretty sure spectrum goes to 1 Gbps.


Post by u/syntheticcontrol
10/20/2022
Has anyone had success with Spectrum's internet?

I moved to a part of Rochester that, unfortunately, does not have Greenlight. That's who I've had for 5 years and now I have Spectrum. It is so unbelievably unreliable. It's fast... when you have it. Which is, at most, half the time. I know Spectrum sucks, but has anyone had success with talking to them? Is it the equipment? Is there anything that can be done?

Most helpful response

I have used my own modem since the beginning and have had largely trouble-free service from them for the past five years. I routinely get more speed than I am actually paying for and I can count the number of non power-related outages on one hand. Additionally, the one time I was having issues they dispatched a tech the same day and he promptly fixed it. Haven’t had trouble since. (Still kind of in awe about that one.)

I do have an appointment to have Frontier Fiber installed in about a week, though - for the same price as Spectrum, the symmetrical upload will be really nice for working from home.


Post by u/Street_Cobbler1849
12/17/2022
Honest opinions of Frontier Fiber Internet?

Moving to Henrietta, they say they offer fiber. If that’s true I think it’s worth it. If it is just their basic DSL I think i’ll stick with spectrum.

Most helpful response

If you can get fiber and it is under 70 a month take it. Spectrum is sticking it to me right now and I have no other option. It keeps going up and they won't talk to me, I have no other option it is horrible.


Post by u/TheYellowMamba5
04/05/2022
StarLink in Rochester

I live near downtown and am limited to satellite internet service, which means I’m stuck with Frontier giving me a whopping 20mbps. StarLink seems to be the only alternative, but I’ve come across mixed reviews (daily outages, slow speeds) as it’s intended for more remote areas.

Do you or anyone you know use StarLink in Rochester? Is it a viable alternative at this point in time? I’m willing to splurge on the router and pay $99 for good wifi but don’t want to spend more for less.

Edit: It would cost ~$60,000 to install Spectrum and Greenlight is far off from reaching my area.

Most helpful response

Hot damn, where are you at that only allows for satellite? That makes no sense. My fiancée's mom lives out in the boonies in Cattaraugus county and she's got Spectrum.


Internet news and infrastructure in Brighton, NY

Survey data shows that 100% of Penfield residents are able to access internet with download speeds of at least 250 Mbps. (1) There are a number of providers that advertise speeds that fast, including Spectrum, Frontier, Greenlight, and Starlink.

In Brighton, NY, 100% of households can get 100 Mbps, 100% can get 250 Mbps, and 2% can get 1 Gbps.

Frequently asked internet questions in Brighton


When working from home, it’s best to have an internet plan with a download speed of at least 100 Mbps. You can get away with slower speeds if you’re the only one working from home, but we still recommend this speed to avoid video call lags, slow loading times, or errors when dealing with the download or upload of large files. In Brighton, you can get these speeds from Spectrum, Frontier, or Greenlight. Frontier or Greenlight offer the superior fiber service, but Spectrum’s cable connection is more than sufficient for working from home as well.


Satellite internet is not an internet connection we typically recommend. However, if you live in a rural area where satellite is your only option, there are a few available providers for you to choose from—Starlink, Viasat, and HughesNet. Allof these options have respective pros and cons. Starlink has the fastest plans with the lowest  latency, but is also the most expensive by far. Viasat has the widest variety of plans, but the cheapest ones offer nearly unusable speeds. HughesNet gets you more bang for your buck than Viasat, but its data caps are low. All in all, if budget isn’t an issue, we recommend Starlink if you can get it. See how they all compare in greater detail.


Spectrum has cable internet plans that are a little slower than Frontier’s fiber internet plans. However, Spectrum’s slightly slower plans still have plenty of bandwidth for average users and are more affordable. Additionally, Spectrum services almost 95% of Brighton. Frontier services a large portion of Brighton, as well, but only with DSL internet—its fiber service is minimal in Brighton. See how they compare in more detail.

Sources
(1) “FCC national broadband map,” Federal Communications Commission. Accessed 20 March 2023.
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