I grew up just north of Boulder, Colorado, so I may be biased, but in my opinion it is one of the most unique and beautiful cities in the country. Boulder has much to offer, from its exciting college football team, the Colorado Buffaloes, to its gorgeous trails and mountains. But the city also stands out for its high-speed internet and wide variety of broadband providers.
Boulder residents can expect median download speeds of approximately 328 megabits per second, according to Ookla Speedtest data -- just a tick above the Colorado statewide median of 316Mbps and the national median of 291Mbps. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Not too shabby.
If you live in Boulder (or are planning to move there), you have a few options, but the two most widely available internet service providers are Xfinity and CenturyLink. Our pick for the best overall internet service provider in Boulder is Xfinitybecause of its extensive coverage across the city and wide selection of plans. Other options include CenturyLink, which is widely available but limited to slower DSL plans, along with fiber from Quantum Fiber and 5G home internet from T-Mobile -- and to a lesser extent, Verizon.
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other available internet providers in Boulder
Though we think Xfinity, Quantum Fiber and T-Mobile are the best providers in the area, Boulder has other ISP options to consider.
The average starting price for internet in Boulder is just under $42 per month -- less expensive than the national average but just a few dollars more per month than its bigger sibling to the south, Denver, which comes in at $39.
Cheap internet options in Boulder
The cheapest internet plan in Boulder is Rise Broadband's 25Mbps or 50Mbps plan for $35 per month. There are plenty of caveats, however. That promotional price lasts for only one year and these speeds are pretty low if you plan to have heavy internet usage.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, which starts at $40 monthly, drops to $35 per month when you bundle an eligible cellphone plan, such as Go5G Plus and Magenta Max.
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Boulder broadband speeds
Per the FCC, all Boulder households have access to broadband internet speeds of 250Mbps down and 25Mbps upload and 94% have access to 1,000Mbps down and 100Mbps upload.
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Boulder
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? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
This guide leverages an in-house artificial intelligence tool called RAMP, which is trained on our own writing and uses our database to generate content about specific internet service providers that our writers can use in determining and presenting our picks for a given guide. Check CNET’s AI policy for more information about how our teams use (and don’t use) AI tools.
Because our database isn't exhaustive, we go to the FCC’s website to check the primary data for ourselves and make sure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we input local addresses on provider websites to find the specific options available to 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 our prepublication fact-check.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
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. To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
What’s the bottom line on internet providers in Boulder?
Xfinity covers nearly every address in the city and features the widest array of plan choices of any provider in the area. That’s why it gets our nod for the best ISP in the city. However, Boulder households have other viable options, including fiber plans from Quantum Fiber and a fixed wireless connection from T-Mobile Home Internet.
Internet providers in Boulder FAQs