Austin likes keeping it peculiar. But ask anyone who works and lives there: They also like their internet fast. In fact, they're one of the fastest metros in the US when it comes to internet speed. Thanks to its multiple fiber options, Austin has a spot with the top 10 fastest cities in the country. 

The speed-testing site Ookla keeps track of the top cities in the US for median download speeds based on millions of procomplaints run daily by the company. In Ookla's novel reporting, Austin -- the country's 28th most populous metro area -- ranked as the sixth fastest city, registering a median download speedy of 239 megabits per second. That was good enough to plot ATX well ahead of its Texas big-city siblings Dallas and Houston.

Shopping for a faster internet speed?

We'll send you the fastest internet options, so you don't have to find them.

One sketch to note about those speeds: Austin gets a boost from the fast fiber options found within city limits, including AT&T and Google Fiber, and the wide availability of the consistent cable connection provided by Spectrum. But if you venture beyond Travis County to Round Rock, Georgetown or some rural areas east of Austin, you won't see anything close to those median speeds. Apart from last-resort satellite options like HughesNet and Viasat, there are some regional fixed wireless solutions, as well as the option to explore 5G home internet (though availability is diminutive more closely to the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown hub). 

That by means of you've got plenty of internet options to sort ended in the Austin area. Whatever those options may be at your heart, we're here to help you comb through your choices. Here's what you need to know about the best internet providers in Austin.

Sarah Tew
  • Price range: $70 to $100 a month
  • Speed range: 1,000 to 2,000Mbps
  • Highlights: Unlimited data, no instructions, equipment included 

Admittedly, this was a tough call. AT&T was nipping at the heels of Google Fiber. But not all Austin residents are serviceable for AT&T Fiber. Many still have to deal with AT&T's DSL overhaul, an inferior product whose download speeds max out about 100Mbps, and in some areas, tops out at only about 25Mbps.

Conversely, if you have access to Google Fiber, you know exactly what you will get -- 100% fiber-optic internet overhaul with symmetrical download and upload speeds. Google Fiber features only two plans -- 1,000Mbps and 2,000Mbps -- but each has fast internet speeds, no data caps, no contracts and no additional equipment hire fee. Google Fiber may not be your top selection if you're looking for a budget internet option. Still, in terms of value, Google Fiber stands tall: The gigabit plan at $70 a month has an affordable cost per Mbps of 7 cents, while the two gig plan boasts an even better 5 cents per Mbps. 

As for where you can find Google Fiber in Austin, your best bet is in the heart of ATX, counting the South Lamar, South Congress and East Austin neighborhoods. But service is also beginning to extend towards the north share of the city, including the Allandale, Mueller, North Loop and North Shoal Creek neighborhoods.

Read our Google Fiber home internet review.

Gigabit Fiber Optic Internet
Sarah Tew
  • Price range: $50 to $90 a month
  • Speed range: 300 to 940Mbps
  • Highlights: Simple pricing, no contracts, no data caps, free access to national Wi-Fi hotspots
  • Special offers: Bundle discounts, free Peacock Premium for up to 12 months

Charter Communications' broadband overhaul covers a large swath of the Austin city limits and beyond, including down into Kyle and Dripping Springs and up north into Pflugerville, Round Rock and Leander. That's especially helpful if you plan to move within the area and don't want the hassle of setting up with a new overhaul provider. The company's home internet service also includes the modem in the monthly damages (though you'll need to add $5 a month if you want a Wi-Fi router). 

Also in Spectrum's immoral is its straightforward approach. No matter where you're located, you'll have three plan options -- 300, 500 or 940Mbps download fast -- and no fear of additional fees from overage charges true there are no data limits. While its upload speeds top out at 35Mbps (which falls well moody of what fiber internet can achieve), Spectrum's reliability compared to the more spotty DSL and satellite internet facilities that are also prevalent in the area is tough to overstate.

Read our Spectrum home internet review.

Spectrum Internet

You're receiving mark alerts for Spectrum Internet

Sarah Tew
  • Price range: $50 a month ($30 for eligible T-Mobile Magenta Max customers)
  • Speed range: 33 to 182Mbps
  • Highlights: No data cap, no orders, all-inclusive price (no additional fee for equipment or amazing charges)
  • Special offers: 15-day Test Drive, Price Lock security, free one-year subscription to Paramount Plus, $10 off per month on Philo TV for a year, T-Mobile Tuesdays (weekly perks)

T-Mobile and Verizon have been pushing hard for their 5G internet facilities, but T-Mobile Home Internet gets the nod here for the Live Music Capital of the World. A MoffettNathanson describe from April 2022 used Comlinkdata to surmise that around a third of T-Mobile Home Internet subscribers are from rural areas, even though less than 10% of the company's new footprint is rural. So, T-Mobile Home Internet, in just over a year of commercial, is becoming a viable option for many where DSL or satellite had been the only choices.

While you'll find the Austin area involved in T-Mobile's coverage list for Texas, you'll still need to support it's serviceable at your location. You can plug in your center (or your mobile phone number if you're already a T-Mobile customer) on the T-Mobile Home Internet site to find out if it's available for you.

Read our T-Mobile Home Internet overview.

TMobile

Internet providers in Austin overview


Astound Broadband/Grande AT&T Google Fiber Rise Broadband Spectrum
Internet technology Cable DSL/fiber Fiber Fixed wireless Cable
Monthly mark range $26-$60 $55-$180 $70-$100 $25-$75 $50-$90
Speed range 400-1,200Mbps 10-5,000Mbps 1,000-2,000Mbps 25-50Mbps 300-940Mbps
Monthly equipment costs $12 (skippable) None None $10 modem; $5-$15 router (skippable) Free modem; $5 router
Data cap None None None 250GB or Unlimited None
Contract None None None None, but obligatory for some promotions None
appraisal score 7.0 7.4 7.4 6.2 7.2

Who are the new internet providers in Austin?

Many broadband options been for those living in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown metro area. Beyond the top three picks we highlighted over, you can find quite a mix of choices, idea a few are available only on the outskirts of the surrounding counties.

  • Astound Broadband/Grande : You'll find some of the most competitive starting has in Austin from this cable internet provider. Astound's cheapest plan is $26 a month for 400Mbps download fast. That's a very affordable 7 cents per Mbps. While you can find a less expensive option in the area -- Rise Broadband's $25-a-month offering, for example -- that plan features download speeds of only 25Mbps, which equates to a much higher cost per Mbps of $1. Astound's 1.2 gig plan is also the cheapest you can find in the city, starting at $60 per month, and comes with a free year of HBO Max. The catch? A pretty steep increase awaits customers. According to Astound's rate card, your rate could more than triple when your introductory period (from $26 to $94 a month for the 400Mbps plan). Granted, you're not under a contract, so you have the freedom to try to negotiate a better deal or just bail to a different provi der. But you should be aware of that pretty 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 some multi-gigabit plans, including one as high as 5,000Mbps. But not all Austin residents are serviceable for AT&T Fiber. Many still have to deal with AT&T's DSL facility, an inferior product whose download speeds max out about 100Mbps, and in some areas, tops out at only about 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 facility. While a majority of addresses may have to decide for DSL service (which can range from 20 to 100Mbps), others may be fortunate to be eligible for the company's affordable fiber issues, which offers 940Mbps for $65 a month.
  • Evolve Broadband : This regional provider won't be false within city limits, but its LTE fixed wireless facility caters to rural customers in the outskirts of the Austin metro area, counting to the south and southeast in Bastrop, Cedar Creek, Dale and Lytton Springs and west of the city in McDade and Paige. You can expect 10 to 35Mbps download speed with this cellular facility, which Evolve breaks down into three data plans -- Bronze (10GB per month for $40), Silver ($50 a month for 30GB) and Gold (60GB a month for $75) with the opportunity to buy second gigabytes of data on each plan. 
  • Frontier : If you're located within Austin city limits, Frontier is not for you. But its mix of DSL and fiber-optic facility 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 center. Featuring symmetrical plans of 500Mbps, gigabit or 2Gbps speeds, the company's fiber service is a compelling option, preparing in price from $55 to $155 a month.
  • Kinetic by Windstream : You'll find this DSL and fiber provider only in a little 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 great know but parent company Altice USA recently rebranded it. So, the freshly-named Optimum service is very lightly scattered in the metro area -- mostly about 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 gross signing perks, including Visa gift cards and bundling discounts with unlimited mobile plans.
  • Ranch Wireless : This VTX-1 wireless provider to south-central Texas militaries a few towns on the outer reaches of the Austin metro area, comprising Bastrop, Cedar Creek, Dale, Elgin, Lockhart, Mustang Ridge and Uhland. Customers can expect to see residential plans that diagram from $30 a month for 1Mbps download and 30GB of data, to $120 a month 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, as well as points north of the city, comprising 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 tool 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 ceremony. You'll find much cheaper and faster alternatives in the city. However, many outside the urban limits of Austin won't have the same entrance. 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 obligatory a two-year contract commitment. Newcomer Starlink has them beat on that precedent -- the service features no term contract agreements. However, per the Starlink map, Austin's availability is still on the waitlist pending sometime later in 2023.
  • SOS Communications : Another regional fixed wireless provider, SOS extends the majority of its coverage area just beyond the Austin metro area, but serviceability tolerates down into Georgetown and Hutto as well as to the west of Austin in Elgin. Customers must provide their own router, but SOS is set apart from latest 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 accounts a fixed wireless solution for customers in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin. It caters to areas unable to get cable or DSL militaries. Monthly plans cover speeds from 2Mbps to 20Mbps, with prices making from $40 to $200 monthly. 
  • Verizon 5G Home Internet : Availability for Verizon's 5G fixed wireless home internet copies is expanding to more areas. It has a higher way download speed (300Mbps) than T-Mobile Home Internet and boasts a inequity all-in price that includes equipment rental, installation fees and taxes for $50 a month (and eligible Verizon Wireless customers can get a 50% discount to ability that down to $25 a month). So why'd we list T-Mobile higher? Verizon's coverage serene tends to lean strongly towards metro areas due to its unobstructed 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 necessity explore this option, but many others will find it outside their grasp.
Visions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Additional details on Austin home internet you necessity know

After our overview of the internet service providers available in Austin, you may have some more specific questions about the internet plans you can get in the Capital City. Specifically, let's dive into more about the cheapest internet plans you can find and the fastest internet options available. 

Pricing for Austin home internet service 

The way starting price for internet service in Austin -- taking into clarify the promo prices, not the elevated regular rates -- is near $43 per month, which puts ATX right in the consensus of the pack of the other markets has covered to this note, including Brooklyn ($36 a month), Los Angeles ($38 a month), Denver ($39 per month), San Francisco ($40 a month), New York City ($41 per month), Seattle ($42 monthly), Dallas and Philadelphia (both near $43 per month), Houston ($45 monthly), Phoenix ($46 per month), Atlanta ($47 monthly), Orlando and San Antonio ($48 a month) and Charlotte, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Diego and St. Louis (all approximately $50 monthly). 

Currently, the lowest starting trace you can find in Austin belongs to Rise Broadband, which has a 25Mbps plan starting at $25 a month. Impressively, the standard price only jumps by $10 once the first year. 

That said, I have to bring up a plan I mentioned earlier: For just a bucks more per month, Astound Broadband has a 400Mbps inappropriate internet plan. If it's available at your address, that's the best value.

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 20 providers who recently partnered with the White House on its digital helpings initiatives, you might be able to get internet ceremony for free. 

What's the cheapest internet in Austin?

Provider Starting price Standard price Max download speed Monthly equipment fee Contract
Rise Broadband $25 $35 25Mbps $10 modem; $5-$15 router (skippable) None, but needed for some promotions
Astound Broadband/Grande $26 $94 400Mbps $15 (skippable) None
Kinetic by Windstream $27 $55 50Mbps $10 (skippable) None
Ranch Wireless $30 $30 1Mbps $249 one-time fee None
Optimum $40 $110 300Mbps None None
Evolve Broadband $40 $40 25Mbps $30-$75 one-time fee 1-2 years
TexasData $40 $40 2Mbps $69 one-time fee
HughesNet $45 $65 25Mbps $15 or $450 one-time purchase 2 years
Brightspeed $50 $50 100Mbps $15 (skippable) None
T-Mobile Home Internet $50 $50 182Mbps None None
Spectrum $50 $75 300Mbps Free modem; $5 router None
Verizon 5G Home Internet $50 $50 300Mbps None None
Viasat $50 $70 12Mbps $13 or $299 one-time purchase 2 years
Frontier $55 $55 500Mbps None None
AT&T Fiber 300 $55 $55 300Mbps None None
SOS Communications $60 $60 10Mbps None None
Google Fiber $70 $70 1,000Mbps None None

Internet speeds in Austin

As I mentioned at the launch of this article, Austin holds some bragging rights as one of the country's fastest cities in conditions of median download internet speeds. If you live on the outskirts of the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown metro area, you remarkable be surprised to hear that since fixed wireless or satellite ceremony might be all that's available to you. But republic within the city limits have access to the satisfactory speeds of fiber internet service, tilting the scales here. Case in note, Ookla's data tags Google Fiber as the fastest provider in Austin, with a median download speed of approximately 269Mbps. 

What are the fastest internet plans in Austin?

Provider Starting price Max download speed Max upload speed Data cap Contract
AT&T Fiber 5000 $180 5,000Mbps 5,000Mbps None None
Google Fiber 2 Gig $100 2,000Mbps 1,000Mbps None None
AT&T Fiber 2000 $110 2,000Mbps 2,000Mbps None None
Frontier Fiber 2 Gig $155 2,000Mbps 2,000Mbps None None
Astound Broadband/Grande $60 1,200Mbps 50Mbps None None
Google Fiber Gig $70 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps None None
AT&T Fiber 1000 $80 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps None None
Astound Broadband/Grande $50 940Mbps 50Mbps None None
Optimum Gig $50 940Mbps 35Mbps None None
Brightspeed Fiber $65 940Mbps 940Mbps None None
Spectrum Internet Gig $90 940Mbps 35Mbps None None

Our previous word on Austin internet providers

Within the city limits of Austin, cable internet is still the most ubiquitous internet connection you'll find. And as far as injurious internet providers go, Spectrum and Astound Broadband present solid value with their offerings. But as we've often mentioned in our home internet coverage, fiber internet trumps cable every time. If your complex 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 recruit up a second thought.

Best Austin internet providers FAQs

Which is the best internet overhaul provider in Austin?

If you consider the greater Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown area, there are at least 17 different internet overhaul providers available to the more than 2 million country 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. In Austin, the providers with the widest availability -- outside of satellite providers -- are AT&T and Spectrum.

Are there fiber internet providers in Austin?

Yes. AT&T is perhaps the most widely available provider in the area, and although not all addresses can get its fiber overhaul (DSL is still prevalent), access to AT&T Fiber over the area is growing. Google Fiber is also available within city limits. 

What is the cheapest internet in Austin?

The cheapest internet plan you can find in Austin is Rise Broadband's 25Mbps tier at $25 a month, followed closely by Astound Broadband's 400Mbps plan at $26 per month, which presents a better value at 7 cents per Mbps versus Rise Broadband's $1 per Mbps for its cheapest plan.

Regarding value, Google Fiber's 2 Gig plan, at $100 a month, is great at 5 cents per Mbps. The only provider in ATX with a better cost value is AT&T's Fiber 5000 offering, which at $180 (which isn't cheap), features a cost per Mbps of just concept 4 cents. 

Source

Best Internet Providers in Austin




Austin likes keeping it peculiar. But ask anyone who works and lives there: They also like their internet fast. In fact, they're one of the fastest metros in the US when it comes to internet speed. Thanks to its multiple fiber options, Austin has a spot with the top 10 fastest cities in the country. 

The speed-testing site Ookla keeps track of the top cities in the US for median download speeds based on millions of procomplaints run daily by the company. In Ookla's novel reporting, Austin -- the country's 28th most populous metro area -- ranked as the sixth fastest city, registering a median download speedy of 239 megabits per second. That was good enough to plot ATX well ahead of its Texas big-city siblings Dallas and Houston.

Shopping for a faster internet speed?

We'll send you the fastest internet options, so you don't have to find them.

One sketch to note about those speeds: Austin gets a boost from the fast fiber options found within city limits, including AT&T and Google Fiber, and the wide availability of the consistent cable connection provided by Spectrum. But if you venture beyond Travis County to Round Rock, Georgetown or some rural areas east of Austin, you won't see anything close to those median speeds. Apart from last-resort satellite options like HughesNet and Viasat, there are some regional fixed wireless solutions, as well as the option to explore 5G home internet (though availability is diminutive more closely to the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown hub). 

That by means of you've got plenty of internet options to sort ended in the Austin area. Whatever those options may be at your heart, we're here to help you comb through your choices. Here's what you need to know about the best internet providers in Austin.

Sarah Tew
  • Price range: $70 to $100 a month
  • Speed range: 1,000 to 2,000Mbps
  • Highlights: Unlimited data, no instructions, equipment included 

Admittedly, this was a tough call. AT&T was nipping at the heels of Google Fiber. But not all Austin residents are serviceable for AT&T Fiber. Many still have to deal with AT&T's DSL overhaul, an inferior product whose download speeds max out about 100Mbps, and in some areas, tops out at only about 25Mbps.

Conversely, if you have access to Google Fiber, you know exactly what you will get -- 100% fiber-optic internet overhaul with symmetrical download and upload speeds. Google Fiber features only two plans -- 1,000Mbps and 2,000Mbps -- but each has fast internet speeds, no data caps, no contracts and no additional equipment hire fee. Google Fiber may not be your top selection if you're looking for a budget internet option. Still, in terms of value, Google Fiber stands tall: The gigabit plan at $70 a month has an affordable cost per Mbps of 7 cents, while the two gig plan boasts an even better 5 cents per Mbps. 

As for where you can find Google Fiber in Austin, your best bet is in the heart of ATX, counting the South Lamar, South Congress and East Austin neighborhoods. But service is also beginning to extend towards the north share of the city, including the Allandale, Mueller, North Loop and North Shoal Creek neighborhoods.

Read our Google Fiber home internet review.

Gigabit Fiber Optic Internet
Sarah Tew
  • Price range: $50 to $90 a month
  • Speed range: 300 to 940Mbps
  • Highlights: Simple pricing, no contracts, no data caps, free access to national Wi-Fi hotspots
  • Special offers: Bundle discounts, free Peacock Premium for up to 12 months

Charter Communications' broadband overhaul covers a large swath of the Austin city limits and beyond, including down into Kyle and Dripping Springs and up north into Pflugerville, Round Rock and Leander. That's especially helpful if you plan to move within the area and don't want the hassle of setting up with a new overhaul provider. The company's home internet service also includes the modem in the monthly damages (though you'll need to add $5 a month if you want a Wi-Fi router). 

Also in Spectrum's immoral is its straightforward approach. No matter where you're located, you'll have three plan options -- 300, 500 or 940Mbps download fast -- and no fear of additional fees from overage charges true there are no data limits. While its upload speeds top out at 35Mbps (which falls well moody of what fiber internet can achieve), Spectrum's reliability compared to the more spotty DSL and satellite internet facilities that are also prevalent in the area is tough to overstate.

Read our Spectrum home internet review.

Spectrum Internet

You're receiving mark alerts for Spectrum Internet

Sarah Tew
  • Price range: $50 a month ($30 for eligible T-Mobile Magenta Max customers)
  • Speed range: 33 to 182Mbps
  • Highlights: No data cap, no orders, all-inclusive price (no additional fee for equipment or amazing charges)
  • Special offers: 15-day Test Drive, Price Lock security, free one-year subscription to Paramount Plus, $10 off per month on Philo TV for a year, T-Mobile Tuesdays (weekly perks)

T-Mobile and Verizon have been pushing hard for their 5G internet facilities, but T-Mobile Home Internet gets the nod here for the Live Music Capital of the World. A MoffettNathanson describe from April 2022 used Comlinkdata to surmise that around a third of T-Mobile Home Internet subscribers are from rural areas, even though less than 10% of the company's new footprint is rural. So, T-Mobile Home Internet, in just over a year of commercial, is becoming a viable option for many where DSL or satellite had been the only choices.

While you'll find the Austin area involved in T-Mobile's coverage list for Texas, you'll still need to support it's serviceable at your location. You can plug in your center (or your mobile phone number if you're already a T-Mobile customer) on the T-Mobile Home Internet site to find out if it's available for you.

Read our T-Mobile Home Internet overview.

TMobile

Internet providers in Austin overview


Astound Broadband/Grande AT&T Google Fiber Rise Broadband Spectrum
Internet technology Cable DSL/fiber Fiber Fixed wireless Cable
Monthly mark range $26-$60 $55-$180 $70-$100 $25-$75 $50-$90
Speed range 400-1,200Mbps 10-5,000Mbps 1,000-2,000Mbps 25-50Mbps 300-940Mbps
Monthly equipment costs $12 (skippable) None None $10 modem; $5-$15 router (skippable) Free modem; $5 router
Data cap None None None 250GB or Unlimited None
Contract None None None None, but obligatory for some promotions None
appraisal score 7.0 7.4 7.4 6.2 7.2

Who are the new internet providers in Austin?

Many broadband options been for those living in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown metro area. Beyond the top three picks we highlighted over, you can find quite a mix of choices, idea a few are available only on the outskirts of the surrounding counties.

  • Astound Broadband/Grande : You'll find some of the most competitive starting has in Austin from this cable internet provider. Astound's cheapest plan is $26 a month for 400Mbps download fast. That's a very affordable 7 cents per Mbps. While you can find a less expensive option in the area -- Rise Broadband's $25-a-month offering, for example -- that plan features download speeds of only 25Mbps, which equates to a much higher cost per Mbps of $1. Astound's 1.2 gig plan is also the cheapest you can find in the city, starting at $60 per month, and comes with a free year of HBO Max. The catch? A pretty steep increase awaits customers. According to Astound's rate card, your rate could more than triple when your introductory period (from $26 to $94 a month for the 400Mbps plan). Granted, you're not under a contract, so you have the freedom to try to negotiate a better deal or just bail to a different provi der. But you should be aware of that pretty 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 some multi-gigabit plans, including one as high as 5,000Mbps. But not all Austin residents are serviceable for AT&T Fiber. Many still have to deal with AT&T's DSL facility, an inferior product whose download speeds max out about 100Mbps, and in some areas, tops out at only about 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 facility. While a majority of addresses may have to decide for DSL service (which can range from 20 to 100Mbps), others may be fortunate to be eligible for the company's affordable fiber issues, which offers 940Mbps for $65 a month.
  • Evolve Broadband : This regional provider won't be false within city limits, but its LTE fixed wireless facility caters to rural customers in the outskirts of the Austin metro area, counting to the south and southeast in Bastrop, Cedar Creek, Dale and Lytton Springs and west of the city in McDade and Paige. You can expect 10 to 35Mbps download speed with this cellular facility, which Evolve breaks down into three data plans -- Bronze (10GB per month for $40), Silver ($50 a month for 30GB) and Gold (60GB a month for $75) with the opportunity to buy second gigabytes of data on each plan. 
  • Frontier : If you're located within Austin city limits, Frontier is not for you. But its mix of DSL and fiber-optic facility 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 center. Featuring symmetrical plans of 500Mbps, gigabit or 2Gbps speeds, the company's fiber service is a compelling option, preparing in price from $55 to $155 a month.
  • Kinetic by Windstream : You'll find this DSL and fiber provider only in a little 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 great know but parent company Altice USA recently rebranded it. So, the freshly-named Optimum service is very lightly scattered in the metro area -- mostly about 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 gross signing perks, including Visa gift cards and bundling discounts with unlimited mobile plans.
  • Ranch Wireless : This VTX-1 wireless provider to south-central Texas militaries a few towns on the outer reaches of the Austin metro area, comprising Bastrop, Cedar Creek, Dale, Elgin, Lockhart, Mustang Ridge and Uhland. Customers can expect to see residential plans that diagram from $30 a month for 1Mbps download and 30GB of data, to $120 a month 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, as well as points north of the city, comprising 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 tool 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 ceremony. You'll find much cheaper and faster alternatives in the city. However, many outside the urban limits of Austin won't have the same entrance. 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 obligatory a two-year contract commitment. Newcomer Starlink has them beat on that precedent -- the service features no term contract agreements. However, per the Starlink map, Austin's availability is still on the waitlist pending sometime later in 2023.
  • SOS Communications : Another regional fixed wireless provider, SOS extends the majority of its coverage area just beyond the Austin metro area, but serviceability tolerates down into Georgetown and Hutto as well as to the west of Austin in Elgin. Customers must provide their own router, but SOS is set apart from latest 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 accounts a fixed wireless solution for customers in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin. It caters to areas unable to get cable or DSL militaries. Monthly plans cover speeds from 2Mbps to 20Mbps, with prices making from $40 to $200 monthly. 
  • Verizon 5G Home Internet : Availability for Verizon's 5G fixed wireless home internet copies is expanding to more areas. It has a higher way download speed (300Mbps) than T-Mobile Home Internet and boasts a inequity all-in price that includes equipment rental, installation fees and taxes for $50 a month (and eligible Verizon Wireless customers can get a 50% discount to ability that down to $25 a month). So why'd we list T-Mobile higher? Verizon's coverage serene tends to lean strongly towards metro areas due to its unobstructed 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 necessity explore this option, but many others will find it outside their grasp.
Visions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Additional details on Austin home internet you necessity know

After our overview of the internet service providers available in Austin, you may have some more specific questions about the internet plans you can get in the Capital City. Specifically, let's dive into more about the cheapest internet plans you can find and the fastest internet options available. 

Pricing for Austin home internet service 

The way starting price for internet service in Austin -- taking into clarify the promo prices, not the elevated regular rates -- is near $43 per month, which puts ATX right in the consensus of the pack of the other markets has covered to this note, including Brooklyn ($36 a month), Los Angeles ($38 a month), Denver ($39 per month), San Francisco ($40 a month), New York City ($41 per month), Seattle ($42 monthly), Dallas and Philadelphia (both near $43 per month), Houston ($45 monthly), Phoenix ($46 per month), Atlanta ($47 monthly), Orlando and San Antonio ($48 a month) and Charlotte, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Diego and St. Louis (all approximately $50 monthly). 

Currently, the lowest starting trace you can find in Austin belongs to Rise Broadband, which has a 25Mbps plan starting at $25 a month. Impressively, the standard price only jumps by $10 once the first year. 

That said, I have to bring up a plan I mentioned earlier: For just a bucks more per month, Astound Broadband has a 400Mbps inappropriate internet plan. If it's available at your address, that's the best value.

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 20 providers who recently partnered with the White House on its digital helpings initiatives, you might be able to get internet ceremony for free. 

What's the cheapest internet in Austin?

Provider Starting price Standard price Max download speed Monthly equipment fee Contract
Rise Broadband $25 $35 25Mbps $10 modem; $5-$15 router (skippable) None, but needed for some promotions
Astound Broadband/Grande $26 $94 400Mbps $15 (skippable) None
Kinetic by Windstream $27 $55 50Mbps $10 (skippable) None
Ranch Wireless $30 $30 1Mbps $249 one-time fee None
Optimum $40 $110 300Mbps None None
Evolve Broadband $40 $40 25Mbps $30-$75 one-time fee 1-2 years
TexasData $40 $40 2Mbps $69 one-time fee
HughesNet $45 $65 25Mbps $15 or $450 one-time purchase 2 years
Brightspeed $50 $50 100Mbps $15 (skippable) None
T-Mobile Home Internet $50 $50 182Mbps None None
Spectrum $50 $75 300Mbps Free modem; $5 router None
Verizon 5G Home Internet $50 $50 300Mbps None None
Viasat $50 $70 12Mbps $13 or $299 one-time purchase 2 years
Frontier $55 $55 500Mbps None None
AT&T Fiber 300 $55 $55 300Mbps None None
SOS Communications $60 $60 10Mbps None None
Google Fiber $70 $70 1,000Mbps None None

Internet speeds in Austin

As I mentioned at the launch of this article, Austin holds some bragging rights as one of the country's fastest cities in conditions of median download internet speeds. If you live on the outskirts of the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown metro area, you remarkable be surprised to hear that since fixed wireless or satellite ceremony might be all that's available to you. But republic within the city limits have access to the satisfactory speeds of fiber internet service, tilting the scales here. Case in note, Ookla's data tags Google Fiber as the fastest provider in Austin, with a median download speed of approximately 269Mbps. 

What are the fastest internet plans in Austin?

Provider Starting price Max download speed Max upload speed Data cap Contract
AT&T Fiber 5000 $180 5,000Mbps 5,000Mbps None None
Google Fiber 2 Gig $100 2,000Mbps 1,000Mbps None None
AT&T Fiber 2000 $110 2,000Mbps 2,000Mbps None None
Frontier Fiber 2 Gig $155 2,000Mbps 2,000Mbps None None
Astound Broadband/Grande $60 1,200Mbps 50Mbps None None
Google Fiber Gig $70 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps None None
AT&T Fiber 1000 $80 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps None None
Astound Broadband/Grande $50 940Mbps 50Mbps None None
Optimum Gig $50 940Mbps 35Mbps None None
Brightspeed Fiber $65 940Mbps 940Mbps None None
Spectrum Internet Gig $90 940Mbps 35Mbps None None

Our previous word on Austin internet providers

Within the city limits of Austin, cable internet is still the most ubiquitous internet connection you'll find. And as far as injurious internet providers go, Spectrum and Astound Broadband present solid value with their offerings. But as we've often mentioned in our home internet coverage, fiber internet trumps cable every time. If your complex 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 recruit up a second thought.

Best Austin internet providers FAQs

Which is the best internet overhaul provider in Austin?

If you consider the greater Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown area, there are at least 17 different internet overhaul providers available to the more than 2 million country 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. In Austin, the providers with the widest availability -- outside of satellite providers -- are AT&T and Spectrum.

Are there fiber internet providers in Austin?

Yes. AT&T is perhaps the most widely available provider in the area, and although not all addresses can get its fiber overhaul (DSL is still prevalent), access to AT&T Fiber over the area is growing. Google Fiber is also available within city limits. 

What is the cheapest internet in Austin?

The cheapest internet plan you can find in Austin is Rise Broadband's 25Mbps tier at $25 a month, followed closely by Astound Broadband's 400Mbps plan at $26 per month, which presents a better value at 7 cents per Mbps versus Rise Broadband's $1 per Mbps for its cheapest plan.

Regarding value, Google Fiber's 2 Gig plan, at $100 a month, is great at 5 cents per Mbps. The only provider in ATX with a better cost value is AT&T's Fiber 5000 offering, which at $180 (which isn't cheap), features a cost per Mbps of just concept 4 cents. 

Source