Providers we compare in New Jersey
Each of these companies serves parts of New Jersey. None of them covers the whole state, so the right choice depends on your street.
Spectrum serves some northern New Jersey communities, such as the Fort Lee area in Bergen County. Spectrum details
Xfinity serves much of central and southern New Jersey, including the Jersey Shore around Toms River, the Princeton area and South Jersey, plus Jersey City and other northern towns. Xfinity details
Optimum serves large parts of northern and central New Jersey, including Newark, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Hoboken, Clifton, New Brunswick and many Bergen and Monmouth County towns, with fiber in some areas. Optimum details
Brightspeed is the local phone company in parts of northwestern New Jersey, including Sussex and Warren counties, and is building fiber in some rural areas there. Brightspeed details
Sells internet over partner fiber and 5G networks at many New Jersey addresses, with its own plans and customer service. EarthLink details
Satellite internet for wooded and rural parts of the state, such as the Pinelands and the northwest hills, where wired options are limited. Starlink details
Verizon Fios in New Jersey
Verizon is the traditional phone company across most of New Jersey, and its Fios fiber service is available in many towns. That means many New Jersey homes can choose between a cable company (Optimum, Xfinity or Spectrum) and Verizon Fios fiber. Two wired choices is more than most U.S. homes have, which helps when you compare prices. T-Mobile and Verizon 5G home internet are also available at many addresses.
How New Jersey internet differs by region
| Region | Providers often found there* |
|---|---|
| Bergen County | Optimum (many towns such as Paramus, Fair Lawn and Tenafly), Spectrum (Fort Lee area), Verizon Fios |
| Hudson County | Optimum (Bayonne, Hoboken), Xfinity (Jersey City), Verizon Fios, Starry in some buildings |
| Essex, Union & Passaic | Optimum (Newark, Elizabeth, Clifton), Verizon Fios |
| Central Jersey (Middlesex, Somerset, Monmouth) | Optimum (New Brunswick, Somerset, Freehold), Xfinity, Verizon Fios |
| Jersey Shore & Ocean County | Xfinity (Toms River area), Optimum (parts of Monmouth County), Verizon |
| Mercer County & Princeton | Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Optimum (some areas) |
| South Jersey | Xfinity, Verizon Fios |
| Northwest (Sussex, Warren) | Optimum (Hackettstown area), Xfinity, Brightspeed, Verizon |
*Every provider serves only parts of each region. Your exact options depend on your street address.
Apartments and condos
In Hudson County, Newark and other dense areas, the building often decides your options. Some buildings are wired for one cable company plus Verizon, and some have deals with a single provider or a building-wide service such as Starry. Ask the property manager which providers are wired in before you sign a lease, and book installation early if you’re moving at the start or end of the month. Our moving internet checklist covers the timeline.
Commuting and working from home
Many New Jersey residents split the week between home and offices in New York City or Philadelphia. If you work from home, look closely at upload speed. Fiber plans from Verizon Fios or Optimum Fiber usually offer uploads that match downloads, which helps with video calls and large files. Cable plans have much lower uploads. Read our fiber vs cable guide and how much internet speed do I need to size your plan.
Rural New Jersey and new broadband funding
New Jersey has fewer unserved homes than most states, but gaps remain in rural parts of Sussex, Warren and Salem counties. The state’s earlier NJBIDE grant program is funding fiber projects there with Brightspeed and Verizon. In January 2026, New Jersey received federal approval for about $62 million in BEAD funding to reach remaining homes with little or no service. If you live in a rural area, check your address again over the next year or two.
Plan for storms and outages
Coastal storms and nor’easters, like Hurricane Sandy in 2012, can knock out power along the Shore and across the state. Your modem and router stop when the power does. A battery backup (UPS), a phone plan with hotspot data, and a second connection such as 5G home internet can keep you online during outages.
Compare your options
Learn more about Optimum, Xfinity and Spectrum, see where Optimum operates in our Optimum service areas guide, or compare across the river on our New York page. Or share your address and a specialist will compare every provider that serves it, for free.
