Best Houston internet providers
Compare internet providers in Houston
| Provider | Starting price* | Speed range | Internet type | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HughesNet | $64.99/mo. | 15 – 25 Mbps | Satellite | 100% |
| Xfinity | $19.99/mo. | 75 – 6,000 Mbps | Cable, fiber | 93% |
| T-Mobile 5G Home | $50.00/mo. | Up to 245 Mbps | 5G | 93% |
| AT&T | $55.00/mo. | 300 – 4,700 Mbps | DSL, fiber | 78% |
| Verizon 5G | $25.00/mo. | 85 – 1,000 Mbps | 5G | 32% |
| Ezee Fiber | $59.00/mo. | 500 – 10,000 Mbps | Fiber | 14% |
| CenturyLink | $30.00/mo. | 100 – 940 Mbps | DSL, fiber | 2% |
| Optimum | $40.00/mo. | 300 – 5,000 Mbps | Cable, fiber | 2% |
Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. Speeds may vary. As of 04/13/23.
Allconnect’s choice for best ISP: AT&T
Our choice for Houston’s best ISP is AT&T because of its availability and speeds. With speeds up to 4,700 Mbps, AT&T is a great choice if you need a plan that can handle heavy internet activity. Its also widely available, covering 78% of Houston.
Cheapest internet plans in Houston
Houston residents have internet plans starting at low prices. Keep in mind that while the company advertises starting prices, the price you see isn’t necessarily the amount you’ll pay each month. Not only can rates vary depending on your ZIP code, but you’ll also likely pay installation costs, equipment rental fees, taxes and other fees.
| Provider | Speed | Price | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | 75 Mbps | $19.99/mo. | Cable |
| T-Mobile 5G Home | Up to 182 Mbps | $50.00/mo. | 5G |
| CenturyLink | 200 Mbps | $30.00/mo. | Fiber |
*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 04/13/23.
Fastest internet plans in Houston
Houston residents have plenty of options when it comes to fast internet. Several providers offer gigabit speeds, and the fastest speed available in the city is 4,700 Mbps.
| Provider | Max speed | Plan | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | 4,700 Mbps | 5 Gig Internet | Fiber |
| Xfinity | 3,000 Mbps | Gigabit Pro | Fiber |
| CenturyLink | 940 Mbps | Fiber Gigabit | Fiber |
ricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 04/13/23.
Breaking down Houston internet providers
Allconnect Rating
4.43 / 5
AT&T Fiber: Best provider overall
According to a 2022 J.D. Power survey, AT&T ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the South for a fifth consecutive year. AT&T Fiber offers five plans in Houston: 300 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 1,000 Mbps, 2,000 Mbps and 5,000 Mbps with prices ranging from $55/mo. – $180/mo.
AT&T will continue to expand its fiber-optic footprint to more markets across the country in the coming years. AT&T and BlackRock, the investment management company, have agreed to form a joint venture called Gigapower. This will expand fiber-optic coverage beyond AT&T’s current footprint.
Pros
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AT&T is the highest rated in customer service for the southern region.
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There is a wide range of internet speeds to choose from, with speeds as high as 4,700 Mbps with fiber optic internet.
Cons
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Your AT&T bill will be higher than advertised once you account for equipment fees and other monthly costs.
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AT&T fiber optic internet isn’t available in all locations, and its cable internet plans are more expensive.
Prices and plans available on Oakshire Drive, Houston:
Local feedback: AT&T Fiber
We gathered local feedback from AT&T Fiber customer, Kelsey R., who lives in Houston, TX. We asked her if she was happy with AT&T’s speed, customer service, value, affordability and had her take our speed test.
With the AT&T Fiber 1,000 plan on an unwired Wi-Fi connection, she reported download speeds of 110 Mbps and upload speeds of 119 Mbps. While she is happy with her internet speed, she feels that AT&T has average customer service. AT&T is currently ranked third in the American Customer Satisfaction Index for customer satisfaction ratings, but only has a score of 69/100.
In terms of value and affordability, Kelsey notes that her internet keeps getting more expensive while the speeds stay the same. Her internet has increased by almost $20/mo. in just the last two years.
“It’s a necessary service, so the company can charge more and people will pay,” she says.
While Kelsey is happy overall with her AT&T Fiber internet speed in Houston, she feels like the value of her plan has decreased.
Allconnect Rating
3.57 / 5
Xfinity: Best for affordability
Xfinity really stands out when it comes to prices in Houston. Its cheapest plan offers speeds of 75 Mbps for just $19.99/mo. Fees and equipment will add some extra money to your bill, but Xfinity is still a great choice.
Xfinity internet speeds in Houston have also gotten faster in recent months. As part of a nationwide speed increase, local speeds have increased by up to 200 Mbps on some Xfinity plans. Xfinity ranks second behind AT&T in customer satisfaction in the South.
Pros
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Xfinity offers the cheapest internet plans of any provider in Houston.
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Xfinity ranks second for customer satisfaction in the south in a J.D. Power survey.
Cons
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Xfinity’s lowest rate is just a promotional rate for the first year, and your rate will increase after that.
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Your Xfinity bill will be higher than advertised because of equipment costs and hidden fees.
Prices and plans available on Del Monte Drive, Houston:
- Connect (75 Mbps) for $19.99/mo.
- Connect More (200 Mbps) for $39.99/mo.
- Fast (400 Mbps) for $55.00/mo.
- Superfast (800 Mbps) for $65.00/mo.
- Gigabit (1,000 Mbps) for $75.00/mo.
- Gigabit Extra (1,200 Mbps) for $80.00/mo.
Allconnect Rating
3.86 / 5
T-Mobile 5G Home: Best for simple pricing
T-Mobile is one of the newest providers to offer home internet service, and it uses its 5G cellphone towers to transmit data wirelessly to your home. It costs a flat $50/mo., and that includes equipment and fees.
T-Mobile is quickly becoming the most widely available 5G provider. Its 5G footprint provides coverage to 323 million people across the U.S. and has a goal of providing even faster 5G internet with more coverage by the end of 2023 with its Ultra Capacity 5G network.
Pros
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You won’t be surprised by your T-Mobile bill — it’s a flat $50/mo.
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T-Mobile is widely available in the Houston area.
Cons
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Speeds are much slower than AT&T and Xfinity, but still enough for most households.
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You might experience more up and down service than you would with cable or fiber internet.
Allconnect Rating
2.13 / 5
HughesNet: Best for rural customers
HughesNet offers satellite internet across the country, serving rural areas that may have a hard time getting internet service. Plans start at $59.99/mo., with speeds of 25 Mbps for all plans.
HughesNet recently debuted Fusion, a combination of satellite and wireless tech that will provide a high-speed and low-latency internet option for customers, which has previously been an ongoing issue with satellite internet. HughesNet plans to expand this service across U.S. markets throughout the year.
Pros
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HughesNet serves rural areas that often can’t get internet service through another provider.
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There are discounts available when you bundle your HughesNet internet with phone service.
Cons
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HughesNet has relatively low internet speeds, with a maximum speed of 25 Mbps for all plans.
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According to a J.D. Power survey, HughesNet has very low customer satisfaction in the south.
Prices and plans available on Edna Street, Houston:
- 15 GB for $64.99/mo.
- 30 GB for $74.99/mo.
- Fusion 50 GB for $99.99/mo.
- Fusion 100 GB for $174.99/mo.
Overview of internet access in Houston
We looked at FCC data, real user speed tests and serviceability information directly from the provider to research Houston’s best internet providers:
Best overall providers
- AT&T – Best internet provider overall
- Xfinity – Cheapest plans
- T-Mobile 5G Home Internet – Best for simple pricing
- HughesNet – Best for rural customers
Houston residents have a lot of high-speed internet providers to choose from, including fiber internet from AT&T — one of the best options anywhere in the country. In addition to the providers listed above, Spectrum, Suddenlink, Windstream and Frontier also service neighboring suburbs like Katy, League City and Sugar Land.
Houston’s ISP statistics
When it comes to internet speeds in Houston, two providers stand out: T-Mobile and Xfinity. Customers get nearly 200 Mbps on average from them, which is well above the national average. AT&T has upload speeds nearly 10 times faster than Xfinity due to its fiber optic network. If you do a lot of online gaming or have multiple people working or learning from home, AT&T is your best option.
Internet availability by technology type
If you live in Houston, you’ll have plenty of options when it comes to the type of internet you want. Just about every option is available, including cable internet, fiber, DSL and satellite. Houston is also ahead of the game when it comes to fiber internet.
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Cable – 92%
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DSL – 89%
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Fiber optic – 57%
Houston internet speed compared to the national average
Overall, Houston residents get a bit higher internet speed than the state of Texas as a whole, but significantly faster speeds than the national average. Houston’s upload speeds lag behind the state, largely because AT&T is the area’s only major fiber internet provider.
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Download speeds
Houston – 168 Mbps
Texas – 147 Mbps
U.S. – 134 Mbps
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Upload speeds
Houston – 56 Mbps
Texas – 65 Mbps
U.S. – 48 Mbps
Source
The average speeds listed above are based on over 1.2 million real-speed test results taken in Houston over a six-month window from the M-Lab NDT Data Set from July 1 to December 31, 2022. Measurement Lab is an open-source platform aimed at advancing Internet research.
Our methodology
We evaluate broadband providers in four categories: affordability, performance, value and customer satisfaction. Each category contains multiple sub-factors, all of which are weighted differently to impact the provider’s overall score.
For each sub-factor, we score all providers on a continuous scale of one to five, relative to the industry as a whole. Because the average download speed in America is currently 180 Mbps, for example, we assigned all plans with download speeds between 100 and 299 Mbps a score between three and four. Xfinity’s 200 Mbps plan received a 3.50 score for download speed, while Spectrum’s 400 Mbps plan got a 4.16.
We only considered standardized data points in our scoring system. More abstract data like consistency of service and brand reputation is still part of our analysis, but we opted to let our writers address them in the context of each review.
Compare internet providers near Houston
Houston internet FAQs
About 53% of residents in Houston have access to fiber connections up to 1,000 Mbps.
Other that the satellite providers such as HughesNet, Viasat and Starlink that cover 100% of Houston, Xfinity is the most widely-available provider in Houston with 93% coverage.
Houston provides resources for their residents to connect with the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program.
Xfinity offers plans starting at $19.99/mo. in Houston.
Allconnect: Let us compare providers for you
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Written by:
Erin GoblerAuthor
Erin Gobler is a freelance writer based in Madison, WI. She writes about topics including budgeting, student loans, credit, mortgages, investing, broadband and insurance. Including Allconnect.com, her work has b…
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Edited by:
Robin LaytonEditor, Broadband Content
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