Best Internet Providers in Valrico, Florida
Our Experts
Valrico's secret is out. It's a relaxed and family-oriented place to live near Tampa. The population has risen over the last couple decades as new residents arrive to enjoy the suburban living and proximity to Tampa for commuting. Sure, traffic can be a bear, but Valrico's quiet style means you have plenty of reasons to kick back at home -- and for that you'll want a strong, reliable internet connection.
There isn't a ton of competition among internet service providers in Valrico. Our top pick, Frontier, is your one option for fast fiber service. The company also has DSL coverage in some parts of town, but fiber is the way to go.
Spectrum is the cable operator in the area and it delivers speeds close to a gigabit on the high end. Several competitors are in play for fixed wireless, with T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet leading the pack. Let's sort through the ISPs in Valrico so you can find the one that works best for you.
Best ISPs in Valrico
Our picks for top internet providers in Valrico are fiber from Frontier, cable from Spectrum or fixed wireless from T-Mobile. The trio represent a wide variety of technologies, speeds and plan options.
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.
Frontier Fiber
Best internet provider in Valrico, FL
Our take - Frontier is our pick for best internet provider overall in Valrico thanks to being the only game in town for residential fiber. Fiber features fast upload speeds along with fast download speeds. For Valrico, you may be able to get speeds up to 5,000Mbps with Frontier's Fiber 5 Gig plan.
Spectrum
Best cable internet provider in Valrico, FL
Our take - A variety of plans, wide availability and reasonable pricing make Spectrum our choice for one of the best ISPs in Valrico. This is cable internet, so you can get max download speeds close to 1 gigabit, but uploads will be slower than with an equivalent fiber internet plan.
T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless internet in Valrico, FL
Our take - T-Mobile and Verizon run neck-and-neck when it comes to 5G fixed wireless home internet. T-Mobile takes the edge in Valrico due to wider availability. You're more likely to find an open slot with T-Mobile than with Verizon here.
All available Valrico residential internet providers
Valrico residents have a line on solid, high-speed internet options across the entire area. We gave shout-outs to Frontier, Spectrum and T-Mobile Home Internet as top picks, but they're not the only ISPs around. Local ISP Rapid Systems and national competitor Verizon both offer fixed wireless in Valrico. Verizon, in particular, is worth a look, especially if you're an existing Verizon phone customer.
Top Valrico internet providers
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Frontier Read full review | DSL/fiber | $50-$155 | 10-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 6.3 |
| Rapid Systems | Fixed wireless | $79-$99 | 10-25Mbps | None (router rental available) | None | None | n/a |
|
Spectrum Read full review | Cable | $20-$120 | 30-940Mbps | Free modem; $5 router | None | None | 7.2 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 with eligible phone plan) | 33-182Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 (50% off with eligible phone plan) | 85-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
What other internet options are there in Valrico?
- Rapid Systems: Local fixed wireless provider Rapid Systems covers Hillsborough County, which includes Valrico. Prices start at $79 per month for 10Mbps service on up to $99 for 25Mbps. ISPs like Rapid typically focus on underserved and rural locations that may not have many internet options. Installation runs $149 and there are no data limits and no contracts.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon 5G Home Internet has faster max speeds and a lower price (when bundled with an eligible phone plan) than T-Mobile, but availability around Valrico is limited. That's why T-Mobile edged out Verizon in our best list. Verizon's coverage map shows its fastest 5G Ultra Wideband network blankets Valrico. If fixed wireless is your thing, check to see if Verizon services your address. You may be in luck. Plans start at $50 per month, but bundling with an eligible phone plan drops that to $25.
- Satellite internet: With good fiber, cable and fixed wireless coverage across Valrico, you probably won't be tempted to go with pricey satellite internet from Starlink, Viasat or HughesNet instead. However, it's an option if you don't have a better choice, or if you're a seasoned traveler in need of Starlink's on-the-go plan.
Valrico broadband at a glance
When shopping for internet in Valrico, you likely have some specific requirements in mind. Perhaps you're prioritizing price or putting a premium on speed. Maybe you're after something that meets in the middle, like a fiber or cable plan that's both affordable and fast. Here's what you can expect for internet pricing and speeds in Valrico.
Valrico internet pricing
The starting price for internet service in Valrico is about $50 per month. All of the area ISPs offer a plan at around this price point. The difference is in the kind of technology and the speeds you get. Frontier's $50-per-month fiber plan for 500Mbps is one of the best deals when it comes to price and speed. For tight budgets, look to bundle a T-Mobile or Verizon phone plan with home internet or check into Spectrum's low-cost options.
Cheap internet options in the Valrico metro area
It's hard to find a cheaper internet plan than the Internet Assist offering from Spectrum. It costs $20 per month for 30Mbps service, but you must meet income eligibility requirements to qualify. Yes, that's slow in our age of broadband, but it's incredibly affordable and is serviceable for basic online needs. The next closest offerings are fixed wireless plans from T-Mobile or Verizon when bundled with an eligible phone plan. That brings T-Mobile down to $30 per month and Verizon to $25 per month.
Low-income households should check into the federal Affordable Connectivity Program. If you're eligible, you can get at least $30 off your monthly internet bill, which can help put many plans in reach. For example, Spectrum's Internet Assist plan combined with the Affordable Connectivity Program effectively makes that plan free.
Cheapest internet plans in Valrico
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Spectrum Internet Assist Read full review | $20 (must meet eligibility requirements) | 30Mbps | Free modem; $5 router | None |
|
Frontier Fiber 500 Read full review | $50 | 500Mbps | None | None |
|
Spectrum Internet Ultra Read full review | $50 | 500Mbps | Free modem; $5 router | None |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($25 with eligible phone plan) | 300Mbps | None | None |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($30 with eligible phone plan) | 115Mbps | None | None |
Fastest internet providers in Valrico
Ookla's Speedtest service shows Valrico has some pretty peppy internet speeds. The median download speed for fixed internet is just over 298Mbps. That's thanks in part to Frontier and Spectrum's fast plans. Both offer reasonable deals in the 1,000 Mbps range, while Frontier kicks things up several notches with its maxed-out 5,000Mbps offering.
If you have a hankering for face-melting internet speeds, your best bet in Valrico is to go with Frontier's Fiber 5 Gig plan for 5,000Mbps speeds, if it's available at your address. It will cost you a premium price of $155 per month, but it can make sense for residents with extreme demands or households with multiple heavy internet users. If that's a bit more than you need, then Frontier also has a 2,000Mbps plan for $100 per month. Learn about the best multigigabit internet plans you can get.
Fastest internet plans in Valrico
| Provider | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Starting price | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Frontier Fiber 5 Gig Read full review | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $155 | None | None |
|
Frontier Fiber 2 Gig Read full review | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $100 | None | None |
|
Frontier Fiber 1 Gig Read full review | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $70 | None | None |
|
Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review | 940Mbps | 35Mbps | $70 | None | None |
What's the final word on internet providers in Valrico?
It's tough to beat Frontier's fiber offerings in Valrico. The speeds are fast and the pricing is competitive. The numbers look good, but there's a lingering ding against Frontier when it comes to the quality of its customer service.
However, Frontier has made progress in improving its customer satisfaction ranking in recent years. Spectrum remains in play with affordable cable plans, though it can't match the upload speeds of fiber. T-Mobile and Verizon are worthy of consideration, especially if you're an existing phone customer of one or the other.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Valrico
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.
Valrico internet FAQs
Is fiber internet available in Valrico?
You won't have to spend time comparing fiber internet providers in Valrico because Frontier is the only game in town. Frontier offers fiber speeds ranging from 500Mbps to 5,000Mbps with competitive pricing from $50 to $155 (after autopay discount) per month.
Who has the cheapest internet in Valrico?
Spectrum's $20-per-month 30Mbps plan is the cheapest in Valrico, though it's only available to qualified low-income households. The bargain price comes with a tradeoff in speed. Look to fixed wireless providers T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet for the next cheapest plans. They both have starting prices of $50 per month, but the real deal is when you bundle with an eligible phone plan. That brings T-Mobile down to $30 per month and Verizon down to $25 per month for home internet.
Which internet provider in Valrico offers the fastest plan?
Frontier leaves the competition in the dust with its fastest Fiber 5 Gig plan that delivers download and upload speeds up to 5,000Mbps. That makes it one of the speedier residential offerings in the nation. Who needs that? Households with lots of residents, multiple gamers or people with demanding remote work routines can all take advantage of that kind of internet offering.
Is Frontier or Spectrum better in Valrico?
While Frontier also offers DSL in some service areas, it has Valrico well covered with fiber. Price-wise, it's in tight contention with Spectrum's cable offerings. One benefit of fiber is that upload speeds are as fast as download speeds. That can make a big difference in your internet experience if you need to upload large files. Check out our comparison of Frontier and Spectrum internet services.
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