A new report that ranks the top 10 U.S. cities having the “worst broadband connectivity” shows that seven out of 10 are located in California. In fact, the California cities of Oakland, Long Beach, and Sacramento all recorded average monthly costs of $95, making broadband access less affordable for consumers in these cities compared with others. In addition, Sacramento had the most internet service complaints — 193,470 — of any city in the study.

The rankings that were used to compile the top 10 list are based on performance in seven categories. When combined, they established a connectivity index number for each of the 58 cities studied by TRG Datacenters.

Categories include: download speeds, percent of households with access to broadband, number of ISPs available, average monthly internet prices, monthly searches for issues, internet complaints by state, and an overall composite score. The factors were weighted and combined to provide the index score, which is based on 100 total points.

These factors reflect “essential elements of broadband quality and accessibility,” TRG Datacenters said.

“Broadband quality depends on a balance of speed, reliability and affordability — factors that don’t always correlate directly with the number of available providers. Even in regions with multiple service providers, a competitive market doesn’t always result in better service experiences,” a spokesperson from TRG Datacenters said.

“This trend suggests that alongside enhancing access, regulatory bodies and service providers need to prioritize both affordability and reliability in their service offerings to meet the needs of today’s internet-dependent population.”

According to the report, the top 10 worst connected cities are:

1. Providence, Rhode Island: Composite score of 98. In addition to having only 14 Internet service providers to choose from — the lowest of all the cities — the average monthly internet price is $75, which the study said “shows a stark lack of competition and affects service quality.”

 

2. Louis, Missouri: 97.2. Despite residents having access to 29 providers, the city has one of the slowest download speeds at 64 Mbps. Factoring into St. Louis’ score was a high monthly search volume of 95,870 for internet issues.

 

3. Cleveland, Ohio: 95.4. Monthly costs of $79.99 for Cleveland residents are higher than average, and it has a high internet complaint rate of 2,151.12 per 100,000 residents. “This substantial volume of complaints shows significant frustrations with connectivity, despite strong broadband accessibility at 98.6%,” the study noted.

 

4. Oakland, California: 93.8. While it recorded a high download speed, 7,790 Mbps — the highest of any city in the study — Oakland averaged $95/month for internet services. The city also logged more than 12,000 monthly internet complaints.

 

5. Long Beach, California: 92.5. Facing similar stats as Oakland, Long Beach averaged $95/month for internet services. It has 26 providers available to residents and receives more than 12,000 monthly complaints.

 

6. Sacramento, California: 91.30. The capital of California leads in service dissatisfaction with more than 193,000 complaints, the highest number recorded in the study. “Though it has 31 providers, full-fiber internet connectivity remains out of reach for many. On top of that, residents are forced to pay $95/month for less-than-reliable service and still struggle for decent internet speeds,” the study described.

 

7. San Francisco, California: 90.1. The study uncovered 40 available providers and high broadband accessibility at 98.5% in San Francisco. However, it also recorded internet costs of $95/month and more than 12,000 monthly complaints about service.

 

8. San Jose, California: 89.4. As the capital of Silicon Valley, it’s not surprising that San Jose offers 43 internet service providers to residents — the most of any city in the study. Broadband access is excellent at 99.2%, too. However, San Jose’s average internet price is $95/month and it receives 12,000 monthly complaints.

 

9. Fresno, California: 88.2. Broadband access was marked at 97.3% and download speed was 3,029 Mbps. Fresno’s internet costs are high at $95/month, but consistent with other California cities ranked in the top 10.

 

10. Bakersfield, California: 87.5. Residents here also pay an average of $95/month for service with a “solid” download speed of 2,027 Mbps. At the same time, more than 12,000 complaints are logged each month and Bakersfield has a somewhat limited choice of 22 providers.