Survey's Key Findings
- Fiber-optic Internet service is a runaway hit. Respondents who have it--a relatively small group--reported they are very satisfied with the service.
- Cablevision Systems, which serves more than 3 million customers in the New York metropolitan area, was the overall reader favorite, earning top marks on nearly every measure. EarthLink and BellSouth rated best for DSL service, but still just average.
- When asked about specific features of their ISP, respondents said they were least pleased with providers' ability to block spam; they also scored customer service and tech support poorly.
- Verizon and Charter rated worst among broadband providers--ironic, as Verizon scored well for its fiber-optic service. Dial-up providers fared worst, though.
Cable, Fiber-Optic Providers Give the Best Internet Service (chart)
Our survey of more than 9000 PC World subscribers and site visitors shows that cable Internet giants Cablevision, Time Warner, and Cox are impressing customers. Fiber-optic is a winner, too. But dial-up users are an unhappy lot as a whole.
Click the image below to see how survey respondents rated major ISPs.
| ISP | Service type | Overall
satisfaction |
Connection reliability |
Customer
service |
Technical
support |
Download
speed |
Upload
speed |
Entertainment features |
| Cablevision | Cable | Above average | Above average | Above average | Above average | Above average | Above average | Above average |
| Verizon FiOS | Fiber | Above average | Above average | Above average | Above average | Above average | Above average | Average |
| Time Warner | Cable | Above average | Above average | Average | Average | Above average | Above average | Average |
| Cox | Cable | Average | Average | Average | Average | Above average | Above average | Average |
| EarthLink | Cable | Above average | Average | Average | Average | Above average | Above average | Below average |
| EarthLink | DSL | Average | Average | Average | Average | Average | Average | Average |
| Insight | Cable | Average | Average | Average | Average | Average | Average | Average |
| BellSouth | DSL | Average | Average | Average | Average | Average | Average | Below average |
| Comcast | Cable | Average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Above average | Above average | Average |
| Adelphia | Cable | Below average | Below average | Average | Average | Average | Average | Average |
| AOL | DSL | Average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Average | Average | Above average |
| Qwest | DSL | Average | Average | Average | Average | Below average | Below average | Average |
| AT&T Yahoo | DSL | Average | Average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Above average |
| EarthLink | Dial-up | Below average | Average | Average | Average | Below average | Below average | Average |
| AOL | Cable | Below average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Average | Average | Average |
| MSN | Dial-up | Below average | Below average | Insufficient data | Insufficient data | Below average | Below average | Average |
| Verizon | DSL | Below average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Average |
| Charter | Cable | Below average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Average | Average | Below average |
| People PC | Dial-up | Below average | Below average | Average | Below average | Insufficient data | Below average | Below average |
| AOL | Dial-up | Below average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Average |
| AT&T Worldnet | Dial-up | Below average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Below average | Average |
| NetZero | Dial-up | Below average | Below average | Below average | Insufficient data | Below average | Below average | Below average |
| NOTES: Services are ranked by the total number of positive and negative ratings, and in case of a tie, alphabetically. Source: Survey of 9321 |
||||||||
Ad Choices