Best Internet Providers in Austin, Texas
What is the best internet provider in Austin?
For most households in Austin, Texas, Spectrum ranks as the best internet provider. With a wide availability to ATX residents, Spectrum's plans offer unlimited data and no contract requirements. That being said, service isn't available for Spectrum everywhere in Austin, so T-Mobile Home Internet and Google Fiber are also solid picks, depending on what's available in your area.
We’ve also found the lowest prices and the speediest plans to help you break down your options. The cheapest internet plan in Austin is Astound Broadband’s 300Mbps connection, which is $25 per month with no data caps or monthly equipment fees. Kinetic by Windstream offers 8,000Mbps for $300 per month if you're hunting for the fastest speeds. Google Fiber, AT&T Fiber and Frontier also offer multi-gigabit plans if Kinetic by Windstream isn’t available at your address.
Our methodology
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Austin across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your options is to plug your address into a provider's website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what's available in Austin. The prices referenced within this article's text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month -- a standard industry offering. Discounts and promotions might also be available for signing a term contract or bundling multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Austin in 2023
Spectrum
Broadest coverage in Austin, TX
Our take - Charter Communications' broadband service covers a large swath of the greater Austin metro, up over 90% of the area, according to the FCC's latest numbers. While its upload speeds top out at 35Mbps (which falls well short of what fiber internet can achieve), Spectrum's reliability -- especially compared to the more spotty DSL and satellite internet services that are also prevalent in the area -- is tough to overstate.
T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless internet in Austin, TX
Our take - T-Mobile and Verizon have been pushing hard for their 5G internet services, but T-Mobile Home Internet gets the nod here for the Live Music Capital of the World. A MoffettNathanson report from April 2022 used Comlinkdata to surmise that approximately a third of T-Mobile Home Internet subscribers are from rural areas, even though less than 10% of the company's current footprint is rural. So, T-Mobile Home Internet, in just over a year of business, is becoming a viable option for many where DSL or satellite had been the only choices.
Google Fiber
Best fiber internet in Austin, TX
Our take - Admittedly, this was a tough call. AT&T was nipping at the heels of Google Fiber. However, not all Austin residents are serviceable for AT&T Fiber. Many still have to deal with AT&T's DSL service, an inferior product whose download speeds max out around 100Mbps and, in some areas, tops out at only around 25Mbps. Conversely, if you have access to Google Fiber, you know exactly what you will get -- 100% fiber-optic internet service with symmetrical download and upload speeds.
Austin internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astound Broadband/Grande | Cable | $25-$60 | 300-1,500Mbps | None | None | None | 7 |
| AT&T Home Internet | DSL | $55 | 10-100Mbps | None | 1.5TB | None | 7.4 |
| AT&T Fiber | Fiber | $55-$250 | 300-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Google Fiber | Fiber | $70-$100 | 1,000-2,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Rise Broadband | Fixed wireless | $45-$55 | 25-50Mbps | $10 modem; $5-$15 router (optional) | 250GB or unlimited | None, but required for some promotions | 6.2 |
| Spectrum | Cable | $50-$90 | 300-1,000Mbps | Free modem; $5 router | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other available internet providers in Austin
- Astound Broadband/Grande: You'll find some of the most competitive starting rates in Austin from this cable internet provider. Astound's cheapest plan is $25 a month for 300Mbps download speed. That's a very affordable 8 cents per Mbps. Astound's 1.5 gig plan is also the cheapest in the city, starting at $60 per month. The catch? A pretty steep increase awaits customers. According to Astound's rate card (PDF), your rate could triple after your introductory period (from $25 to $84 monthly for the 300Mbps plan). Granted, you're not under a contract, so you can try to negotiate a better deal or bail to a different provider. But you should be aware of that looming increase.
- AT&T: If I had to name a runner-up for the best fiber internet provider for ATX, AT&T would take that spot. It has greater availability in the Austin metro area than Google Fiber, and its fiber plans offer a greater diversity of options -- from 300Mbps to several multi-gigabit plans, including one as high as 5,000Mbps. However, not all Austin residents are serviceable for AT&T Fiber. Many still have to deal with AT&T's DSL service, an inferior product whose download speeds max out around 100Mbps and, in some areas, tops out at only around 25Mbps.
- Brightspeed: You won't find this ISP within city limits. You'll have to travel north of Austin to the suburb of Hutto to find service. While most addresses may have to settle for DSL service (which can range from 20 to 100Mbps), others may be fortunate to be eligible for the company's affordable fiber product, which offers 940Mbps for $65 a month.
- Evolve Broadband: This regional provider won't be found within city limits, but its LTE fixed wireless service caters to rural customers in the outskirts of the Austin metro area, including to the south and southeast in Bastrop, Cedar Creek, Dale and Lytton Springs and west of the city in McDade and Paige. You'll have to fill out an online form to view plans and pricing, but their website does advertise a $100 plan for 300GB of data per month.
- Frontier: If you're within Austin city limits, Frontier is not for you. But its mix of DSL and fiber-optic service is a prime option for residents of Georgetown to the north and Dripping Springs and Kyle just south of the city. Check the site to see if Frontier Fiber is available at your address. Featuring symmetrical plans of 500Mbps, gigabit or multi-gig speeds, the company's fiber service is a compelling option, ranging in price from $40 to $155 a month.
- Kinetic by Windstream: You'll find this DSL and fiber provider only in a small pocket of Austin near Balcones District Park and north of the city in eastern Round Rock. If you're serviceable for the company's fiber-optic plans, it's worth some exploration, but keep looking if you can only get its DSL service.
- Optimum: Suddenlink is the name many in the Austin area might know, but parent company Altice USA rebranded it in 2022. So, the freshly-named Optimum service is very lightly scattered in the metro area -- mostly around the Austin Recreation Center and near Barton Creek Wilderness Park -- but is more concentrated north of ATX in Pflugerville. This cable ISP boasts competitive starting rates and decent signing perks, including Visa gift cards and bundling discounts with unlimited mobile plans.
- Ranch Wireless: This VTX-1 wireless provider to south-central Texas services a few towns on the outer reaches of the Austin metro area, including Bastrop, Cedar Creek, Dale, Elgin, Lockhart, Mustang Ridge and Uhland. Customers can expect residential plans ranging from $30 per month for 1Mbps download and 30GB of data to $120 monthly for 25Mbps and unlimited data.
- Rise Broadband: One of the country's top fixed wireless solutions for rural areas. This provider is a viable option for residents living in east Austin, stretching out to the towns of Manor and Elgin and points north of the city, including portions of Georgetown, Pflugerville, Round Rock and Taylor. Speeds can get as high as 50Mbps, and there are unlimited data options as well, so if your choice is between satellite and Rise Broadband, this should win out.
- Satellite internet: Typically, I'd tell anyone in a metro area to run, not walk, away from satellite internet service. You'll find much cheaper and faster alternatives in the city. However, many outside the urban limits of Austin won't have the same access. That's when it's time to consider either HughesNet or Viasat, the leading satellite broadband providers. One of the biggest drawbacks to both is they each require a two-year contract commitment. Newcomer Starlink has them beat on that front -- the service features no term contract agreements. However, per the Starlink map, Austin's availability is still on the waitlist until sometime later in 2023.
- SOS Communications: Another regional fixed wireless provider, SOS, extends most of its coverage area just beyond the Austin metro area, but serviceability ranges down into Georgetown and Hutto and to the west of Austin in Elgin. Customers must provide their own router, but SOS is set apart from other regional wireless providers because there's no contract required and no data caps on any of its wireless plans. Available speeds range from 10-100Mbps.
- TexasData: This local ISP offers a fixed wireless solution for customers in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin. It caters to areas unable to get cable or DSL services. Monthly plans cover speeds from 2Mbps to 20Mbps, with prices ranging from $40 to $200 monthly.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Availability for Verizon's 5G fixed wireless home internet product is expanding to more areas. It has a higher average download speed (300Mbps) than T-Mobile Home Internet. It also boasts a similar all-in price that includes equipment rental, installation fees and taxes for $50 per month (and eligible Verizon Wireless customers can get a discount to knock that down to $35 monthly). So why'd we list T-Mobile higher? Verizon's coverage still tends to lean strongly towards metro areas due to its strong utilization of its Ultra Wideband 5G technology. In contrast, T-Mobile also uses its 4G LTE network to increase availability. If you're within the Capital City limits, you should explore this option, but many others will find it outside their grasp.
Cheap internet options in ATX
The average starting price for internet service in Austin -- taking into account the promo prices, not the elevated regular rates -- is approximately $50 per month. But if you're searching for the cheapest rates, the lowest starting price in Austin is $25 per month, belonging to Astound Broadband. Many other providers, including Ranch Wireless, Kinetic by Windstream, Optimum and TexasData, also offer base plans less than the average internet cost in the area.
Speaking of value, most of the providers we've listed are also participating in the Federal Communication Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program. This FCC initiative provides a $30-a-month discount to qualifying low-income households to help them find affordable, high-speed internet. If you qualify, the ACP benefit can be used towards any internet plan from participating providers. In some cases, especially from the providers who partnered with the White House on its digital divide initiatives, you might get free internet service.
What's the cheapest internet plan in Austin?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astound Broadband/Grande | $25 | 300Mbps | None |
| Ranch Wireless | $30 | 1Mbps | $249 one-time fee |
| Kinetic by Windstream | $40 | 500Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| Optimum | $40 | 300Mbps | None |
| TexasData | $40 | 2Mbps | $69 one-time fee |
| Brightspeed | $50 | 100Mbps | $15 (optional) |
| Frontier | $40 | 500Mbps | None |
| Rise Broadband | $55 | 50Mbps | $10 modem; $5-$15 router (optional) |
| Spectrum | $50 | 300Mbps | Free modem; $5 router |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 300Mbps | None |
| AT&T Fiber 300 | $55 | 300Mbps | None |
| SOS Communications | $60 | 10Mbps | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Austin
The best internet deals and the top promotions in Austin depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Austin internet providers such as Spectrum and Astound Broadband may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including T-Mobile, Google Fiber and AT&T Fiber, 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 Austin broadband?
Thanks to its multiple fiber options, Austin has a spot among the top 10 fastest cities in the country. In Ookla's latest reporting, Austin ranked as the 10th fastest city, registering a median download speed of 264 megabits per second. That was good enough to place ATX well ahead of its Texas big-city siblings, Dallas and Houston.
People within the city limits have access to the superior speeds of fiber internet service, tilting the scales here. Case in point, Ookla's data tags Google Fiber as the fastest provider in Austin, with a median download speed of approximately 313Mbps. But AT&T and Frontier also offer fiber plans as fast as 5Gbps, so those three providers feature the fastest individual plans you'll find.
Fastest internet plans in Austin
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinetic by Windstream 8 Gig | $300 | 8,000Mbps | 8,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| AT&T Fiber 5000 | $180 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Frontier Fiber 5 Gig | $155 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| AT&T Fiber 2000 | $110 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Frontier Fiber 2 Gig | $100 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Google Fiber 2 Gig | $100 | 2,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Kinetic by Windstream 2 Gig | $180 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Astound Broadband 1.5 Gig | $60 | 1,500Mbps | 50Mbps | None | Cable |
| AT&T Fiber 1000 | $80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Frontier Fiber 1 Gig | $60 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Google Fiber Gig | $70 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Kinetic by Windstream Gig | $70 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Spectrum Internet Gig | $75 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
| Optimum Gig | $60 | 940Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
| Brightspeed Fiber | $65 | 940Mbps | 940Mbps | None | Fiber |
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.
For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.
- 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics -- browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, 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 simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, 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 Austin
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. So 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 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 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. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though 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 consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our page on how we test ISPs.
What's the final word on internet providers in Austin?
Within the city limits of Austin, cable internet is still the most ubiquitous internet connection you'll find. As far as cable internet providers go, Spectrum and Astound Broadband present solid value with their offerings. But as we've often mentioned in our CNET home internet coverage, fiber internet trumps cable every time. If your address is serviceable for Google Fiber or AT&T Fiber -- and thankfully, both companies are continuing to expand their fiber networks within ATX -- then you shouldn't give signing up a second thought.
Internet providers in Austin FAQs
Which is the best internet service provider in Austin?
In Austin, the provider with the widest availability -- outside of satellite providers -- is Spectrum, which is why we've deemed it the best ISP in the area.
If you consider the greater Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown area, there are at least 17 different internet service providers available to the more than 2 million people living in the ATX metro. Those residents aren't serviceable for all 17 ISPs, so sometimes, the best internet service provider is simply the available one.
Are there fiber internet providers in Austin?
Yes. AT&T is perhaps the most widely available fiber provider in the area, and although not all addresses can get its fiber service (DSL is still prevalent), access to AT&T Fiber throughout the area is growing. Google Fiber is also available within city limits.
What is the cheapest internet in Austin?
The cheapest internet plan in Austin is Astound Broadband's 300Mbps plan at $25 monthly, which presents a great value at 8 cents per Mbps.
Regarding value, Frontier Fiber's 5 Gig offering, which at $155 monthly (yes, I recognize that's not cheap), comes to a cost per Mbps of 3 cents. The only provider in ATX with a better cost value is Google Fiber's 5 Gig plan, at $125 per month (again, not cheap), but features an even better cost per Mbps of under 3 cents.
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