Top 10 Internet Service Providers in Hawaii

Key Points

• Hawaiian Telecom is considered to be one of the best internet service providers in the state.
• Verizon which provides 100% coverage with a 1000mbps maximum speed is also popular.
• Spectrum is also another provider which comes with that same impressive maximum speed although it only provides 85.5% coverage.

With 137 different islands making up the state of Hawaii, it’s easy to assume that internet connections are likely pretty spotty; however, this isn’t even close to the truth. In fact, many internet providers in Hawaii deliver as much as 100% accessibility throughout the entirety of the Aloha State. There are so many to close from, Hawaiian residents honestly might need a little guidance on where to look for the best service. Thankfully, we’ve compiled this guide of the best internet providers in Hawaii.

Before listing out the top 10 in the state, we’ll first review what exactly an internet provider does. From there, we’ll go over the different types of connections provided to Hawaiian residents. After that, we’ll jump right into the top 10 internet providers in Hawaii.

Internet Service Providers Explained

So, what exactly does an internet provider do? (Well, beyond the obvious, which is to provide internet.) An internet service provider (ISP) is any company or corporation that provides an internet connection and web services to a customer base. Beyond establishing a main line to the web, ISPs typically also have to keep on top of their own individual internet servers.

Additionally, ISPs must provide all the required hardware and software to connect to the internet — this might include modems, satellites, or hotspots. Some ISPs also provide unique email addresses and user accounts. Others even double as cable television providers, allowing customers to bundle their internet, cable, and phone service under one convenient plan.

Types of Connections

Hawaiians have a limited number of internet connection types compared to customers in the contiguous United States. It’s okay, though — the connections that are available in Hawaii are just as trustworthy as they are in the other 49 states. More often than not, Hawaiians will be able to choose from these connection types below.

• Satellite
• Cable
• Fiber
• Broadband

While there are other connection types not present here, these four are far and away the most common types in Hawaii.

Internet Providers in Hawaii: Listed

With all this in mind, let’s take a look at the top ten internet providers in Hawaii. We’ve listed them all below, ranging from nationally-recognized brands to regional exclusives. You’ll notice that a majority are broadband connections, and this isn’t a mistake. Because of how spread out the Hawaiian Islands are, broadband connections are the easiest and most accessible options for internet in Hawaii. With this, let’s review the top ten internet providers in Hawaii.

HughesNet

One of the newest types of home internet available to Hawaiians, HughesNet delivers satellite internet access to 100% of the Aloha State. With packages and prices ranging from as cheap as $65 a month to as much as $150 a month, HughesNet is powered by the EchoStar Corporation, a satellite communication and internet provider based in Colorado. HughesNet derives its high-speed internet connections from EchoStar’s satellite fleet, giving it unrivaled availability in the state of Hawaii. Subscribers simply need the satellite HughesNet provides in order to connect to the internet.

Spectrum

One of the more recognizable internet providers in Hawaii, Spectrum delivers a range of different plans to Hawaiians depending on their budget. With plans as affordable as $50 a month for speeds of 300 Mbps download/10 Mbps upload speeds, Spectrum’s cable internet can be accessed by 99% of the state. Spectrum also offers a mid-range plan at $70 a month for 500 Mbps download/20 Mbps upload speeds, and a higher-end plan at $90 a month for 1000 Mbps download/35 Mbps upload speeds. What’s more, Hawaiians can also bundle their Spectrum with their cable television plan for additional savings.

Hawaiian Telcom

Unlike Spectrum or other larger ISPs on this list, you aren’t going to find Hawaiian Telcom anywhere outside of the Paradise of the Pacific. They’re an exclusive provider to the islands of Hawaii. Relying on state-of-the-art fiber internet to connect the people of Hawaii to the World Wide Web, Hawaiian Telecom offers incredible download and upload speeds of 1000 Mbps and 300 Mbps, respectively. What’s more, they’re available to almost every home and business in the state, as they boast 98.5% availability. They also offer cheap DSL plans starting at $15 a month for speeds of 7 Mbps.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

Deriving its connection from the pre-existing cell phone towers across the islands of Hawaii, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a great, affordable internet provider for about 70% of the 808 State. For a price of $50 a month, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet subscribers can enjoy as much as 182 Mbps of download speed and up to 25 Mbps of upload speed. While it might not be as fast or as cheap as some of the rival internet providers in Hawaii, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is nevertheless a reliable, trustworthy ISP for a majority of Hawaiians.

Viasat

Similar to HughesNet, Viasat is a Hawaiian satellite internet provider available to 100% of Hawaiians across all of the state’s islands. Its download speeds are as much as twice as fast as HughesNet’s, but its upload speeds are capped at 3 Mbps, the same as HughesNet’s. Viasat conveniently provides several different tiers for Hawaiians to choose from, with prices as low as $50 a month for 12 Mbps of download speed and as high as $200 a month for 50 Mbps of download speed. This is not including the monthly satellite dish fee, which will add about $15 a month to the bill (or a one-time payment of $300).

Verizon

Like T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, Verizon offers Hawaiians the ability to bring 5G broadband internet to their homes via existing cell towers. Verizon 5G home internet is much faster than T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, though. It’s also more accessible, reaching 85.5% of customers throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Maximum download speeds can reach as high as 1000 Mbps, though Verizon states that these speeds tend to stay much closer to 300 Mbps throughout Hawaii. Upload speeds are equally as impressive, typically coming in around 50 Mbps.

Boost Mobile

Powered by the T-Mobile network, Boost Mobile is an internet provider in Hawaii that delivers a connection via its dependable 4G LTE mobile hotspots. Boasting the same availability as T-Mobile 5G Home Internet (because it uses the same towers), Boost Mobile is admittedly much slower than T-Mobile. Boost’s 4G LTE internet has download speeds reaching 35 Mbps and upload speeds as high as 5 Mbps. Internet access is also capped when using a hotspot, topping out at 35 GB of data a month for $50 a month.

Ultra Home Internet

Ultra Home Internet is yet another internet provider in Hawaii that relies on T-Mobile’s pre-existing satellites to deliver internet access. Reportedly offering 100% coverage, it’s far more likely that Ultra Home Internet is only available to around 70% of Hawaiians — after all, how could it have greater availability than T-Mobile 5G Home Internet at 70.1%? Alas, Ultra Home Internet brings 5G broadband to the home with download speeds up to 100 Mbps and unknown upload speeds. Based off of T-Mobile’s numbers, it’s unlikely Ultra’s upload speeds are any higher than 25 Mbps at the very most.

Mobi

A Hawaii exclusive, Mobi 4G LTE home internet depends on Verizon’s networks to deliver hotspot internet access to over 80% of the island. As you might have noticed as a continuing trend, Mobi is not a traditional cable, fiber, or satellite internet provider. Instead, they rely on the use of mobile broadband to connect Hawaiians to the web. This means that internet access will be limited depending on the number of gigabytes of data purchased by an individual. For this reason, speeds are significantly throttled to preserve users’ data.

Sandwich Isles Communications, Inc.

Another one of the exclusive internet providers in Hawaii, Sandwich Isles Communications is accessible by 23% of Hawaiian residents. Despite this limited availability, Sandwich Isles Communications’ broadband internet connection is still as dependable as ever. As a small business, there aren’t many specifics available to report. We know download speeds are 10 Mbps, but we aren’t certain of upload speeds. Despite that, we can estimate, based on competitors’ numbers, that upload speeds are likely no higher than 5 Mbps at the very most.

Which Internet Providers in Hawaii Are Best?

There are a remarkable number of great internet providers. From the big names to the ones only known by locals, these ISPs above carry the heavy weight of keeping Hawaii connected. Thankfully, they carry that weight exceptionally well. Still, it’s worth asking: Which internet providers in Hawaii are the best? Let’s base our decision on accessibility, speeds, and pricing.

With these three factors at the forefront of our decision, it seems the clear winner would have to be Hawaiian Telcom. Available to 98.5% of Hawaiians, delivering incredible speeds of 1000 Mbps, and offering plans for as cheap as $15 a month, Hawaiian Telcom is a great ISP worthy of the top spot. Spectrum is also quite impressive, delivering similar speeds and equally expansive coverage at a reasonable price.

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