CNET’s top pick for high-speed internet in Longview, Texas is Sparklight. Thanks to its broad coverage, contract-free plans and no data caps, the service is a no-brainer if you are in coverage area. For those outside Sparklight’s reach, both Cablelynx and AT&T Fiber offer reliable alternatives for residential broadband.
On a budget? Cablelynx’s standard plan delivers speeds up to 300 megabits per second for just $30 per month, while a faster 500Mbps option is available for $55.
If speed is your priority, Sparklight also claims the title of Longview’s fastest provider, offering symmetrical speeds up to 6Gbps for $155 per month. While providers like Cablelynx, Etex and Zito Media offer gigabit plans, only Sparklight and AT&T Fiber provide multigigabit options.
Longview internet providers, such as Sparklight, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, such as AT&T, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Fastest internet plans in Longview
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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 video conferencing, 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 video conferencing.
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 simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like video conferencing, 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 Longview
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. 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 Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
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 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 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 also consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in Longview FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Longview?
Longview has many fiber providers, with fiber internet being available to over 99% of addresses. Sparklight offers the widest fiber coverage, but select households may also be serviceable for fiber under AT&T Fiber or Etex.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Longview?
Sparklight is Longview’s fastest internet provider. Serviceable customers can reach symmetrical speeds up to 6,000Mbps for $155 monthly.
