Although the ideal internet service provider for your home will depend on what’s available in your area,AT&T Fiber is CNET’s pick for the best internet provider in Texas for most households. It accounts for the highest customer satisfaction in the area and also offers the best selection of competitively priced high-speed plans. That makes it the obvious choice for any customer in areas where AT&T is available.
If AT&T Fiber doesn’t interest you or isn’t available at your address, don’t worry — there are still plenty of options for fast speeds in Texas. Frontier Fiber reigns alongside Google Fiber as the fastest internet providers in the state, with maximum download speeds of 8,000 megabits per second (8 gig). So whether you live alone or with family, you can still stream TV and/or games without issues. If you want something cheaper, Xfinity and Astound have the most affordable plans at $20 a month for 150Mbps and 300Mbps, respectively.
Spectrum and Astound are also decent choices for cable internet, or you can look to 5G home internet for an alternative to traditional wired service. Wireless home internet, like that of T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet, are great options for people living in rural areas. These services allow residents to avoid the commitment of using satellite internet, while also providing essential internet coverage.
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
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.
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
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 best internet deals.
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
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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 FCC. 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 and 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 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
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, 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.
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?
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 and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, you can visit our page on how we test ISPs.
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
What’s the best internet service provider in Texas?
Yes, more than 50% of Texas households are eligible for fiber internet service, according to the FCC. AT&T Fiber is the state’s largest fiber ISP, but Brightspeed, Frontier Fiber, Google Fiber, Kinetic and others also contribute to fiber availability in Texas.
Residents of larger cities in Texas are most likely to be eligible for fiber internet, although Brightspeed, Kinetic and regional providers operate fiber-optic networks in many suburban and rural areas.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Texas?
AT&T Fiber and Frontier Fiber offer a 5,000Mbps speed tier with Frontier also offering a 7,000Mbps speed while Google Fiber now offers a 8,000Mbps plan, which is the fastest of any major provider in Texas. Google Fiber and Frontier’s 5 Gig plans are also better deals, starting at $125 and $100, respectively, compared to $245 with AT&T, but AT&T Fiber is available to many more people in Texas.
