As America's fastest-growing city, Austin is by no means short of wireless internet providers. Depending on where you live in the city, more than a dozen providers may be competing for your business. We looked at all the ultra internet options and found the best internet providers in Austin for their speed, reliability, price, and customer service.
Here's a breakdown of our top picks of the best internet service provider in Austin, TX:
Defining trait | Best for Fiber Internet | Best for Bundling | Most Affordable | Most Flexibility |
Connection type | Fiber Optic | Fiber Optic | Cable | DSL |
Download speeds (Mbps) | 1000Mbps |
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Prices starting at | $70/mo. | $50/mo. | $49.99/mo. | $49/mo. |
Contract length | None | 12 months | 12 months | None |
Data cap | None | Up to 1TB/mo. | None | Up to 1TB/mo. |
Austin was one of the first cities to get Google Fiber, and the arrival was much anticipated. Google now offers the cheapest fiber optic internet plan in Austin, with a 1000Mbps download speed plan costing just $70 per month. However, this is the only plan available, so you won't be able to downgrade to anything cheaper through Google if you're on a budget.
Still, Google adds plenty of value to its high-speed internet plan. The service doesn't have any data caps or throttling, and it even comes with 1TB of free cloud storage. The service even provides unlimited data to rural areas. There also aren't any contracts required, so you won't be locked in for 12 months (or longer) by signing up and can cancel at any time if you're unhappy.
Features:
If you plan to bundle your home internet service with TV, a landline phone, or both, AT&T will give you the best value. Opt to add U-Verse TV with 180 channels to your plan for as little as $79.99 per month, or throw in a digital landline for a total of $99.98 per month. AT&T will waive its $99 Wi-Fi installation fee if you sign up for one of these plans.
AT&T internet connection is also celebrated for its dedication to customer service. The provider was awarded the top spot in the 2019 U.S. Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study from J.D. Power and received perfect five-star ratings in all areas of the study. The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) also gives AT&T extremely positive ratings, ranking the provider 2nd in the United States.
Features:
Spectrum is the best option in Austin if you're hoping to save money on your monthly internet bill; Spectrum is the cheapest internet option we reviewed and they still provide fast internet. Its 200Mbps plan costs just $49.99 per month, which is double the speed that most competitors offer at the same price. However, if you're hoping for something faster, Spectrum's top-tier, fast speed plan at 940Mbps is priced at $109.99 per month, a significantly higher pricier than the 1000Mbps fiber optic plans offered by Google and AT&T for their fastest speeds.
In the J.D. Power U.S. Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study, Spectrum scored well, coming in third behind AT&T and Comcast in the Southern United States. Among the areas that Spectrum scored well in performance, reliability, and customer service.
Features:
CenturyLink offers the most flexible internet plans in Austin in terms of speed, with five different options to choose from between 10Mbps and 940Mbps upload speeds. However, all of its plans up to 100Mbps are priced the same at $49 per month, so choosing a slower speed isn't necessarily an advantage. There are no contracts on CenturyLink plans, giving you the option to cancel anytime.
One interesting feature of CenturyLink internet access is its Price for Life program. This offer protects your price as long as you retain service with the provider. Many competitors will increase prices after each 12-month contract, slowly increasing your monthly bill over time, which adds to your expenses.
Features:
Everyone rates internet providers differently, but we know from experience what customers look for in their service provider.
Here are the key features we analyzed in our assessment:
Google Fiber and AT&T both offer fiber optic internet in the Austin area.
Yes, AT&T and Spectrum Internet both offer packages that combine TV, landline, or both with your internet service.
AT&T was awarded the top spot in the 2019 J.D. Power U.S. Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study.