Best Internet Providers in Amarillo, Texas
Our Experts
Amarillo is a Route 66 gem embedded in the Texas panhandle. It's home to the Cadillac Ranch and the Big Texan Steak Ranch steak-eating challenge. Amarillo is a perfect example of a place that embraces its past while looking to the future. Ranching heritage runs strong, but Amarillo also supports aviation, wind energy and bioscience companies. Whether you work remotely or relax at home, you'll want a fast, reliable internet connection for streaming, gaming and business.
Fiber providers have a strong presence in Amarillo, including AT&T -- our top pick among the ISPs here -- and Vexus, as well as local provider AW Broadband. But given the city's mix of urban and rural settlement, fiber won't reach everyone. Most people in town are likely covered by cable from Optimum, but some residents may need to look to fixed wireless options from Plains Internet, AW Broadband, Verizon 5G Home Internet or T-Mobile Home Internet.
CNET examines customer service, speed, pricing and overall value before recommending the best broadband in your area. With that in mind, let's sort through the best internet providers in Amarillo.
Best internet providers for the Yellow Rose of Texas
Amarillo ISPs give you options for getting online, whether you want to feed your need for speed with fiber or connect with cable or fixed wireless. Your choice will largely come down to availability. If your address is hooked up for fiber, then AT&T and Vexus are our top picks. T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet offer no-fuss fixed wireless alternatives if you're in a location with a strong signal.
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.
AT&T Fiber
Best internet provider in Amarillo, TX
Our take - A wide range of plans and speeds, decent availability and a high-end 5,000Mbps option push AT&T Fiber to the top of the pops for ISPs in Amarillo. However, if you're eligible for AT&T Fiber and regional competitor Vexus, comparing plans and prices from both is worthwhile.
Vexus Fiber
Best regional internet in Amarillo, TX
Our take - An ambitious player in the fiber space, Vexus is already one of the top choices for fast internet in Amarillo. While the initial service price is good, there are price increases and add-on fees after the first year.
T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless internet in Amarillo, TX
Our take - T-Mobile Home Internet is the big-name player in fixed wireless in Amarillo. It has some competition from smaller local providers AW Broadband and Plains Internet. Verizon 5G Home Internet is also available in Amarillo and offers discounts for bundling with eligible mobile plans.
Internet providers in Amarillo overview
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Read full review | DSL/Fiber | $55-$180 | 768Kbps-5,000Mbps | None | 1.5TB (no data cap for 100Mbps or above) | None | 7.4 |
| AW Broadband | Fiber/fixed wireless | $44-$95 | 25-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | N/A |
| Optimum | Cable | $40-$60 | 300-940Mbps | None | None | None | 6.2 |
| Plains Internet | Fixed wireless | $55-$105 | 5-100Mbps | $10 (optional) | None | None | N/A |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 with eligible phone plan) | 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 |
| Vexus | Fiber | $40-$70 | 400-1,000Mbps | $7 (optional) | None | None | N/A |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
All available Amarillo residential internet providers
AT&T Fiber and Vexus topped our list for best ISPs in Amarillo thanks to fast speeds and reliable connections. T-Mobile offers broad coverage for its 5G home internet. They're not the only games in town, though. Here are other ISPs to consider.
- AW Broadband: Regional ISP AW Broadband, formerly Amarillo Wireless, delivers internet services via fixed wireless and fiber. AW covers all of Amarillo with fixed wireless and an estimated 15% of the city with fiber, with a concentration on newly built neighborhoods and suburbs. Equipment is included with an optional Wi-Fi router lease for $10 per month. There are no contracts. A $149 installation fee applies, with discounts for seniors, military and first responders.
- Optimum: Formerly known as Suddenlink, Optimum is a wide-reaching provider of cable internet across Amarillo. Pricing starts at $40 per month for 300Mbps service on up to $60 per month for 940Mbps (called the 1 Gig plan). Standard installation and equipment are included at no additional cost and there's no annual contract. Keep an eye out for bonuses like a prepaid Visa rewards card. If you're shopping on price, then the 1 Gig plan is a tempting deal for the speed you get.
- Plains Internet: Fixed wireless provider Plains Internet may be an option for residences that are more rural or otherwise don't have coverage from a fiber or cable provider. Basic plans range from $55 to $110 and speeds can vary depending on location with a top speed of 100Mbps. There's an $80 installation fee. Plains has two very small pockets of fiber service in north and east Amarillo, but fixed wireless is its mainstay for the area.
- Satellite internet: Starlink is a little pricey and the startup cost is expensive, but it's a solid alternative for rural areas that don't have a good fiber, cable or fixed wireless option. Also, check into satellite providers Viasat or HughesNet.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon is T-Mobile's national competitor in the fixed wireless arena. It offers a max speed of 1,000Mbps in some places in the country, but speeds are dependent on location and network demand. Not every city is covered by Verizon's fastest technology, so Amarillo customers can look for speeds of up to 300Mbps. Plans run from $50 to $70, but you can qualify for 50% off when bundling with an eligible mobile plan. When deciding between T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet, start with the one you have a mobile plan with (if either of them), then check availability.
Amarillo broadband at a glance
If fiber services your address, then give it strong consideration. Fast fiber upload speeds are nice to have, and the Amarillo fiber providers have better customer service reputations than cable rival Optimum. Some locations, especially ones outside the city limits, may not have much choice in ISP, so look to fixed wireless from T-Mobile, Verizon, Plains Internet or AW Broadband as an alternative.
Pricing for Amarillo home internet service
Getting started with a new internet connection in Amarillo can be very affordable, compared to other cities. The average monthly starting price for an internet plan in Amarillo works out to about $47. Optimum and AW Broadband have options starting at under $50. Eligible T-Mobile and Verizon phone customers can enjoy discounted fixed wireless internet. You can also drop a pretty penny ($180 per month) if AT&T Fiber offers its fastest 5,000Mbps speed tier at your location.
Cheap internet options in the Amarillo area
The cheapest internet plan in Amarillo is Verizon 5G Home Internet's $25 fixed wireless deal if you bundle the service with an eligible phone plan. On the cable side, Optimum offers a competitive $40 tier for 300Mbps. Your best bargain in fiber is the Vexus 400Mbps plan for $40 per month, but the network access fee bumps that to $50. Low-income households should be sure to check into the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, which can get you internet for free or at a greatly reduced rate.
What's the cheapest internet plan in Amarillo?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Optimum Read full review | $40 | 300Mbps | None | None |
| Vexus 400 | $40 | 400Mbps | $7 (optional) | None |
| AW Broadband | $44 (fixed wireless) | 25Mbps | None | None |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($25 with eligible mobile plan) | 300Mbps | None | None |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plan) | 182Mbps | None | None |
|
AT&T Fiber 300 Read full review | $55 | 300Mbps | None | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
How fast is the internet in Amarillo?
Amarillo's internet speeds are all over the map. According to Ookla's Speedtest.net data, Amarillo's residential internet options deliver a very respectable median download speed of about 246Mbps for fixed internet. Mobile speeds, not surprisingly, come in at about 39Mbps. Some residents are able to connect to fiber networks with residential speeds topping out at 5,000Mbps from AT&T Fiber. Most fiber customers will be plenty happy with 1,000Mbps service from AT&T or Vexus.
Fastest internet providers in Amarillo
AT&T Fiber and Vexus Fiber are the fastest internet providers in Amarillo. AT&T offers its zippy 5,000Mbps in some areas of the city, otherwise, you can look at slower (but still very fast) fiber plans at the 2,000Mbps or 1,000Mbps tiers. Vexus comes in with a top speed of 1,000Mbps and undercuts AT&T's price by a little, though keep an eye on future price changes after the first year. Read our guide to the best multi-gigabit internet plans.
What are the fastest internet plans in Amarillo?
| 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 |
|
AT&T Fiber 1000 Read full review | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $80 | None | None |
| AW Broadband Hyperspeed | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $85 | None | None |
| Vexus 1 Gig | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $70 | None | None |
|
Optimum 1 Gig Read full review | 940Mbps | 35Mbps | $60 | None | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
What's the final word on internet providers in Amarillo?
The Amarillo area is a place where city life and country life cross over, so internet services are very location-dependent. Parts of the city are covered by fast fiber, while more rural spots may need to look into fixed wireless or even satellite internet options. If AT&T, Vexus or AW Broadband services your address with fiber, then that's a smart way to go for fast upload and download speeds. Otherwise, consider cable internet from Optimum or fixed wireless from T-Mobile or Verizon, or a regional provider like AW Broadband or Plains Internet.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Amarillo
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 Amarillo FAQs
Is fiber internet available in Amarillo?
Yes. Amarillo's biggest fiber competitors are AT&T Fiber and regional provider Vexus Fiber. AW Broadband offers fiber in some limited areas, as well. For households with extreme internet needs, it's hard to top AT&T's 5,000Mbps plan, but availability is limited and the price is high. Vexus gives AT&T a run for its money on price and speed when you get to the 1,000Mbps tier. Budget buyers can look to 300Mbps or 400Mbps plans for decent speeds, fast uploads and less stress on the pocketbook.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Amarillo?
If you don't qualify for free or reduced-rate internet through the Affordable Connectivity Program, you can still get connected in Amarillo for a good price. Verizon and T-Mobile offer tempting bundle deals for eligible phone customers that bring your monthly home internet cost down to as low as $25 with Verizon or $30 with T-Mobile. Otherwise, $40 per month can get you going with Vexus Fiber's 400Mbps service or Optimum's 300Mbps cable service.
Which internet provider in Amarillo offers the fastest plan?
The badge for the fastest internet in Amarillo goes to AT&T Fiber's top-tier 5,000Mbps plan. It has a limited reach across the city, but it will make households with multiple heavy internet users very happy.
Is Optimum or AT&T Fiber better in Amarillo?
Optimum cable internet is accessible across Amarillo, but the company doesn't always earn high marks for customer service. If both AT&T Fiber and Optimum service your address, you have a decision to make. Optimum offers a very affordable 300Mbps plan at $40 per month, while AT&T's lowest fiber price is $55 for 300Mbps. However, the fiber option gets you fast upload speeds to go along with the download speeds, so if the price difference isn't a big deal and you need to upload large files, then AT&T could be the better bet for you. Read our AT&T versus Optimum comparison for more details.
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