Best Internet Providers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Our Experts
Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Home of sandy beaches, delicious seafood and 101 (give or take) tourist spots where you can buy T-shirts to take home after vacation. It is also home to several internet service providers keeping residents (and visitors) connected 24/7. In this popular Spring break spot, Xfinity reigns supreme as far as ISPs go, but AT&T and T-Mobile are also top contenders for service.
In Fort Lauderdale, Xfinity and AT&T have the top two median download speeds in the latest speed tests. The overall median download speed for ISPs in Fort Lauderdale (as of May 2023) is approximately 199 megabits per second, while the median upload speed is another story at just shy of 24Mbps. This is often the case unless you’re dealing with fiber connectivity, which pushes that upload speed much higher. The national median for upload speed, though, is 23Mbps, so Fort Lauderdale is slightly ahead of the game, thanks to its few fiber options.
CNET examines customer service, speed, pricing and overall value before recommending the best broadband in your area. For a full breakdown of all the ISPs on offer in Fort Lauderdale, keep reading.
Best internet providers in Spring Break Central
You’ll find many of the usual broadband heavy hitters in Fort Lauderdale, so it’s no surprise that they rank as some of our favorites in the city. All prices listed on this page reflect available discounts for setting up paperless billing. If you decide not to go with automatic monthly payments, your price will be higher.
Note: The prices, speeds and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed in the product detail cards, which represent providers’ national offerings. Your particular internet service options -- including prices and speeds -- depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.
Xfinity
Best internet provider in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Our take - Xfinity offers a wide range of plans, starting at just $25 a month and featuring speeds up to 2,000Mbps. There’s a little something for everyone here.
AT&T
Best fiber internet in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Our take - Though you’ll still find some areas of AT&T’s DSL in Fort Lauderdale, the ISP has deprioritized that service in favor of fiber -- which is the better option, by far.
T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Our take - T-Mobile Home Internet is quickly becoming one of the most highly-rated ISPs across the US. It was the top-rated non-fiber ISP in the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index survey.
Overview of internet providers in Fort Lauderdale
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T DSL Read full review | DSL | $55 | 10-100Mbps | None | 1.5TB | None | 7.4 |
|
AT&T Fiber Read full review | Fiber | $55-$80 | 300-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
HughesNet Read full review | Satellite | $50-$150 | 25Mbps | $15 | 15-200GB | 2 years | 5.7 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50 | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 | 85-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
|
Viasat Read full review | Satellite | $50-$200 | 12-30Mbps | $15 | 60-500GB | 2 years | 6.1 |
|
Xfinity Read full review | Cable | $25-$100 | 75-2,000Mbps | $15 (optional) | 1.2TB on some plans | Varies by plan | 7 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
All available Fort Lauderdale residential internet providers
Beyond the top ISPs in Fort Lauderdale, there are a few other options to choose from.
- EarthLink: EarthLink offers fiber internet in most areas of Fort Lauderdale starting at $60 per month for 100Mbps.
- Easy Internet Now: Easy Internet Now also offers fiber connection in Fort Lauderdale, though it’s not quite as widely available and the prices are a bit higher. Packages start at $88 per month for 300Mbps, but you won’t have any fees, contracts or data caps to deal with.
- Satellite internet: People in Fort Lauderdale can get satellite service through HughesNet or Viasat. With HughesNet, prices range from $50 to $105 monthly for 25Mbps. Viasat starts at $50 a month for 12Mbps. Both are widely available in and around the Fort Lauderdale metro area.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon’s 5G home internet service is available to 35% of residents, and you’ll find it mostly near the beach. You can get Verizon 5G Home and 5G Home Plus for $50 to $70 a month. Eligible mobile customers could pay as little as $25 a month for internet service. Speeds range from 85 to 1,000Mbps.
Pricing info on Fort Lauderdale home internet service
The average starting price for internet packages in Fort Lauderdale is $47. That falls smack in the middle of the ISPs CNET has covered across the country. Four of our top picks for ISPs in Fort Lauderdale start at $50 a month or less.
Cheap internet options in the Fort Lauderdale metro area
The lowest-priced internet package in Fort Lauderdale is Xfinity’s Connect More plan, which is just $25 a month and gets you max download speeds of 200Mbps. That’s a decent bang for your buck, as that nets out to just over 12 cents per Mbps. You can also look into low-cost internet plans in the area through the Affordable Connectivity Program, which is available to low-income households.
What are the cheapest internet plans in Fort Lauderdale?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Xfinity Read full review | $25 | 200Mbps | $15 (included for 2 years) | None |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | $50 | 245Mbps | None | None |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($25 with eligible phone plan) | 300Mbps | None | None |
|
Viasat Read full review | $50 | 12Mbps | $15 | 2 years |
|
HughesNet Read full review | $50 | 25Mbps | $15 | 2 years |
|
AT&T Fiber 300 Read full review | $55 | 300Mbps | None | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
How fast is the broadband in Fort Lauderdale?
Xfinity and AT&T are often neck and neck in a speed race. In the latest Ookla speed tests, Xfinity’s median download speeds were higher, while AT&T’s median upload speeds were higher. Both of those ISPs are widely available throughout Fort Lauderdale.
AT&T and Xfinity both offer muti-gigabit plans in Fort Lauderdale. AT&T has the most to choose from -- and the fastest speeds -- but they also run the highest price tag. It's worth noting that AT&T's most expensive tier has the lowest cost per Mbps -- 4 cents -- of any plan offered in Fort Lauderdale. It's not a cheap plan by any stretch, but it's a solid value.
What are the fastest internet plans in Fort Lauderdale?
| Provider | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Starting price | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Fiber 5000 Read full review | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $180 | None | None |
|
AT&T Fiber 2000 Read full review | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $110 | None | None |
|
Xfinity Gigabit X2 Read full review | 2,000Mbps | 100Mbps | $100 | None | None |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review | 1,200Mbps | 35Mbps | $80 | 1.2TB | 2 years |
|
AT&T Fiber 1000 Read full review | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $80 | None | None |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Read full review | 1,000Mbps | 20Mbps | $75 | 1.2TB | 2 years |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
What’s the final word on internet providers in Fort Lauderdale?
There are several ISPs in Fort Lauderdale, whether you want fiber, cable or fixed wireless. Xfinity and AT&T offer top speeds and availability, but all of the selections on our best list should meet the needs of the right customer. It’s just a matter of what you’re looking for.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Fort Lauderdale
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 Federal Communications Commission 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?
While 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. Within those recommendations, we also look for the cheapest and fastest ISPs from that region. To explore our process more thoroughly, check out our How we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in Fort Lauderdale FAQs
Is fiber internet available in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes. AT&T offers fiber plans starting at $55 for 300Mbps. In some locations you may be eligible for its fastest, 5-gig plan for $180 monthly.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Fort Lauderdale?
Xfinity offers the cheapest internet plan in Fort Lauderdale. The ISP has a 200Mbps plan for just $25 a month.
Is AT&T or Xfinity better?
Though we’re calling Xfinity the best overall for Fort Lauderdale, both AT&T and Xfinity are excellent choices. Xfinity offers cheaper plans, but AT&T offers fiber (which means faster) service. Check out CNET”s full AT&T vs. Xfinity comparison for more specific details.
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