Residents of Midland, Texas, have access to several of the nation’s most popular internet providers. They are spoilt with choices and finding the right plan can feel overwhelming. After reviewing the available options, CNET selected AT&T Fiber as the best internet provider for most households in Midland, thanks to its fast download and upload speeds for reasonable prices. Plus, the required equipment is included in the monthly cost, so you won’t have to worry about data caps or contracts. Most importantly, AT&T Fiber’s prices don’t automatically increase after the promotional period ends, which can’t be said for many other internet service providers out there.
Astound Broadband is the cheapest internet provider in Midland, offering plans starting at just $25 per month for 300Mbps download speeds. If that sounds too good to be true, it’s because it is. The price increases to $90 per month in the second year. But Astound doesn’t require contracts, so you can cancel your service before the price hike without any penalties.
If you don’t want to worry about your bill going up, T-Mobile Home Internet locks in its $50 monthly price for as long as you stay a customer. The fixed wireless provider also includes equipment in the price, and while it’s not as fast as AT&T Fiber or Astound, it provides enough speed for smaller households.
Midland internet providers, such as Optimum and Astound Broadband, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including AT&T Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Fastest internet plans in Midland
Show more (2 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s a good internet speed?
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, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Note that these are only guidelines — and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics — browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
100 to 500Mbps lets one to two users simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Midland
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites, and mapping information from the FCC at FCC.gov.
But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
Are customers happy with their service?
Though the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though 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 consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
Internet providers in Midland FAQ
What is the best internet service provider in Midland?
Yes, fiber internet is available to 57% of Midland households, according to FCC data. AT&T Fiber is the most prevalent fiber internet provider in the area.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Midland?
AT&T Fiber offers the fastest internet plan in Midland, with download and upload speeds up to 5,000Mbps.
