Most East End households have broadband, but the type varies, and the Census can only tell you what people pay for, not what a particular address can get. In the Town of Southampton 78% of households have cable, fiber or DSL and 6% use satellite; in the Town of East Hampton the figures are 82% and 3%. Before you sign a lease, check the address, and put the provider in the lease if you work from home. Year-round rentals on Hamptons Key are listed by town; ask the broker or owner which provider serves the house.
| Place | Any broadband | Cable, fiber or DSL | Cellular data plan | Cellular plan only | Satellite | No internet access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Southampton | 92% | 78% | 86% | 13% | 6% | 5% |
| Town of East Hampton | 89% | 82% | 86% | 7% | 3% | 4% |
| Suffolk County | 93% | 83% | 88% | 10% | 3% | 5% |
| New York City | 91% | 75% | 85% | 14% | 5% | 7% |
Reading the table
- Cable, fiber or DSL: a wired connection, in 78% of Southampton Town households and 82% of East Hampton Town households.
- Cellular data plan: many households have one in addition to a wired connection. A household that relies on its cellular plan alone is a measure of places without wired service: 13% in the Town of Southampton, 7% in the Town of East Hampton and 10% in Suffolk County.
- Satellite: 6% in the Town of Southampton, 3% in the Town of East Hampton, 3% in Suffolk County.
- No internet: 5% and 4% in the two towns.
Small hamlets carry wide margins of error, so this page shows town-level figures only. Amagansett, Montauk and Shelter Island figures in the Census are too imprecise to rank.
Check an address
- Ask the owner which provider serves the house, what speed it pays for and whether the account is in the owner’s name.
- Look the address up on the FCC’s National Broadband Map, which shows the providers and technologies reported for a location.
- Check each provider’s own address tool.
- When you visit, run a speed test at the desk where you will work.
- If the lease starts before service does, ask about installation timing and who pays.
Plan B
Libraries are the stopgap; each sets its own card rules for renters. See Hamptons libraries. For the weekly commute pattern and winter travel, Hamptons Commute has the travel side of remote work. The home office checklist covers the rest of the setup.
Questions people ask
Can I rely on a Census percentage to tell whether an address has fast internet?
No. The Census asks households what they subscribe to, not what is available at an address or how fast it is. Use the provider's address check and the FCC's National Broadband Map, then test the connection.
What share of East End households have no internet?
The Census estimates 5 percent of households in the Town of Southampton and 4 percent in the Town of East Hampton report no internet access, against 7 percent in New York City.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5‑year estimates, table B28002 Presence and types of internet subscriptions in households, retrieved through the Census Reporter API.
- Federal Communications Commission, National Broadband Map
Checked October 2026. Rules, fees and hours change; confirm with the office or operator before you act.