Best Internet Providers in Huntsville, Alabama

What is the best internet provider in Huntsville?

Available internet providers in Huntsville are as good as anywhere, but AT&T Fiber stands out as CNET's pick for Huntsville's best ISP overall. AT&T Fiber's local fiber-optic coverage, selection of plans with symmetrical upload and download speeds, stable pricing and record of high customer satisfaction give it a slight advantage over competing Huntsville providers.

Google Fiber is a close second and can’t be beat regarding gig and multi-gigabit speeds. The provider offers the fastest internet speeds in Huntsville, up to 8,000 megabits per second, but as a gig-only provider, Google Fiber isn’t the cheapest service around.

If you’re looking for cheap internet in Huntsville, Xfinity and WideOpenWest are top choices. Xfinity has the lowest starting price, $20 monthly, for speeds up to 150Mbps, while WOW starts at $30 for double the max speed, 300Mbps.

To top off your potential broadband options in Huntsville, there’s fixed wireless service from Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet. Verizon is a better deal with faster max speeds, while T-Mobile boasts a broader coverage area. Both providers offer unlimited data, free equipment and a discount for qualifying mobile customers.

Best internet in Huntsville, Alabama

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What other internet options are there in Huntsville?

The internet providers listed above are the ones that I would recommend most, but they may not be your only options for internet in Huntsville. Here’s a quick overview of other potential internet providers in Huntsville. 

• Mediacom: Cable internet from Mediacom is known for its low introductory pricing, but availability is highly limited in Huntsville. Less than 5% of Huntsville households are serviceable for Mediacom, according to the FCC.
• T-Mobile Home Internet: It’s available to more Huntsville homes than Verizon 5G Home Internet, but T-Mobile Home Internet has a higher starting price ($60) and lower max speed (72 to 245Mbps).
• Satellite internet: Technically, satellite internet from Hughesnet, Viasat and Starlink is available throughout the Huntsville area, but there are too many other cheaper, faster and overall better options to consider before satellite internet.

Huntsville broadband at a glance

With two fiber providers and two cable providers available throughout much of Huntsville, broadband availability and options is better than most other parts of Alabama and the US. 

Between AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber, fiber-optic internet connections are available to nearly 75% of Huntsville’s residential addresses. That’s more than double the total fiber internet availability in Alabama and significantly higher than fiber coverage nationwide.

It's uncommon for the majority of an area to have more than one cable internet provider available. The local competition helps keep prices low and the service terms favorable to the customer.

Internet pricing in Huntsville

The average starting monthly rate of home internet in Huntsville is around $45, not including taxes and additional fees. Cable internet, with starting rates of $20 to $35, brings that average down while AT&T Fiber, T-Mobile Home Internet and Google Fiber raise it with starting rates of $55, $60 and $70, respectively.

What's the cheapest internet plan in Huntsville?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Huntsville

The best internet deals and top promotions in Huntsville depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Huntsville internet providers, such as AT&T Fiber, Xfinity and WOW, may offer lower introductory pricing or other incentives for a limited time. Many providers, including Google Fiber and Verizon 5G Home Internet, 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 Huntsville broadband?

Huntsville residents have access to some of the fastest internet speeds anywhere in the US thanks to AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber. Despite the high-speed availability, Huntsville’s tested internet speeds do not rank among the 100 fastest in the US, according to recent Ookla speed test data. Atlanta took the final spot with median download speeds of 91Mbps, meaning Huntsville’s median download speeds fell below that mark.

There are many factors that can affect speed test results, however, not least of which is the internet plan you choose. Gig and multi-gigabit speeds are available from multiple providers in the area. If you want faster-than-average internet speeds in Huntsville, consider the plans listed below.

Fastest internet plans in Huntsville

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 person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Huntsville

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 publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. Are customers happy with their service?

While the answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that 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 how we test ISPs page.

Internet in Huntsville recap

Few cities have as many options for home internet as Huntsville. Two fiber providers, AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber, serve much of the area while cable internet is available from Xfinity, WOW and possibly Mediacom. There’s also the possibility of 5G home internet from T-Mobile or Verizon. 

If you’re looking for fast internet, consider AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber. Both ISPs offer a 5-gig plan while Google Fiber also has an 8-gig plan in select areas. Cable internet can’t quite compete with those speeds, but it is a good source of cheap internet in Huntsville. Xfinity and WOW have the lowest starting rates in the area at $20 and $30 a month, respectively.

Internet providers in Huntsville, Alabama, FAQs