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The best internet providers in San Antonio: Top local ISPs compared
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States, so it's no surprise it is on the cutting edge of the latest internet technology. There are about five internet providers in San Antonio offering widespread, dependable coverage throughout the city. San Antonio also continues to actively expand its fiber broadband infrastructure in an effort to reach the entire city.
With several solid options to choose from, it can remain a challenge to make the choice that works best for you. Your decision will come down to price, speeds, and customer support needs. We researched San Antonio internet providers to help breakdown this decision for you.
The best San Antonio internet providers: summed up
| AT&T Internet | Spectrum Internet | Earthlink Internet | |
| Defining trait | Best for fiber-optics connection | No data caps | Best customer support features |
| Connection type | DSL Fiber Optic | DSL | DSL Fiber Optic |
| Download speeds (Mbps) | 100, 300, 1,000 | 200, 940 | 15, 30, 80, 100, 200, 1,000 |
| Prices starting at | $50/month | $49.99/month | $49.95/month |
| Contract length | 12 months | 12 months | 12 months |
| Data cap | 1 TB/month; Unlimited for 1,000 Mbps plans | Unlimited | Unlimited |
With attractive perks like a large mobile hotspot network, AT&T remains San Antonio's largest internet provider. Customers can take advantage of the company's national AT&T WiFi hotspot network as a part of their internet plan. There are also promotional signup offers, such as waived activation fees for online orders, speed upgrades, and visa gift card offers. Current AT&T mobile customers can benefit from discounts of up to $10 on their internet service.
Fiber-optics in some cities is hard to come by. So if your neighborhood has fiber, that's good news – the nation averages about a 38% coverage area for fiber-optic internet. Bexar County in San Antonio boasts an impressive 61.43% fiber coverage area, which means you can benefit from the lightning-fast internet speeds and technology if you live in the fiber area. If you're lucky enough to live in an AT&T fiber-optics area, and you want fast speeds, then AT&T internet is the way to go.
- Price: $50 to $70 per month, plus $10/month equipment fee and no activation fee when purchased online
- Speed and Data: 100, 300, or 1,000; 1TB per month for Internet 100 and 300 plans with overage charges; unlimited data for Internet 1,000
- Plans/Packages: Internet 100, 300, or 1,000
- Contract Options: 12 months
Our top pick is Spectrum, which provides internet service to most of San Antonio. With no data caps and a free internet modem, as a customer, you can save tons of money each year, unlike the requisite data cap and equipment fees of other companies. With Spectrum's no data caps, you can use as much of your speed without an overage charge with any plan. You must be on the high plan (1,000+ Mbps) with AT&T to avoid the extra charge.
In addition to phone and internet services, they also offer San Antonio residents free home WiFi and free access to Time Warner WiFi hotspots with 24/7 customer support. There are three internet plans for you to choose from, including the Standard, Ultra, and Gig Internet Plans. A free Security Suite is available with your Spectrum plan to protect your devices with available parental controls. They even offer a contract buyout option to help you escape another internet contract.
- Price: $49.99 per month
- Speed and Data: 200 Mbps or 940 Mbps; unlimited data
- Plans/Packages: Spectrum Standard, Ultra Internet, or Gig Internet Plan
- Contract Options: 12 months
Around since the mid-1990s, Earthlink is one of the most flexible internet providers in San Antonio. There are a host of internet plans available so you can purchase the right internet speeds for your household with up to 1 Gbps power. Internet plans can also include up to 8 email addresses for your household using EarthLink's premium email servers. Automatic virus and spam protection are also available.
Of all internet providers, Earthlink answered our call the fastest with the shortest wait time of all providers at less than 25 seconds. There is online support, as well as round-the-clock support with 24/7 customer service, which many customers appreciate. However, pricing can quickly get expensive with all of the extra fees, such as installation, equipment rental, and cancellation fees.
- Price: $49.95 to $99.95 per month, plus $69.95 installation cost, $6.95/month equipment rental, and up to $200 in cancellation fees
- Speed and Data: 15, 30, 80, 100, 200, 1,000 with unlimited data
- Plans/Packages: HyperlinkTM internet
- Contract Options: 12 months
How we found the best internet providers in San Antonio
With several providers to choose from, this is how we determined the best provider for San Antonio, Texas.
- Coverage. As some of the largest internet companies in the country, these three companies provide some of the most widespread and reliable coverage in San Antonio. Other internet providers limit their services to just a few small portions of San Antonio.
- Value. Internet speeds in San Antonio go all the way to 1,000 Mbps, giving residents a wide choice of internet speeds and pricing. Despite these speeds, pricing remains roughly the same for monthly premiums. However, watch out for additional costs: EarthLink and AT&T both charge monthly equipment fees you won't find at Spectrum.
- Customer Satisfaction. J.D. Power offers customer service ratings for top industry providers, with AT&T taking top honors with near-perfect scores across the board. Spectrum receives a rating of 3 out of 5 for the southern region of the country, while Earthlink and AT&T remain unrated. The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) also shows AT&T at the top of the list, second only to Verizon. Earthlink was unlisted.
Who is the best internet provider for me?
These are our top three picks for internet providers in San Antonio, but the best provider for you will depend on several details. Where you live will determine what services are available to you. There are many things you should consider when choosing an internet provider, such as the available packages and costs. For example, Earthlink offers many different internet speed packages up to 1000 Mbps. Not only çan speed vary, but the price of your internet can differ, too, from $49.95 to almost $100. Sometimes, a company will feature a special deal or savings program you can use to receive higher internet speeds at a low price.
What is DSL and fiber optic internet?
Fiber optic internet is a revolutionary new process that uses light to transfer data. In doing so, it offers lightning-fast speeds, especially when compared to traditional DSL, which uses a telephone line. DSL internet usually provides no more than 6 Mbps, while fiber-optic is capable of providing up to 1,000 Mbps.
How do I choose an internet package?
To find the right internet package for you, you must first see what is available in your area. You can visit each provider site and input your zip code to determine what services are available at your home. The number of people in your household also affects your plan, because the more users and devices there are, the higher your internet speed needs to be. Gaming and streaming content will require more power than a household with a single user who surfs the internet occasionally.