What is the best internet provider in Dallas?
AT&T Fiber is our pick for the best overall internet service provider in Dallas. AT&T Fiber boasts symmetrical download and upload speeds, unlimited data and high customer satisfaction scores. It’s not available to all households within the DFW area, however, so Spectrum Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet are solid picks as well — depending on what’s available in your area.
Although it may be slow compared with its Lone Star State companions, Dallas still offers plenty of high-speed internet hookups. You can connect with fast fiber options from AT&T and Frontier, or you can find consistently speedy cable connections from Optimum (formerly Suddenlink) and Spectrum. You could even lean into the growing 5G home internet movement and try Verizon 5G Home Internet or T-Mobile Home Internet.
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Dallas across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers’ terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable; certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your options is to plug your address into a provider’s website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider’s pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what’s available in Dallas. The prices referenced within this article’s text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month — a standard industry offering. Discounts and promotions might also be available for signing a term contract or bundling multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Dallas
My grandmother lived in Dallas, and I can still remember the taste of the fantastic barbecue we’d devour whenever my family would visit. Oh, that delicious Texas brisket. Wait, I’m here to talk about broadband, not mouthwatering smoked meat. Thankfully, Dallas has quite a few home internet options, as well.
300 – 1,000 Mbps
$30 – $90 per month
Our take – While AT&T boasts a wide footprint within Dallas-Fort Worth, Charter’s broadband service Spectrum wins out for being even more ubiquitous throughout DFW. Even more appealing, customers won’t have to fret over whether they’re serviceable for fiber or the lesser DSL; all Spectrum homes will have access to its reliable cable internet connections.
300 – 1,000 Mbps
$30 – $90 per month
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per month
Our take – AT&T’s internet service has a sizable foothold in the area, widely available throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth city limits. It’s also worth noting that Dallas is one of the 100 cities where AT&T has rolled out its multi-gig plans. While that’s great news, many neighborhoods across the metropolitan area are not serviceable for fiber and are left with AT&T’s DSL service as the only option. Is that bad? Well, AT&T has already stated its goal of cutting its copper coverage in half by 2025, so that lets you know how outdated it has become. Conversely, it’s tough to beat AT&T Fiber if you can sign up for it.
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per month
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$50 per month
Our take – T-Mobile has aggressively pushed its 5G home internet, even introducing a Home Internet Lite version to help make the product available to more households. According to the Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Map, it’s available to over 95% of the area.
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$50 per month
Dallas internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astound Broadband/Grande | Cable | $25-$60 | 300-1,500Mbps | None | None | None | 7 |
| AT&T | DSL/fiber | $55-$180 | 10-5,000Mbps | None | 1.5TB for plans under 100Mbps; None for all others | None | 7.4 |
| Frontier | DSL/fiber | $50-$155 | 10-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 6 |
| Rise Broadband | Fixed wireless | $25-$100 | 25-1,000Mbps | $10 modem; $5-$15 router (optional) | 250GB or unlimited | None, but required for some promotions | 6.2 |
| Spectrum | Cable | $50-$90 | 300-940Mbps | Free modem; $5 router | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50 | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Other available internet providers in Dallas
Many other broadband choices exist in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area beyond our top three picks. Some are outside the Dallas city limits but can be found well within the immediate suburbs. Others may only be in small pockets further away from the city center. In most cases, each provider offers something enticing, even with some glaring issues.
- Astound Broadband: This cable internet provider, known locally as Grande Communications but now part of parent company Astound Broadband, features some of DFW’s most compelling and competitive promo rates. The starting price of $25 a month for a 300Mbps plan is a very affordable 8 cents per Mbps. In contrast, Spectrum’s 300Mbps plan starts at $50 per month and AT&T Fiber’s 300Mbps plan clocks in at $55 monthly. The same holds with Astound’s fastest plan, a 1,500Mbps tier with a monthly promo price of $60. That’s a stellar 4 cents per Mbps. However… Astound also features some of the steepest price increases in the industry. The Astound/Grande rate card reveals that your 300Mbps plan could rise to $84 monthly after your promo period. That’s stark.
- Frontier: Frontier features some solid serviceability in the northern portion of the Dallas metro area. You won’t find it downtown, but you can get its DSL and fiber-optic service in the northeast outskirts of Baytown, Beach City, Cove and Crosby. You’ll also find it in League City and Sante Fe, down in the southern portion of the metro area. If Frontier Fiber is available — it features symmetrical plans of 500Mbps, gigabit, 2Gbps or 5Gbps speeds ranging from $50 to $155 per month — it’s a very appealing choice. But if Frontier DSL is your only option, you might want to keep looking.
- Optimum: Let me be clear — Suddenlink is the provider you’re probably familiar with in Dallas. However, its parent company, Altice USA, renamed it to Optimum. In any case, Optimum cable internet service can be found in some scattered areas within the city (including the Arts District and University Park), but you’ll mostly find it east of Dallas in Balch Springs, Forney, Rockwall and Terrell. Optimum also supplies broadband service to some areas north of DFW, including Cross Roads, Little Elm, McKinney and Prosper.
- Rise Broadband: This fixed wireless provider is one of the top options in the region for rural broadband. In almost all areas it services, you can access either a 25Mbps plan or 50Mbps tier for $25-$35 monthly. If you live within the city limits of Dallas or Fort Worth, you should have plenty of other, faster options. Still, Rise Broadband is widely available across numerous suburban and rural communities circling the DFW area. Of note, Rise Broadband does offer a fiber connection in the southern suburb of Ferris. Customers can access plans between 100-1,000Mbps for $60-$100 per month.
- Satellite internet: Typically, if you live in a big metro area like Dallas, I wouldn’t even broach the topic of satellite internet. You’re bound to find more reliable connections, faster speeds and cheaper prices than are awaiting you with a satellite internet connection. However, the DFW is a large area, and some on the rural periphery may not have the same options. While HughesNet and Viasat are steady choices, both require two-year contract commitments and feature data restrictions. Starlink, Elon Musk’s newer satellite provider on the block, is more intriguing as it features faster speeds and no contracts — and the Starlink availability map shows availability for the Dallas-Fort Worth area (which wasn’t the case earlier in 2023).
- Sparklight: While this cable broadband provider doesn’t have a significant presence in Big D, it can be found in Fort Worth and McKinney. Plans range from 200 to 940Mbps for $45-$110 monthly. While no term contracts are required for service, Sparklight prices fall short of the area’s other cable providers (Astound, Optimum and Spectrum), and customers also have to deal with a data cap.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon has been just as ambitious with its 5G home internet product as T-Mobile, though perhaps not quite as aggressive in pursuing rural communities. As such, Verizon fell short of our top list because it might not serve communities on the outskirts of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area as well as T-Mobile can. That said, if you are serviceable for Verizon 5G Home Internet, you’ll find faster speeds than T-Mobile (average of 300Mbps to T-Mobile’s 72-245Mbps) and a similar, straightforward approach for $50 per month, including no data caps, no contracts and no equipment fees. Also, customers can shave 50% off their monthly bill if they have a qualifying Verizon mobile plan.
Cheap internet options in Dallas
The average starting price for internet service in Dallas is approximately $43 per month, which is right about in the middle of other markets CNET has covered thus far, including Brooklyn ($36 a month), Los Angeles ($38 monthly), Denver ($39 per month), Seattle ($42 a month), Houston ($45 monthly) and, all approximately $50 a month — Charlotte, Chicago, San Diego and St. Louis.
As for the absolute lowest starting price you can find, that currently belongs to Rise Broadband. It features a 25Mbps plan with a promo price of $25 for the first year. That doesn’t include an additional $10 monthly for your equipment. That said, perhaps the best value can be found in Astound Broadband’s cheapest plan, which is also $25 monthly but is exponentially faster at 300Mbps. Residents in downtown Dallas won’t be able to get Astound’s cheap internet, but serviceability reaches out to Allen, Denton, Flower Mound, Frisco, Little Elm, McKinney and The Colony.
When exploring cheap internet options, consider that all of the providers I’ve listed participate in the Federal Communication Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program. It’s a $30 monthly discount to provide affordable, high-speed internet to low-income households. Some providers even offer a low-cost internet plan targeted at the same disadvantaged communities. Combined with the ACP benefit, you could get your broadband service for free.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Dallas?
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
How to find internet deals and promotions in Dallas
The best internet deals and top promotions in Dallas depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Dallas internet providers, such as Astound and Optimum, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including AT&T and T-Mobile, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
How fast is Dallas broadband?
Dallas disappoints when you compare its home internet speeds to some of the other top cities in the US. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area boasts the country’s fourth-largest population, but according to Ookla’s most recent reporting, Dallas managed only a 96th-place finish among the 100 most populated cities in the US. That puts it right behind Chicago and just above Seattle and Denver. This may seem competitive, but it’s well behind Texas towns such as Austin, Corpus Christi, El Paso and San Antonio — all of which made the top 15.
What are the fastest internet plans in Dallas?
| Provider | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Starting price | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Fiber 5 Gig | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $155 | None | None |
| AT&T Fiber 5000 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $250 | None | None |
| AT&T Fiber 2000 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $150 | None | None |
| Frontier Fiber 2 Gig | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $100 | None | None |
| Astound Broadband/Grande | 1,500Mbps | 50Mbps | $60 | None | None |
| AT&T Fiber 1000 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $80 | None | None |
| Frontier Fiber 1 Gig | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $70 | None | None |
| Rise Broadband | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $100 | None | None |
| Astound Broadband/Grande | 940Mbps | 50Mbps | $50 | None | None |
| Sparklight | 940Mbps | 50Mbps | $110 | None | None |
| Optimum Gig | 940Mbps | 35Mbps | $80 | None | None |
| Spectrum Internet Gig | 940Mbps | 35Mbps | $90 | None | None |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Dallas
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:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
- Are customers happy with their service?
While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who 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.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Dallas?
As we like to say in our CNET home internet reviews, fiber internet trumps cable broadband almost every time. So if you have access to any of the AT&T Fiber plans — or, if you’re in the suburbs, Frontier Fiber — that will be your best bet. Cable providers like Spectrum, Astound, Optimum and Sparklight, however, offer reliable connections and plenty of fast plans to suit just about any household. Be sure to avoid data caps, and if you’re serviceable for providers like AT&T or Frontier, ensure you can get their fiber plans and don’t have to settle for a slower, spottier DSL connection.
Best internet providers in Dallas FAQs
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Dallas?
It all depends on how you look at it. If you’re looking for the lowest price offered by a provider, Rise Broadband’s fixed wireless option of 25Mbps for $25 monthly is the absolute lowest. However, Astound Broadband’s 300Mbps plan is at the same price point of $25 per month, which is much greater value for a much faster plan.
Is fiber internet service available in Dallas?
Yes. Several internet providers offer fiber connections within the greater Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area. AT&T and Frontier have the fastest plans, each with a 5Gbps tier with symmetrical speeds. One thing to note is that each of those ISPs also has DSL plans, so do your homework to ensure you’re getting their fiber offering and not DSL.
Which internet provider in Dallas offers the fastest plan?
AT&T and Frontier have the fastest plans in Big D, featuring symmetrical download and upload speeds of 5,000Mbps. They each also have a 2 gig plan. Among cable internet providers, Astound Broadband boasts a 1,500Mbps plan, the fastest cable internet package in the Dallas metro area. Lastly, according to Ookla’s most recent findings, Spectrum has the fastest average download speeds in Dallas, clocking in with a median download speed of approximately 255Mbps.