Seattle is one of the few markets where five real carriers can quote the same downtown building. Comcast and Lumen ran the metro for years. Then Wave (now Astound) built fiber into mid-rise office stock. Then Ziply rebuilt the old Frontier plant. Now AT&T just absorbed Lumen's mass-market fiber and is pushing into the metro directly. What this means for you: if you only quote Comcast, you're leaving real money on the table. The on-net mix in Seattle is unusually thick for a west coast metro, so most Class A and Class B buildings downtown, in SLU, and in SODO have two or three on-net fiber options before anyone has to dig.
Seattle is one of the more competitive business internet markets on the west coast. Comcast Business has the dominant cable footprint. Astound Broadband (formerly Wave) has a real fiber overlap in the city. Ziply Fiber rebuilt fiber across much of the metro. CenturyLink (now Lumen) is on most blocks. T-Mobile is headquartered in the metro and has strong 5G coverage.
The pricing problem in Seattle is the same as in most of the country. Most businesses default to Comcast, never quote the other four, and pay 30 to 50 percent above the new-customer rate within two years of signing.
Seattle's commercial spine
Seattle's commercial demand sits in three places. Downtown Seattle holds the legal, financial, and government corridor that anchors the metro's daytime workforce and the bulk of its Class A office tower stock. South Lake Union, the redeveloped technology and life-sciences district north of downtown, has filled in over the past two decades with corporate-tech, biotech, and academic-medical tenancy. SODO, the industrial and adaptive-reuse zone south of downtown, anchors a deep concentration of logistics, light-manufacturing, and creative-office tenants alongside the city's stadium district. Amazon, with its first global headquarters in the Puget Sound region and a major Seattle campus, and the University of Washington's Seattle campus are two of the largest commercial accounts in the metro and drive heavy enterprise telecom demand.
On February 2, 2026, AT&T said closing its acquisition of Lumen's mass-market fiber business added major metro areas including Seattle to AT&T's fiber footprint, materially shifting the carrier mix in a market that has been Comcast and CenturyLink-dominated for years. One pricing wrinkle: Seattle businesses in districts such as Downtown and SODO often carry Business Improvement Area assessments because the city uses BIAs as a formal funding mechanism for district services, and those assessments are commonly passed through in commercial leases.
What you should be paying
These are dedicated internet ranges from current carrier wholesale data, marked up to typical retail.
Seattle dedicated internet, typical retail (mid 50%)
Monthly recurring charge, dedicated internet access (DIA). Numbers are derived from current carrier wholesale quotes.
| Speed | Typical retail (mid 50%) | Sample size |
|---|---|---|
| 100 Mbps | $660 – $800/mo | n = 1 |
| 500 Mbps | $955 – $1,160/mo | n = 1 |
If your bill sits above the high end of the band, you are likely overpaying.
Analyze My Bill FreeFor Comcast Business coax at 600 Mbps, the fair price is $150 to $230 a month for a single office. For Ziply Fiber at 1 Gbps, expect $130 to $200 a month, which is one of the better headline rates available in the metro.
For T-Mobile Business Internet, the published rate is $85 a month for 200 to 300 Mbps fixed wireless.
Carriers worth quoting in Seattle
Six carriers cover most addresses in the metro.
- Comcast Business. Coax everywhere, fiber in select buildings.
- Astound (Wave) Business. Strong fiber and coax footprint in Seattle proper and on the eastside.
- Ziply Fiber Business. Aggressive on price, strong in the suburbs and parts of north Seattle.
- CenturyLink (Lumen). Fiber where they have rebuilt, copper elsewhere.
- T-Mobile Business Internet. $85 a month for 200 to 300 Mbps. Useful benchmark.
- Crown Castle Fiber. Common in downtown commercial buildings.
If you have not had three of these on a quote sheet, you have not run a real comparison.
What to do this week
- Pull your most recent invoice. Find the contract end date and the side fees.
- Get one quote outside Comcast. Ziply Fiber publishes most rates online and is the fastest benchmark.
- Compare your base rate to the bands above. If you are 20 percent above the high end, the retention call is worth making.
See where your Seattle bill sits against current rates
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Carriers worth a quote here
- Comcast Business
Dominant cable footprint across the metro, including most of SODO, Ballard, and the residential commercial corridors where fiber competitors haven't reached. Comcast rarely bends on margin in Seattle unless you bring a written competitive quote, and equipment rental plus the Broadcast TV Surcharge are routine line items to push back on.
- Astound Business
The former Wave footprint gives Astound real on-net fiber coverage in Downtown, SLU, and parts of Capitol Hill that most national carriers don't have. They're typically the most aggressive on price when going head-to-head with Comcast in Seattle's mid-rise office stock.
- Ziply Fiber Business
Rebuilt the old Frontier copper plant into fiber across most of the Seattle metro. Strong in suburban office parks (Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland) and increasingly in Seattle proper. Pricing is generally below Lumen and Comcast for equivalent speeds, especially on 1Gbps DIA.
- Lumen Business
The former CenturyLink ILEC plant is on most blocks in Seattle, but Lumen is mid-transition after selling its mass-market fiber to AT&T. Currently hungry for enterprise and multi-site deals, which translates to more flexible pricing than usual if you push.
- AT&T Business
New to Seattle as a wireline player after closing the Lumen mass-market fiber deal in February 2026. Footprint is the former Lumen/CenturyLink fiber, mostly Downtown and the dense residential-commercial mix. Pricing and process are still settling, so quotes vary widely month to month.
- T-Mobile Business
Headquartered in Bellevue, with the strongest 5G coverage in the metro of any national carrier. Fixed wireless is a real option for sub-300Mbps secondary connections and small offices in buildings where fiber install would take 90+ days.
- Verizon Business
Limited wireline fiber in Seattle compared to its Northeast footprint, but strong on enterprise managed services and 5G fixed wireless. Worth a quote for multi-site customers with locations outside the Pacific Northwest.
What internet costs in Seattle, Washington right now
Seattle, Washington market notes
Common questions about business internet in Seattle, Washington
Is my Seattle building on-net for fiber?
Ask each carrier directly with your full street address and suite number. On-net means the carrier already has fiber in your building and can provision in 30 to 45 days. Off-net means they have to build, which adds 60 to 120 days and a four or five figure NRC. Downtown, SLU, and most of SODO have two or three on-net fiber options. Ballard, Georgetown, and the residential-commercial mix usually have one.
How much should I pay for 1Gbps DIA in downtown Seattle?
The realistic range is $1,050 to $1,455 a month on a 2 or 3 year term. On-net buildings hit the lower end. If you're quoted above $1,500 for a standard on-net install with no special routing or diversity, you're paying above market. Bring a competing quote from Astound, Ziply, or Lumen and the incumbent will usually move.
Should I quote AT&T now that they bought Lumen's fiber in Seattle?
Yes. AT&T closed the Lumen mass-market fiber acquisition in February 2026 and is actively quoting Seattle addresses. Pricing is still settling, which means it's worth getting their number alongside your other quotes. Don't sign a long term with AT&T yet without comparing, since process and SLA enforcement during a transition are unproven.
Is Comcast Business or Astound cheaper in Seattle?
It depends on the building and how hard you push. Astound is usually more flexible on price in Downtown and SLU because they're fighting for share against the incumbent cable footprint. Comcast holds margin unless you produce a written competing quote. For equivalent 500Mbps to 1Gbps broadband, expect Astound to come in 15 to 25 percent below Comcast's first quote.
Do I need to worry about USF on a Seattle-only circuit?
If your circuit doesn't cross state lines, USF should not apply. Carriers charge it by default anyway. Check your bill for a USF line item, then ask the carrier to confirm the circuit is intrastate and remove the charge. On a $1,200 a month circuit, USF can run $30 to $50 a month that you shouldn't be paying.
How long does a new fiber install take in Seattle?
On-net buildings: 30 to 45 days from signed order to turn-up. Off-net builds: 60 to 120 days, sometimes longer if the right-of-way permit hits a complex intersection or rail crossing. Seattle's permitting timeline is slower than Portland or the Bay Area, so plan your contract end dates with that buffer in mind. Don't let your old contract auto-renew while you wait for a new build.