Best Internet Providers In Austin, TX Of 2024

• AT&T: Best Nationwide Coverage
• T-Mobile: Best Mobile Internet
• Verizon Fios: Best Starting Plan Costs
• Spectrum: Best 5G Internet
• Google Fiber: Best Fiber

Forbes Home’s top internet company overall pick in Austin for 2024 is AT&T. AT&T highlights download speeds of up to 500 Mbps, or megabits per second, and reasonable monthly costs starting nationally at $55. AT&T is also our choice for the best nationwide coverage, which is important for anyone who frequently accesses the internet from a mobile device or travels frequently.

Here are the details you need to know about the other Austin internet providers.

Is budget your chief priority when looking for an internet provider in Austin? If so, consider Verizon Fios, with plans starting nationally as low as $25 per month. For more low-cost options, services like T-Mobile, Spectrum and HughesNet all offer budget-friendly deals on low-cost internet plans. Based on national plan prices and cost of living data in Austin, your budget-friendly monthly internet price can start as low as $24.

It’s important to note that these prices are just averages that can change depending on plans, download and upload speeds, connection types and the average rates in your area. However, if you’re looking for budget-friendly internet options in Austin, here are some of the cheapest internet providers and their typical national monthly base rates.

PROVIDER	NATIONAL BASE PRICE	DOWNLOAD SPEED	AVAILABILITY IN AUSTIN
Verizon Fios	$25	300 Mbps	38%
T-Mobile	$30	33 Mbps	53%
Spectrum	$50	300 Mbps	91%
HughesNet	$50	15 Mbps	100%
AT&T	$55	10 Mbps	66%

See More See Less

Google Fiber, Verizon Fios and T-Mobile are the highest-speed internet providers in Austin. Google Fiber offers the fastest internet plans in Austin with speeds up to 8,000 Mbps.

When reviewing the best internet service providers in Austin, download speed plays a pivotal role in our decision-making process. After all, why pay a premium for internet service that is too slow? This factor is especially important for those who heavily rely on the internet for streaming, gaming or remote work.

Multiple ISPs in Austin advertise download speeds of up to 1 GB per second, which can easily cater to the needs of streamers, gamers and remote workers. However, for Austin residents who primarily use the internet for basic browsing or have a smaller household with fewer connected devices, ISPs with slower speeds may be sufficient.

While these national speed estimates can help give you a basic idea of what each service can offer, it’s crucial to do the proper research on the speeds in your area so you can be crystal clear on what you’re signing up for. Internet speeds in Austin can vary from the national average.

The companies below are some of the fastest internet providers on our list, including maximum available download speeds and the starting cost for each provider’s plan.

PROVIDER	FASTEST DOWNLOAD SPEED	BASE NATIONAL PRICE	AVAILABILITY IN AUSTIN
Google Fiber	8,000 Mbps	$70	42%
Verizon Fios	1,000 Mbps	$25	38%
T-Mobile	1,000 Mbps	$30	53%
Spectrum	1,000 Mbps	$50	91%
AT&T	500 Mbps	$55	66%

See More See Less

Finding a deal or promotion from your chosen provider for the Austin area is a great way to save money on your monthly or start-up bills. Most major internet providers offer deals and promotions on their most popular or newest plans.

The best way to find these promos and deals is to scour company websites for the latest offerings. Some price cuts may be specific to certain groups, like military members or active students.

Internet Connection Types Available in Austin

Internet Speeds Available in Austin

Most people in Austin have access to 25 Mbps (95% in fact), which is suitable for streaming, gaming and remote working. If you have internet this fast, you can easily finish light tasks like email and browsing (which typically requires at least 3 Mbps).

Internet Survey Highlights How Residents Are Using Internet

In a Forbes Home internet survey run in 2024, 86% of respondents reported paying for more than one streaming service each month. Among those who are streaming rather than going the traditional cable route, over half are sharing accounts with others. Though the survey revealed that the average respondent subscribes to 2.8 streaming services, almost 10% of respondents reported paying for more than five streaming services at any given time, and 50% of respondents said they pay for services and platforms they rarely or never use.

The survey also discovered that over half of streamers signed up for a service in order to watch one particular show or segment, and the typical American spends about $46 per month on streaming subscriptions.

Find other interesting insights below:

• Respondents spend 3.1 hours a day streaming media.
• Respondents enjoy Hulu’s interface the least.
• 81% experience lags in internet that directly affect their streaming quality.

Choosing the top internet company for your home in Austin can seem complicated, but by closely evaluating a few aspects, you’ll find the right service for you. Some factors hold more weight than others depending on your personal preferences—for instance, if you live in a rural area, you might be looking for internet providers that service rural areas, or if you’re budget-conscious, you’ll want to further assess the lowest-priced plans between companies.

Below are a few categories to check off for each company you’re interested in:

Internet Availability

Some neighborhoods may only have a handful of companies to compare, but others may more than a dozen. Review the major differentiating aspects of each company, and whether they service your home, to pare down your list further.

Speed

Depending on your interests and needs, each company’s download and upload speeds may be more pivotal to you than some of the other categories. Most ISPs advertise a 1-GB-per-second download speed, which is a good benchmark speed for streaming from multiple smart devices.

Cost

The price of your internet plan could be a make-or-break factor, especially if you’re prioritizing budget-friendly options. While some plans begin nationally as low as $20 per month for a plan with decent speeds, others can cost you up to $300 or more. The monthly price you end up with will vary not only on your plan but also on your area. For example, if you’re in a remote area that is typically difficult to service, you may see higher rates than in well-populated areas.

Reliability

Your internet’s reliability is non-negotiable, especially if you work from home and take daily video conferencing calls. The company you choose will play a big role in your internet experience, so make sure that your selected company’s reviews show that its internet is reliable. Just in case, we also support choosing a company with a number of customer support options like live chat and daily phone support.

Bundling

If you choose to bundle your internet, phone and cable together, you’ll want to review each company’s bundle offerings closely. Compare costs and what’s included in each provider’s package, and choose what makes the most sense for you.

Data Caps

You’ll notice that some providers put data caps on your monthly data use. When you are at your limit, you won’t necessarily lose service, but you may experience slower speeds and throttling. It’s important to read the fine print for each company’s offerings because some are clear about their data limits while others require closer evaluation.

Connection Type

If you’re specific about the connection type you want in your home, you can narrow your list even further by knocking out any that do not offer that type. Whether you’re looking for fiber, cable, wireless, satellite or 5G, many companies cover all of these options.

Contracts

ISPs don’t always require contracts, but if you’re not keen on signing up for one, ask that question early in the process when vetting potential internet services. Contracts often have fine print that can result in hidden fees, such as early termination fees, that customers didn’t know about before locking themselves into a contract. And worse—breaking a contract can be difficult (and costly). Circumvent this headache by clarifying whether a company requires a contract and reading the fine print.

To determine the best internet provider rankings in Austin, the Forbes Home editorial team compared 22 major internet providers across 39 different metrics, such as average monthly cost, download speed and fiber availability.

You can find out more about how Forbes Home rates internet providers in our detailed methodology page.