Best Internet Providers in Tallahassee, Florida
Our Experts
With over 50,000 college students attending school in Tallahassee, it’s vital to have solid internet options. Though Florida’s capital city doesn’t have as many ISP options as some of the larger cities in the US, it does have some of our favorite providers, including our top pick for Tallahassee, Xfinity.
Xfinity is widely available across Tallahassee, and with its budget-friendly starting prices and range of speeds (up to 1,200 megabits per second), it's an easy pick for the top spot. However, Metronet outpaces Xfinity in Ookla's speed test data for the city, but unfortunately, the fiber provider isn't as widely available. T-Mobile Home Internet is our other pick for a go-to ISP, which may be a great choice for college students who are already T-Mobile cellular customers looking to save money on adding an internet plan.
CNET examines customer service, speed, pricing and overall value before recommending the best broadband in your area. Keep reading for everything you need to know about the ISPs available in Tallahassee, including the cheapest and fastest providers in this Florida city.
Best internet providers in Tally
Our top three picks for best ISPs in Tallahassee are fairly neck-and-neck because all three have unique strengths and weaknesses. 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 Tallahassee, FL
Our take - Xfinity is widely available across Tallahassee, with prices starting as low as $30 per month. Though you must watch out for contracts and data caps, it’s still a solid ISP option.
T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless internet in Tallahassee, FL
Our take - T-Mobile cell users may find that adding an internet plan to their monthly service is the best way to get internet service in Tallahassee.
Metronet
Best fiber internet in Tallahassee, FL
Our take - Fiber is hard to come by in Tallahassee, but you will find it with Metronet in some areas. It’s one of our top picks overall, and if it were more widely available, it would be our favorite ISP in the city.
Overview of internet providers in Tallahassee
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber | DSL/Fiber | $30-$70 | 10-940Mbps | $15 for modem/router rental (optional) | None | None | 6.7 |
|
Metronet Read full review | Fiber | $40-$110 | 100-2,000Mbps | None | None | None | 6.7 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 with eligible phone plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Xfinity Read full review | Cable | $30-$80 | 75-1,200Mbps | $15 gateway rental (included for 24 months) | 1.2TB | Yes (2 years on Fast, Super Fast, Gigabit and Gigabit Extra) | 7 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
All available Tallahassee residential internet providers
Tallahassee has a wide variety of internet connection options, whether you’re looking for cable, fiber, DSL and beyond. Though we picked our favorite ISPs, Florida’s capital city offers even more connectivity options.
- CenturyLink: CenturyLink is widely available in Tallahassee, though you’ll mostly find DSL rather than fiber. DSL plans start at $50 per month for 10Mbps, while fiber plans (which in some areas will be called Quantum Fiber) go from $30 to $70 for speeds of either 200Mbps or 940Mbps.
- Satellite internet: Residents in Tallahassee have satellite options through a few providers. HughesNet offers 25Mbps plans for $50 to $125 with varying data plans with two-year contracts. Viasat offers a few different plans starting at $65 for 25Mbps. Plans go up to 100Mbps for $250 monthly for a range of data caps, also with two-year contracts. Elon Musk's Starlink has also begun expanding into Tallahassee and offers plans starting at $90 with no contracts and speeds from 100 to 250Mbps.
Pricing info on Tallahassee home internet service
The average starting price in Tallahassee is about $54, though most of the ISPs in the city offer starting prices lower than that. Starlink’s high starting price drives up that overall average starting price, though.
Cheap internet options in the Tallahassee metro area
Xfinity offers the cheapest overall plan at $30 for a 75Mbps plan. However, it isn't necessarily the best cost per Mbps. T-Mobile's home internet plan nets out to 20 cents per Mbps if you get the top-end download speed. Xfinity and Metronet are both about 40 cents per Mbps for their cheapest plans. You may have access to even lower prices through the Affordable Connectivity Program if you're a low-income household.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Tallahassee?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Xfinity Connect Read full review | $30 | 75Mbps | $15 gateway rental (included for 24 months) | None |
|
Metronet Read full review | $40 | 100Mbps | None | None |
| CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber | $30 | 200Mbps | $15 for modem/router rental (optional) | None |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($30 with eligible phone plan) | 245Mbps | None | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Fastest internet providers in Tallahassee
Though Tallahassee does offer some fiber providers, there aren’t a lot of high-speed options in the city. Tallahassee doesn’t rank in the nation's top 100 cities for internet speed, and speed tests put its median download at just under 208Mbps. Florida as a whole has a median download speed of 212Mbps.
Metronet, Xfinity and CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber all offer gigabit plans in Tallahassee. As for multigigabit plans, only Metronet and Xfinity offer that in the area. If you’re looking for fiber plans with symmetrical upload and download speeds, though, Metronet is going to be your best bet -- the ISP offers plans up to 2,000Mbps for $110 per month.
What are the fastest internet plans in Tallahassee?
| Provider | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Starting price | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Metronet Read full review | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $110 | None | None |
|
Metronet (2-year price lock) Read full review | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $70 | None | None |
|
Metronet (6-month price lock) Read full review | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $60 | None | None |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review | 1,200Mbps | 35Mbps | $80 | 1.2TB | 2 years |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Read full review | 1,000Mbps | 20Mbps | $75 | 1.2TB | 2 years |
| CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber | 940Mbps | 940Mbps | $70 | None | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
What’s the final word on internet providers in Tallahassee?
There are a few really good ISP options in Tallahassee, so it depends on where you live and what you need as to what your best option may be. Metronet’s fiber plans are great, but they aren’t available to more than half the folks in Tallahassee. Xfinity, however, is widely available and has budget-friendly options starting at just $30 per month. And for rural customers who rely on satellites, there’s plenty to choose from.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Tallahassee
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’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 answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our How We Test ISPs page.
Internet providers in Tallahassee FAQs
Is fiber internet available in Tallahassee?
Fiber internet is available in Tallahassee through Metronet and CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber. Metronet plans start at $40 for 100Mbps download speeds. CenturyLink’s fiber plans are less widely available: 200Mbps for $30 per month and 940Mbps for $70 monthly.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Tallahassee?
CenturyLink and Xfinity offer the cheapest plans in Tallahassee. Xfinity’s offering is $30 per month for 75Mbps, while CenturyLink’s $30 monthly plan is a fiber tier of 200Mbps.
Is Xfinity or CenturyLink better?
CenturyLink’s fiber plans outrank Xfinity, but they’re not widely available in Tallahassee. Xfinity is a better bet if you only have access to CenturyLink’s DSL. Check out the full breakdown of how CenturyLink and Xfinity compare.
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