What is the best internet provider in Dallas?
CNET’s top pick for internet in Dallas is AT&T Fiberthanks to itsfast symmetrical speeds, unlimited data and strong customer satisfaction. The downside? Availability is limited across the DFW area, giving competitors like Spectrum and T-Mobile Home Internet an edge.
While ultra-high speeds aren’t common in Dallas, there are plenty of solid options. AT&T and Frontier deliver fast fiber connections, while Optimum and Spectrum provide reliable cable service. For the budget-conscious, Astound Broadband offers a $20 plan with 300Mbps speeds. Just keep in mind that the price goes up after the promo period.
Best internet in Dallas, Texas
There's a lot to love about Dallas, Texas -- the people, the sights, and, on a more personal level, my grandmother's mouthwatering barbecue, which we'd devour whenever my family would visit. But I'm here to talk about broadband, not smoked meat. Thankfully, Dallas has quite a few home internet options, too.
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 farther away from the city center. In most cases, each provider offers something enticing, even with some glaring issues.
Cheap internet options in Dallas
The average starting price for internet service in Dallas is approximately $46 per month, but a few providers offer plans cheaper than that. The absolute lowest starting price you can find currently belongs to Astound Broadband. It features a 300Mbps plan with a promo price of $20 per month.
Residents in downtown Dallas won't be able to get Astound's cheap internet, but serviceability reaches out to Flower Mound, Frisco, Fairview, Little Elm and McKinney.
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 Broadband and Optimum, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including AT&T, Frontier and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, 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 98th-place finish among the 100 most populated cities in the US. That puts it right behind Seattle and just above Detroit and Atlanta. This may seem competitive, but it's well behind other Texas towns such as Austin, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Fort Worth and San Antonio -- all of which made the top 15. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
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. 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.
It doesn't end there: We use 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:
While the answers to those questions are 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, although 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 page on how we test ISPs.
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, and Optimum 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.
Dallas internet provider FAQs
What is the cheapest internet provider in Dallas?
If you're looking for the cheapest service in Dallas, Astound Broadband's option of 300Mbps for $20 per month is the absolute lowest you can pay monthly. Just beware of a steep price jump after the promo period ends.
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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 5Gbps and 7 Gbps tiers, respectively, and 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.
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