Broadband Now
BroadbandNow is a free U.S. consumer broadband comparison aggregator that lets residential users and small businesses search ISPs by address, compare 8,000+ plans from 2,000+ providers, and access independent broadband-availability research cited by the FCC, Congress, and major academic institutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Broadband Now does
BroadbandNow (legally Centerfield BBN LLC, a Delaware limited liability company owned by Centerfield Media Parent, Inc.) is a consumer-facing broadband comparison aggregator that enables U.S. residential and small-business users to identify internet service providers available at a specific address or ZIP code and to compare plans, pricing, speeds, and connection types. The platform's core technology combines Google-powered address-level search, an IP-verified customer rating and review system, and a manually curated database of more than 2,000 ISPs and 8,000+ active plans built on over 100 million rows of FCC data. Auxiliary products include a Speed Test, a Bandwidth Calculator, a National Broadband Map for research use, state- and county-level availability maps, and an editorial library of buying guides and how-to content covering topics such as rural internet, gaming, satellite service, and Wi-Fi troubleshooting.
The platform serves three principal customer groups: residential consumers seeking home internet service (primary segment), small-business owners evaluating business connectivity (secondary segment), and journalists, academic researchers, and government institutions that use BroadbandNow's independent broadband-availability and digital-divide research, which is cited by the FCC, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, the Federal Reserve Bank, Microsoft, Facebook/Meta, Harvard, and MIT. Coverage spans all 50 U.S. states plus territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. The service is free to end users, with no subscription, paywall, or direct consumer fees.
BroadbandNow monetizes exclusively through B2B relationships with ISPs: referral commissions paid when users sign up for service through the platform's links, and advertising fees from ISPs that pay to be featured on the platform. The company states that compensation does not influence editorial content or availability results. Operations are run from a headquarters in Los Angeles (12130 Millennium Drive, Ste 600), with a legal-contact address in Austin, Texas; reported employee headcount is 1–10, though this likely understates total staffing given ownership within the larger Centerfield media group. Founded in 2014, BroadbandNow operates as a privately held, profitable cash-flow business with no disclosed venture funding.
Broadband Now firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Broadband Now
- Legal name
- Centerfield BBN LLC
- Website
- http://broadbandnow.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- BroadbandNow is a free U.S. consumer broadband comparison aggregator that lets residential users and small businesses search ISPs by address, compare 8,000+ plans from 2,000+ providers, and access independent broadband-availability research cited by the FCC, Congress, and major academic institutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Broadband Now industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Internet Service Comparison and Broadband Marketplace
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential/Broadband ISPs (Consumer Internet) (HDAIADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Satellite Broadband Internet Access (Consumer/SMB) (HDAIAJAA), Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC)
Keywords
Where Broadband Now is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Broadband Now business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- ISP Referral Commissions: Internet service providers pay BroadbandNow commissions when users sign up for service through the platform's referral links. This does not cost users anything extra - they pay the same price as going directly to the provider. The platform is free to use for consumers.
- Advertising Fees: Some ISPs pay advertising fees to be featured on the platform. Compensation does not influence editorial content or availability results - the company states availability results are kept impartial.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Broadband Now product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BroadbandNow is a free online comparison and research platform that lets U.S. consumers search for and evaluate internet service providers by entering an address or ZIP code, then view available plans, pricing, speeds, and connection types. The platform aggregates data on over 2,000 ISPs and 8,000+ active plans, and complements its comparison tools with a real-time speed test, a bandwidth calculator, address-level availability coverage maps, and an independent National Broadband Map used for digital divide research.
Product overview
BroadbandNow is a consumer broadband comparison aggregator and independent research platform. The core product enables users to search for and compare internet service providers by address or ZIP code, displaying availability, pricing, speeds, and connection types across thousands of providers. The platform is built around several interconnected tools: a Provider Comparison Tool for plan lookup, a Speed Test for connection performance measurement, a Bandwidth Calculator for needs assessment, and a National Broadband Map for research purposes. The service is free to consumers, monetized through advertising relationships with ISPs listed on the platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Internet Provider Comparison Platform Free consumer-facing web platform that allows users to search for internet service providers available at their specific address or ZIP code, displaying plans, pricing, speeds, and connection types. Targets residential households and small businesses evaluating home or business internet service across the United States.
- Speed Test
Quantifiable outcome
- Tracks data from over 2,000 internet service providers
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Broadband Now
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Broadband Now technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Broadband Now partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- GooglecoreGoogle powers the address search functionality on BroadbandNow's platform, enabling users to enter their location and find available internet providers. This integration provides the search infrastructure for the core service offering.
- Internet Service Providers (AT&T, Spectrum, T-Mobile, Verizon, Xfinity, Cox, etc.)coreBroadbandNow earns commissions from ISPs when users sign up through their referral links. Some ISPs also pay advertising fees to be featured on the platform. The company states that compensation does not influence editorial content or availability results.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Broadband Now competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- InMyArea.com: Hyper-local comparison platform that helps consumers find available ISPs, cable, and home services by address. Directly competes for the same 'internet providers in my zip' search demand and ISP referral commissions.
- WhistleOut: Consumer-facing comparison platform for internet, mobile, and energy plans with an affiliate/lead-generation model. Directly comparable in product (ISP search and compare), GTM (SEO-driven, free to consumer), and revenue model (carrier referral commissions).
- HighSpeedInternet.com: ISP comparison and review site that provides address-level availability lookup, speed test, and plan comparison. Operates the same core product flow as BroadbandNow with overlapping ISP advertiser base.
- Allconnect: ISP and home services comparison marketplace that connects consumers with internet, TV, and home security providers via call-center and online referrals. Closely comparable business model and customer base to BroadbandNow.
Others
- DecisionDataGroup: Non-profit data and research organization focused on broadband availability and the digital divide. Complementary to BroadbandNow's research arm (National Broadband Map) and shares the same data/audience overlap with policy and academic users.
Broad incumbents
- NerdWallet: Public consumer finance platform that has expanded into broadband and telecom comparison. Comparable in SEO-driven affiliate model, but operates at much larger scale and across more verticals.
- Bankrate: Established financial comparison publisher (owned by Red Ventures) that has expanded into broadband, cable, and home services comparison. Comparable in affiliate-driven comparison business, broader portfolio.
- FCC National Broadband Map: Government-run authoritative source of broadband availability data in the U.S. Cited alongside BroadbandNow by policy and academic users; represents the public-sector incumbent that BroadbandNow's data is benchmarked against.
Emerging players
- Reviews.com: Generalist product comparison and review publisher that covers ISPs alongside other consumer categories. Overlaps with BroadbandNow in methodology (independent reviews, comparison content) and monetization (affiliate links).
- Switchful: ISP comparison and switching service focused on residential broadband plans. Operates a similar address-search and comparison flow with an affiliate referral model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Broadband Now social profiles
Digital presenceBroadband Now financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Broadband Now leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Broadband Now funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Broadband Now M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Broadband Now
What does Broadband Now do?
BroadbandNow is a free online comparison and research platform that lets U.S. consumers search for and evaluate internet service providers by entering an address or ZIP code, then view available plans, pricing, speeds, and connection types. The platform aggregates data on over 2,000 ISPs and 8,000+ active plans, and complements its comparison tools with a real-time speed test, a bandwidth calculator, address-level availability coverage maps, and an independent National Broadband Map used for digital divide research.
Is Broadband Now a public or private company?
Broadband Now is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Broadband Now founded?
Broadband Now was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Broadband Now based?
Broadband Now is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Broadband Now make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. ISP Referral Commissions are the primary driver. The others are advertising Fees.
Who are Broadband Now's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are InMyArea.com, WhistleOut, HighSpeedInternet.com and Allconnect. DecisionDataGroup is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are NerdWallet, Bankrate and FCC National Broadband Map. Emerging players are Reviews.com and Switchful.
Does Broadband Now have an API?
No public API is recorded for Broadband Now.
What industry is Broadband Now in?
Broadband Now's product category is Internet Service Comparison and Broadband Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIADAA, Residential/Broadband ISPs (Consumer Internet), with a secondary code of HDAIAJAA, Satellite Broadband Internet Access (Consumer/SMB). Its NAICS code is 519290 and its SIC code is 7370.