If you’re looking for the best internet in Dover, Ohio, we’ve got you covered. The internet provider options in Dover are pretty limited, like many rural towns in Ohio. Essentially, you have only three high-speed internet providers in the area, but they’re all good options and have widespread coverage in the city. Frontier Fiber is CNET’s top pick of the best internet provider in Dover, Ohio.Frontier Fiber offers the fastest speeds and the lowest prices in the area. If you can’t get Frontier, Spectrum and T-Mobile — both pretty decent alternatives — are available as backups, but both come with their own drawbacks.
Top internet providers in Dover
Dover residents essentially have three options when it comes to home internet: Frontier Fiber, Spectrum and T-Mobile Home Internet. That’s fewer than most places, but the good news is that fast speeds are available just about everywhere. According to Federal Communications Commission data, 98% of Dover households have access to 250Mbps speeds, compared to 83% of Ohio and 87% of the country as a whole.
Dover internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Read full review |
Fiber | $30-$300 | 200-7,000Mbps | None | None | None | 6.3 |
| Spectrum Read full review |
Cable | $30-$70 | 100-1,000Mbps | $10 (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$50 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Other available Dover residential internet providers
Outside of the three providers highlighted above, there aren’t many other options for internet in Dover. Here are the other ISPs operating in the area:
- Satellite internet: We’d only recommend satellite internet in rural areas where there aren’t any other options available. You can get HughesNet and Viasateverywhere in the city, but the speeds are low, the prices are high and the stingy data caps make things like streaming and online gaming impractical. Starlink is a newer satellite provider that has faster speeds, but it costs $120 a month for service and $599 for equipment.
- Watch Communications: This local fixed wireless provider offers plans ranging from 10/2Mbps for $60 a month to 100/20Mbps for $120. It’s a slight step up from satellite, but we wouldn’t recommend it in any other situation.
Pricing for internet providers in Dover
Dover internet prices are about average for a town of its size. Spectrum and Frontier’s introductory plans are cheaper than you’ll find in a lot of places, but there are only four plans in Dover that cost $50 or less.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Dover?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Fiber 200 Read full review |
$30 | 200Mbps | None |
| Frontier Fiber 500 Read full review |
$45 | 500Mbps | None |
| Spectrum Internet Premier Read full review |
$50 | 500Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
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How fast is Dover broadband?
If you’re looking for ultrafast internet, Dover has a number of plans available. There are four gig-speed plans available in the city. That’s more than Cleveland (which has two), and the same as Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
Fastest internet plans in Dover
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Fiber 7 Gig Read full review |
$300 | 7,000Mbps | 7,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Frontier Fiber 5 Gig Read full review |
$130 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Frontier Fiber 2 Gig Read full review |
$100 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Frontier Fiber 1 Gig Read full review |
$65 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review |
$70 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Dover
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’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?
The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but 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.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Dover?
There aren’t a lot of options when it comes to internet service in Dover, but the ones it does have all provide good value and are widely available in the city. Frontier Fiber is the clear winner. It doesn’t have any ultracheap plans, but 500/500Mbps for just $40 a month is an excellent deal. T-Mobile Home Internet is another good backup option if you can’t get Frontier Fiber, with decent speeds at a fair price that’s guaranteed to never increase.
Internet providers in Dover FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Dover?
Frontier Fiber is the best internet provider in Dover. It has fast symmetrical speeds at fair prices, and you won’t have to worry about data caps or equipment fees. Spectrum and T-Mobile Home Internet are both good backup options, but they have significantly slower upload speeds than Frontier, which could be an issue for households that do a lot of videoconferencing or online gaming.
Is fiber internet available in Dover?
Yes, fiber internet is available in Dover. Frontier offers fiber internet in the city with no contracts or data caps and symmetrical speeds up to 7,000Mbps.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Dover?
Frontier Fiber is the cheapest internet provider in Dover, with starting prices of $30 a month for 200/200Mbps speeds.
Which internet provider in Dover offers the fastest plan?
The fastest internet plan available in Dover is offered by Frontier, with symmetrical 7,000Mbps speeds for $300 a month.