What is the best internet provider in Texas?

CNET recomandă Fibră AT&T as the best internet provider in Texas for most households. Not only does the provider hold the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the state, but its variety of high-speed plans are all competitively priced compared with other providers that ask for more for less. The only downside is that, according to the FCC, AT&T Fiber isn’t all that widely available, and if it isn’t available in your area, you’ll have to seek other providers.

A great alternative to AT&T Fiber, particularly for residents looking specifically for fiber internet, is Fibră Frontieră. Alongside Google Fiber, it reigns as the fastest internet provider in the state with maximum download speeds of 8,000Mbps (8 gig). So, regardless of whether you work from home by yourself or live with a crowded family or set of roommates, you’ll still have plenty of speed to stream and otherwise entertain yourself without losing quality or issues popping up. Customers seeking cheaper internet should invest in Xfinity şi Astound, as the two have the most affordable plans at $20 a month for 150Mbps and 300Mbps, respectively.

If you’re not all that invested in fiber internet and are OK with cable internet, there are plenty of choices, such as Astound and Spectru. For those living in more rural areas, there’s also Internet de acasă T-Mobile şi Internet 5G de acasă Verizon.

Sursa: Analiza CNET a datelor furnizorilor.

Brightspeed: After recently taking over Texas operations from Lumen Technologies (CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber), Brightspeed is a new DSL and fiber ISP serving the Denton, Killeen, Kingwood and San Marcos areas. Pricing starts at $40 per month, depending on the available service type at your home.

Frontier Communications: I’d consider Frontier Fiber to be one of the best internet providers in Texas if it had just a little wider availability. Its 200Mbps, entry-level plan is available for just $30 per month in select areas and is one of the best internet deals around. Faster speeds are also available and similarly priced better than much of the competition. 

Google Fiber: Gigabit speed enthusiasts in Austin and San Antonio will appreciate Google Fiber’s plan selection: 1 or 2Gbps starting at $70 and $100, respectively. Austin residents also have a 5Gbps option starting at $125 per month. A new, even faster 8 gig option costs $150 per month. All plans are free of equipment fees, data caps and contracts. 

Kinetic by Windstream: As a fiber internet provider, Kinetic has the speed and pricing to rival any other. As a DSL provider, the speed potential and service terms are tough to beat. Expect to pay between $40 to $70 per month for either service type unless you opt for the 2-gig fiber plan for $100 per month.

Optim: Texas residents may have known this cable provider better as Suddenlink, but parent company Altice recently united its home internet services under the Optimum brand. Look for three plan options (300, 500 and 1,000Mbps for $40, $50 and $60 per month, respectively), but beware of a poor reputation for customer satisfaction. 

Xfinity: The nation’s largest cable internet provider doesn’t have a huge presence in Texas, but it is the primary cable ISP in the Houston area and on the Texas side of Shreveport. Expect five to six plan options starting at $20 to $75 per month for speeds of 150 to 1,300Mbps.

Rural internet options in Texas

From Alpine to Zephyr, Texas has more than its share of small towns and rural areas. Reliable broadband in such areas can be tough to come by, but non-satellite connections are available to roughly 96% of Texas households, conform FCC. 

In some rural areas, that equates to cable, DSL and possibly even fiber connections. In others, fixed wireless is the primary connection type. The remaining 4% may have to rely on satellite internet. Here’s a look at possible internet options — aside from T-Mobile, our pick for the best rural ISP listed above — found in rural parts of Texas.

Nextlink: Fixed wireless service covers much of the Texas Triangle, although those to the west, as far as San Angelo and Sweetwater, may be eligible for service. Speeds and pricing vary by the network (Standard or Enhanced), ranging from 25 to 100Mbps for $50 to $90 per month to 50 to 500Mbps starting at $70 to $140 per month.

Rise Broadband: Rise also covers much of the Texas Triangle via fixed wireless service, plus areas as far south as Victoria and Lake Jackson, and as far northwest as Lubbock and Pampa. With typical speeds of 300 to 1,000Mbps the pricing ($60 to $80 per month) and no data cap are a clear winner over satellite. Rise also has fiber connectivity available, with plans ranging from 250Mbps to 1Gbps, and prices that go from $45 to $65 a month.

Internet prin satelit: Texas is such a big state that running internet connections to every home is simply not possible or practical. For those situations, satellite internet from Hughesnet sau Viasat may be your best bet for broadband. Service isn’t cheap (starting at $50 to $95 for Hughesnet and $70 to $300 for Viasat) or particularly fast, but it will get you online. Satellite newcomer Starlink may be a solution for faster speeds and lower latency, but don’t expect much relief by way of pricing. 

Internet breakdown by city in Texas

It’s hard to cover the internet options of an entire state, especially one the size of Texas, while giving individual cities the in-depth attention they deserve. That’s why we’ve also put together lists of the best internet providers in cities across the US, including many in Texas. If you don’t find your hometown below, check back later. We’re working to add more every day.

Cheap internet options in Texas

The cost of internet in Texas will depend on the available providers in your area and the plan you choose, plus extra fees for equipment and possibly data. That said, most Texas residents can anticipate paying at least $50 per month for home internet, and costs can easily reach $100 or more on higher speed tiers.

Xfinity has the cheapest plan outright, starting at $20 per month for speeds up to 150Mbps. Here’s a look at this plan and other cheap internet plans in Texas.

Cheapest internet plans in Texas

Sursa: Analiza CNET a datelor furnizorilor.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Texas

The best internet deals and top promotions in Texas depend on what discounts are available at the time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Texas internet providers, such as Astound and Frontier, may offer lower introductory pricing or other perks for a limited time. Many providers, including AT&T, Optimum and Spectrum, run the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the cele mai bune oferte de internet. 

How fast is Texas broadband?

Recent Ookla speed test data places Texas as the 15th fastest state with median speeds of around 225Mbps down and 33Mbps up. AT&T had the fastest median speed in the state at 283Mbps, although it’s worth noting that many factors can affect speed test results, such as technology type and testing over Wi-Fi. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

AT&T Fiber and Frontier Fiber offer 5 gig plans while Google Fiber now offers the fastest speeds, at 8 gig. Kinetic and Xfinity are some way behind with a 2 gig plan, while max speeds from cable providers Astound and Spectrum range from 1,000 to 1,500Mbps.

Fastest internet plans in Texas

Sursa: Analiza CNET a datelor furnizorilor.

Care este o viteză bună de internet?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, conform FCC. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

Pentru mai multe informații, consultați ghidul nostru despre de câtă viteză de internet ai nevoie cu adevărat.

• Vitezele de la 0 la 5 Mbps vă permit să abordați funcțiile de bază: navigarea pe internet, trimiterea și primirea de e-mailuri și redarea în flux video de calitate scăzută.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
• 40 până la 100 Mbps ar trebui să ofere unui utilizator suficientă lățime de bandă pentru a satisface cerințele muncii la distanță moderne, streamingului video și jocurilor online. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and gaming simultaneously. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Texas

Furnizorii de servicii de internet sunt numeroși și regionali. Spre deosebire de cele mai recente smartphone, laptop, router sau ustensile de bucătărie, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from FCC.gov. 

It doesn’t end there: We use the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. To evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service, we look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time of publication. 

Odată ce avem aceste informații localizate, ne punem trei întrebări principale: 

• Furnizorul oferă acces la viteze rezonabile de internet? 
• Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying? 
• Sunt clienții mulțumiți de serviciile lor? 

While the answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When it comes to selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla şi Rapoarte FCC.

To explore our process in more depth, you can visit our page on cum testăm furnizorii de servicii de internet.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Texas?

Fiber internet, from AT&T — our pick for the best ISP in Texas — or others like Frontier, Google Fiber or Kinetic, is often going to be the top choice for high-speed internet in the Lone Star State thanks to the fast, reliable speeds, competitive pricing and favorable service terms that often come with it. 

That said, cable providers Xfinity and Astound offer the cheapest internet plans in Texas, while Spectrum has the best coverage and pricing transparency of any of the state’s major cable ISPs. If you’re looking for an alternative to the big cable or fiber internet providers, consider Verizon’s 5G home internet service.

Residents of Texas’ more rural areas should consider fixed wireless internet, like that of T-Mobile, Nextlink and Rise Broadband. If no practical options are available, there’s always satellite. 

Texas internet provider FAQs