Greatest Web Suppliers in Houston

AT&T Fiber – Greatest web supplier in Houston

• Costs: $55 – $180 per 30 days
• Speeds: 300 – 5,000Mbps
• Key Data: Limitless knowledge, no contracts, gear included

Xfinity – Greatest web supplier in Houston for availability

• Costs: $20 – $300 per 30 days
• Speeds: 75 – 6,000Mbps
• Key Data: Knowledge caps on some plans, a number of plan choices, stable buyer satisfaction numbers

Verify with Xfinity Web

Verizon 5G Dwelling Web – Greatest web supplier in Houston for fastened wi-fi service

• Costs: $50 – $70 per 30 days
• Speeds: 85 – 1,000Mbps
• Key Data: Limitless knowledge, no contracts, free gear, 50% low cost for qualifying Verizon cellular prospects

Verify with Verizon 5G Dwelling Web

Houston, now we have an issue. Although it is one of many prime 5 most populated metros within the US, H-City could not crack the highest 50 on Ookla’s record of the nation’s quickest cities for broadband. 

Per the speed-testing website’s most up-to-date reporting, Houston managed to clock in at solely No. 60. Against this, its fellow Lone Star State cities of Corpus Christi, El Paso and San Antonio all positioned within the prime 10. Different Texas cities that positioned increased on the pace chart — so as to add insult to damage — embody Arlington, Austin, Fort Value, Garland, Irving, Lubbock and Plano. Some small comfort: Houston completed effectively forward of Dallas, which was within the backside 10.

Regardless of the poor displaying, Houston presents a number of high-speed web selections. You may get attached with residence web from quick fiber choices, together with AT&T, Frontier and native web service supplier Tachus. You can hop on-line by way of cable connections from Optimum and Spectrum. You can be a part of the 5G residence web motion by attempting Verizon 5G Dwelling Web or T-Cell Dwelling Web.

CNET examines customer support, pace, pricing and general worth earlier than recommending the perfect broadband in your space. Regardless of the choices at your particular handle — together with the options of third-party suppliers like EarthLink, EIN and Extremely Dwelling Web — we may also help you select. 

Greatest web suppliers in H-City

Our decide for the finest general ISP in Houston is AT&T Fiber, however there are different high quality suppliers on the market too. All costs listed on this web page replicate obtainable reductions for organising paperless billing. In the event you resolve to not go along with automated month-to-month funds, your worth will probably be increased. Let’s dive into the perfect web service suppliers in Houston.

Observe: The costs, speeds and options detailed within the article textual content might differ from these listed within the product element playing cards, which characterize suppliers’ nationwide choices. Your specific web service choices — together with costs and speeds — rely in your handle and will differ from these detailed right here.

AT&T Fiber

Greatest web supplier in Houston

Verify availability

Product particulars

Value vary

$55 – $180 per 30 days

Pace vary

300 – 5,000Mbps

Connection

Fiber

Key Data

Limitless knowledge, no contracts, gear included

Longtime Houston residents are in all probability effectively conscious that whereas AT&T web companies are prevalent within the space, availability for AT&T Fiber stays considerably restricted. In different components of the corporate’s protection map, prospects are left with AT&T Web, a DSL service, as the one choice. That DSL infrastructure is so outdated that AT&T publicly introduced its purpose of chopping its copper protection in half by 2025. 

Availability: Scan by means of the addresses within the space, and you will find pockets of fiber availability all through varied Houston neighborhoods, together with Hyde Park, Jacinto Metropolis, Northside Village, South Houston and Spring Department. 

Plans and pricing: You are in nice form should you can entry AT&T Fiber. It presents 5 plans — 300Mbps, 500Mbps, 1,000Mbps, 2,000Mbps and 5,000Mbps. The costs vary from $55 to $180 per 30 days.

Charges and repair particulars: All 5 AT&T Fiber plans function symmetrical add and obtain speeds, no knowledge caps, no time period agreements and no gear rental charges. AT&T additionally is thought for providing some respectable perks, together with the present enticement of a Visa rewards card for individuals who enroll on-line.

Learn our AT&T Web evaluate.

Verify AT&T Fiber availability

Xfinity

Greatest web supplier in Houston for availability

Verify availability

Product particulars

Value vary

$20 – $300 per 30 days

Pace vary

75 – 6,000Mbps

Connection

Cable

Key Data

Knowledge caps on some plans, a number of plan choices, stable buyer satisfaction numbers

Comcast’s broadband service is ubiquitous within the Houston metro space, which might be useful should you’re transferring inside the metropolis and need to switch your service somewhat than undergo the rigmarole of organising with a brand new supplier. On prime of that, Xfinity has earned excessive buyer satisfaction marks in current experiences from J.D. Energy and the American Buyer Satisfaction Index.

Availability: Based on the Federal Communications Fee’s Nationwide Broadband Map, over 86% of Houston residents can entry Xfinity’s residence web service. 

Plans and pricing: One other bonus with Xfinity service is you get fairly a couple of plan choices. You may go for an inexpensive, 75Mbps plan for $20 per 30 days or splurge for pace and seize the Gigabit X2 choice that includes 2,000Mbps for $120 month-to-month. You have additionally received 5 completely different plan choices between these two to attempt to finest suit your funds and residential broadband calls for.

Charges and repair particulars: All that stated, a couple of issues may offer you pause. First, as a cable web supplier, Xfinity cannot match the symmetrical speeds of fiber ISPs within the space, together with AT&T, Brightspeed and Tachus. Add speeds will vary from 10 to 35Mbps on most plans. Additionally, in distinction to most different suppliers within the Bayou Metropolis, Xfinity imposes an information cap on its prospects. It is set at an affordable 1.2TB (greater than double what the typical US family makes use of, in accordance with OpenVault’s most up-to-date findings). Nonetheless, that may be a limiting issue for bigger households and people with heavy web customers and a number of linked units.

Learn our Xfinity Web evaluate.

Verify Xfinity Web availability

Verizon 5G Dwelling Web

Greatest web supplier in Houston for fastened wi-fi service

Verify availability

Product particulars

Value vary

$50 – $70 per 30 days (50% off for eligible 5G cellular prospects)

Pace vary

85 – 1,000Mbps

Connection

Fastened wi-fi

Key Data

Limitless knowledge, no contracts, free gear, 50% low cost for qualifying Verizon cellular prospects

Verizon has been pushing its 5G web service, making some massive noise when it unveiled its C-band frequency rollout for its Extremely Wideband community. It is a part of the corporate’s intention to offer a nationwide broadband choice past the boundaries of its extremely regarded fiber service, Verizon Fios, which is proscribed to people within the Northeast.

Availability: When you’ll discover loads of Extremely Wideband availability on Verizon’s 5G protection map, prospects will nonetheless have to verify their handle on the Verizon website to verify if the 5G Dwelling Web service is obtainable to them. Based on the FCC, roughly a 3rd of all Houston residents may have entry to Verizon 5G Dwelling Web.

Plans and pricing: There are two plans supplied with this service. Verizon 5G Dwelling Web is $50 per 30 days for obtain speeds of 85-300Mbps, and Verizon 5G Dwelling Plus Web is $70 month-to-month for obtain speeds of 300-1,000Mbps.

Charges and repair particulars: Clients will discover an appealingly versatile service with no contracts, no additional charges and loads of perks, together with a possible $500 credit score towards early termination charges (for these switching out of a contract), worth ensures and a 30-day satisfaction assure.

Learn our Verizon 5G Dwelling Web overview.

Verify Verizon 5G Dwelling Web availability

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge

All obtainable Houston residential web suppliers

Past the three picks above, a number of different broadband selections exist within the Houston metro space. Some might be discovered solely in small pockets of town, whereas others are primarily positioned within the metropolis suburbs. There are some compelling selections right here, despite the fact that they don’t seem to be as extensively obtainable.

• Astound Broadband: This cable web supplier, identified regionally as Grande, presents a few of Houston’s best beginning charges. Its beginning worth of $25 a month for a 300Mbps plan comes out to an inexpensive 8 cents per Mbps. By comparability, Xfinity’s cheaper $20 per 30 days plan options obtain speeds of solely 75Mbps and due to this fact has a a lot increased price per Mbps of 27 cents. The Astound 1.2Gbps plan can also be the most cost effective within the metropolis, beginning at $60 month-to-month. The rub is that Astound’s worth will increase are among the steepest within the trade. For instance, the corporate’s Houston fee card reveals that Astound costs its 300Mbps plan at $84 per 30 days after your promo expires. The gig plan sees a barely much less extreme soar from $50 per 30 days to $94 month-to-month, however nonetheless, beware the bait and change. 
• Brightspeed: Considerably just like AT&T however with out as deep a presence. You may need to analysis this as a result of, relying in your location, you might be coping with DSL service (which might be as little as 20Mbps), or should you’re within the Kingwood space, you may see the corporate’s rather more compelling fiber product.
• Consolidated Communications: You will not discover this fiber supplier inside metropolis limits, however its inexpensive plans can be found to prospects within the suburbs of Conroe and Katy. Plans vary from 50Mbps to 2Gbps for $35 to $85 month-to-month. There aren’t any contracts required and no knowledge cap enforced. 
• Frontier: Frontier has a scattered presence within the larger Houston space. You will not discover it downtown, however you may get its DSL and fiber-optic service within the northeast outskirts of Baytown, Seashore Metropolis, Cove and Crosby. You may additionally discover it within the southern portion of the metro space in League Metropolis and Sante Fe. If Frontier Fiber is obtainable — it options symmetrical plans of 500Mbps, 1Gbps, 2Gbps or 5Gbps speeds starting from $50 to $155 per 30 days — it is a very interesting selection. But when Frontier DSL is your solely choice, attempt different options.
• Kinetic by Windstream: This DSL and fiber supplier is obtainable in just some small pockets inside the Houston metropolis limits. Most of that availability is within the southern suburb of Sugar Land. You may largely cope with its DSL service somewhat than the quicker fiber-optic plans.
• Optimum: First off, I can think about you may be confused. Suddenlink is the supplier you are in all probability aware of within the Houston space. Nevertheless, its mum or dad firm, Altice USA, renamed it Optimum in 2022. In any case, Optimum service is scattered evenly all through the metro space however has a heavier density north of town in Conroe and Kingwood. This cable ISP is notable for its extremely aggressive beginning charges, among the most inexpensive within the space.
• Spectrum: Constitution Communications’ ISP has among the extra customer-friendly, simple phrases you may discover for cable web service. There aren’t any contracts, no knowledge caps and a free modem rental included in your month-to-month worth, starting from $50 to $90. It additionally contains free entry to Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the nation. Spectrum service is obtainable north of town, primarily in Magnolia, Spring, Tomball and The Woodlands. 
• Tachus: This native ISP, based in 2018, is notable for its group presence and dedication to constructing 100% fiber-to-the-home networks inside the larger Houston metropolitan space. It is now obtainable to over 50,000 properties in Atascocita, Conroe, East Montgomery County, Kingwood, Magnolia, Oak Ridge County North and The Woodlands. There are three fiber plans — 300Mbps, 600Mbps and 1Gbps — starting from $65 to $90 a month, with no knowledge caps and no contracts. A modem rental is included within the month-to-month worth, however you may want to offer your personal router or hire one for $6 month-to-month.
• T-Cell Dwelling Web: T-Cell makes use of its 5G and 4G LTE networks to energy its fastened wi-fi residence web product, which is obtainable to over 50 million properties nationwide and roughly 92% of residents within the larger Houston space. That stated, verify your handle on the T-Cell website to see should you’re serviceable, although. I’ve T-Cell cell service at residence, however I am nonetheless not eligible for the house web service. In any case, it is an intriguing providing that features set up charges, taxes and gear rental below its $50-a-month charge, with no knowledge caps or contracts.

Typical pricing for Houston web 

The common beginning worth for web service in Houston is simply over $45 a month, which is true about in the course of different markets we have lined, together with Brooklyn ($36 a month), Los Angeles ($38 a month), Denver ($39 per 30 days), San Francisco ($40 a month), New York Metropolis ($41 month-to-month), Seattle ($42 per 30 days), Dallas and Philadelphia (about $43 a month), Phoenix ($46 per 30 days), Atlanta ($47 a month), Orlando ($48 per 30 days) and Charlotte, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Diego and St. Louis (all about $50 a month). 

Low-cost web choices in House Metropolis

Xfinity presents the bottom beginning worth in Houston — its Join plan (75Mbps) has a promo worth of $20 for the primary two years after which $50 a month after that. It is also extensively obtainable all through the Houston metro space and the Bayou Metropolis burbs. 

It also needs to be famous that the majority suppliers listed take part within the Federal Communication Fee’s Reasonably priced Connectivity Program, which supplies a $30-a-month low cost to qualifying households to offer inexpensive, high-speed web. Some suppliers even supply a low-cost web plan focused at low-income properties and communities. When mixed with the ACP profit, you may be capable of get web service at no cost. 

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge

Quickest web suppliers in Houston

Per the Ookla stats talked about on the prime of this text, Houston is not among the many prime 50 cities with the quickest web speeds. That is to not say you will not be capable of discover sufficient pace to do all of the issues it’s essential to do on-line. 

Some Houstonians may have entry to the splashy 5Gbps plans unveiled by AT&T and Frontier in 2022. And whereas Comcast boasts its personal multi-gig plan with add and obtain speeds of 6,000Mbps, it is obtainable solely at addresses the cable firm has wired for fiber. The FCC disclosures from June of 2021 peg that proportion at roughly 4% of Comcast addresses.

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge

What is the closing verdict on Houston web suppliers?

Comcast’s cable web providing of Xfinity has Houston lined with probably the most intensive availability throughout the metro space. However as we are saying in our CNET residence web critiques, a fiber web connection outperforms cable nearly each time. So, should you can entry a fiber supplier within the space — together with AT&T Fiber, Brightspeed Fiber, Consolidated Communications, Frontier Fiber or Tachus — do not hesitate to signal on the digital dotted line. 

How CNET selected the perfect web suppliers in Houston

Web service suppliers are quite a few and regional. Not like the most recent smartphone, laptop computer, router or kitchen device, it’s impractical to personally take a look at each ISP in a given metropolis. So what’s our strategy? We begin by researching the pricing, availability and pace data drawing on our personal historic ISP knowledge, the supplier websites and mapping data from the Federal Communications Fee at FCC.gov.

Nevertheless it doesn’t finish there. We go to the FCC’s web site to verify our knowledge and guarantee we’re contemplating each ISP that gives service in an space. We additionally enter native addresses on supplier web sites to seek out particular choices for residents. To guage how completely satisfied prospects are with an ISP’s service, we have a look at sources together with the American Buyer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Energy. ISP plans and costs are topic to frequent modifications; all data offered is correct as of the time of publication. 

As soon as now we have this localized data, we ask three predominant questions: 

• Does the supplier supply entry to moderately quick web speeds? 
• Do prospects get respectable worth for what they’re paying? 
• Are prospects pleased with their service? 

Whereas the reply to these questions is commonly layered and sophisticated, the suppliers who come closest to “sure” on all three are those we suggest. 

To discover our course of in additional depth, go to our How We Check ISPs web page.

Greatest web suppliers in Houston FAQs