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CNET
24-05-2025
- CNET
Gigabit Internet: Is It Worth Splurging for a Faster Internet Plan?
Having fast, reliable home internet is important, whether you're using it for remote work, streaming, school or browsing. But that doesn't mean that you always need to opt for the fastest speeds available. You might not actually need the 1,000Mbps speed your internet provider is advertising as "the best deal". Plus, gigabit plans are usually on the more expensive side of home internet. Read on to find out how to determine if gigabit internet is worth the price. What is gigabit internet? Let's start at the beginning: Digital information is measured in bits, and a megabit is 1,000,000 bits. Your internet speeds are measured in bits per second or, more commonly today, megabits per second. That unit measures how much data is processed over a network in a second. 1,000Mbps is equal to 1 gigabit per second, or Gbps. The more megabits or gigabits per second your internet connection can accommodate, the better performance you can expect when streaming video or playing online games without lag or glitches, at least up to a point. You can still experience interruptions with a gigabit plan depending on a number of factors like your Wi-Fi setup, the layout of your home and the number of heavy internet users in the house. But we'll get into that later. How much speed do you really need? To evaluate whether or not you need a gigabit tier, first consider how much speed your household consumes each month. Do you notice a lot of lag, buffering and interruption? If you've already rundown the list of slow Wi-Fi solutions and found your speeds still lacking, you might need to upgrade. But sometimes the fix can be a small one, like moving your router to a central, raised location in the house. If you have a plan with a data cap, are you hitting your limit early in the month? Most ISPs offer apps that allow you to monitor your data usage, regardless of whether you have a data cap. If you're using a lot of data month over month and noticing slowdowns, you could potentially use a speed upgrade. Next, take stock of how many smart devices and internet users are in your household. You can consult our internet speed guide and the FCC's household broadband guide for more in-depth tips on evaluating how much speed you'll need, but the recommendation for the heaviest internet usage (like streaming in high-quality video, using Zoom, or downloading files) requires only 25Mbps per action. A good rule of thumb is that if you have more than four heavy internet users in the house at a time (think gamers, streamers, remote workers or students), an upgrade to a gigabit tier could make sense. Otherwise, you'll be paying for speeds you won't use. Locating local internet providers Cable versus fiber gigabit internet Two types of internet connections can legitimately deliver consistent gigabit-speed internet: cable and fiber. Moreover, fiber internet is the broadband gold standard since it offers lightning-fast connections and symmetrical download and upload speeds, giving you the fastest internet possible. It's more reliable than cable and less prone to being affected by peak usage times or congestion. Cable internet provides connection through the same coaxial cables providers use for TV services, so it's frequently bundled with TV packages. It's more reliable than satellite internet and offers faster download speeds, too. But unlike fiber, cable internet's upload speeds are significantly slower than its download speeds. So, if you're sending emails or video chatting, you might experience some delay. Which providers offer gigabit internet? Most national internet service providers offer gigabit plans. There's a mix of fiber and cable providers that can offer speeds up to a gigabit, with most fiber providers, like AT&T and Google Fiber, offering speeds up to a gigabit and much faster. Unfortunately, fiber internet access is still pretty limited, with an overall 46% availability, according to the latest data from the Federal Communications Commission. Spectrum, Astound Broadband and others offer gigabit plans over cable connections and are much more widely available than fiber providers. Notably, although Verizon 5G claims to offer speeds up to 1,000Mbps, only a select lucky handful of customers will see those speeds. Besides Starry, Verizon 5G Home Internet is the only other major 5G home internet provider to offer gigabit speeds. Although it's possible we'll see multi-gigabit speeds from Starlink in the future, satellite ISPs and DSL internet providers do not offer gigabit speeds. Here are some of the major ISPs in the country that offer gigabit speeds. Source: CNET analysis of provider data. A gigabit plan typically costs between $60 and $80 per month with the average cost of the most broadly available plans compiled above coming to $65 monthly. Multi-gigabit plans can run between $70 to $100 or more monthly. For instance, Xfinity and Ziply Fiber offer 10 gig plans for $300 per month, and Google Fiber offers an 8 gig plan that costs $150 monthly. Generally, faster plans offer the lowest price per Mbps, a metric we often use to decipher whether an internet plan is cost-efficient. For instance, the cost per Mbps for Xfinity's $300 per month 10 gig plan is just 3 cents. Meanwhile, Xfinity's much more widely-used 300Mbps plan costs $35 monthly, which comes out to 12 cents per Mbps. That doesn't mean paying $300 monthly for 10,000Mbps is the better deal in this scenario. Unless you're operating a business that needs that kind of speed, you'll be better off with a slower plan. Xfinity spokesperson Joel Shadle told CNET there's more to value than speed: "While it's important to get enough speed, maybe even more, value extends beyond that. Reliability is almost more important than speed in an internet plan." Why do I not have the exact speeds promised on a gigabit plan? The fine print shows the 1 gig plan from Verizon features download speeds up to 940Mbps. Verizon Fios Verizon Fios, Verizon's fiber internet brand, offers a 1 gig plan for $90 per month but notes -- in the small print underneath -- that it maxes out at 940Mbps for downloads and 880Mbps for uploads. AT&T's 5 gig plan features speeds up to 4.7Gbps. This is common for ISPs, as many 'gigabit' plans, especially ones that run on a cable connection, actually offer speeds lower than 1,000Mbps. So what gives? It's complicated, but it boils down to the fact that networking protocols and equipment consume a lot of that bandwidth. Think of it as networking overhead. And the specific equipment, like a modem or router, that connects the internet to your laptop or phone also determines the speed you'll get. For example, California-based provider Sonic Internet advertises speeds up to 10,000Mbps for just $50 monthly. But unless you have a compatible Wi-Fi 7 router, you won't get those speeds. Plus, if you connect to your router wirelessly via Wi-Fi, your speeds will almost always be slower than they would otherwise be with a wired Ethernet connection. This is why providers often list speeds 'up to" a certain threshold. For most of us, the difference between one gig and 940Mbps should be imperceptible. Check out our top picks for the best routers. AT&T offers a 5 gig plan with download speeds up to 4.7Gbps noted in the fine print. AT&T Given this, when CNET reviews ISPs, we may refer to ISP plan names but use exact numbers when listing connection speeds. If a "gigabit" plan promises speeds only up to 940Mbps, we take that into account in our analyses and make it clear in our descriptions. Learn more about how we test ISPs. Is gigabit internet worth the cost? Some gigabit internet plans are quite pricey, sometimes costing hundreds of dollars per month. And there's no point in paying for extra speed you don't need or can't use due to network hardware or other limitations. If you're an internet power user who processes large video files or plays cutting-edge online games, a gigabit plan might be worth the cost, but only if other internet users are in the house with you. For most households, less than a gig of speed should suffice and save you hundreds of dollars per year. According to the latest data from OpenVault, the average household only uses around 564Mbps in download speeds a month. Guidelines from the FCC state that a connection delivering between 100 and 500Mbps is enough for one to two people to run videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming applications simultaneously. Many providers offer 300Mbps plans starting around $50 per month, though sometimes even lower. Plans that deliver between 500 and 1,000Mbps, which typically cost between $70 and $100 per month, will allow three or more people to use videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming simultaneously. These are only guidelines and internet speed, service and performance will vary -- sometimes dramatically -- depending on connection type, equipment, provider and address. Only the most hardcore users have a rationale for paying for anything over a gig of speed. 'Most people don't really need it," says CNET writer and resident internet service expert Joe Supan. He points out that symmetrical download and upload speeds might be a reason to pay for a fiber connection, since having a higher upload speed will translate to less performance lag when sharing large files. 'If you do have multiple people working from home, having a higher upload speed might be worth going up to that gig tier,' he says. That noted, you can get symmetrical speeds from any fiber connection and without upgrading to gig speed. Gigabit internet FAQ Is gigabit internet enough for my household? According to the FCC, a connection that delivers 100 to 500Mbps should be enough for two people to run videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. Moreover, OpenVault's Q3 2024 report highlights that the average American household uses 564Mbps downstream and 31Mbps upstream. In other words, if you can access gigabit speeds (940 to 1,000Mbps), that should be more than enough for your household.
CNET
22-05-2025
- CNET
My Tips on the 5 Settings You Should Change on Your Router Right Away
When you get a new router, it's tempting to just plug it in, get online as quickly as possible and move on. However, given your router is responsible for directing nearly 100% of all internet traffic in your home network, it's definitely worth taking a few minutes to update some security settings before you move on with your day. As CNET's router expert, I know a few easy tricks for creating a secure Wi-Fi network and when I bought my own router, these were the first settings I updated -- and you should, too. Whether you just invested in your own router or you're renting one from an ISP, here is what to update on your new Wi-Fi router to enjoy browsing and streaming safely. For context, I'm an Xfinity (Comcast) subscriber, but the tips here should translate no matter what internet provider you use. 1. Change the network name and password To change the username and password, you'll need to log into your provider's website or mobile app. Log in to your account and look for a section for Network or W-Fi settings. On Xfinity's website, I clicked WiFi Details to change the name of my Wi-Fi network and set a new password. Choose a password -- or better yet, a passphrase -- that you'll remember but isn't too easy to guess. Matt Elliott/CNET 2. Choose a security mode If you set a strong password for your router, then you've taken the first step of securing your network rather than leaving it open for anyone to access. With a password set on a modern router, you are most likely using WPA2 or WPA3 encryption. Locating local internet providers WPA, or Wi-Fi Protected Access, is a 256-bit encryption protocol that is more secure than the older, weaker WEP standard that uses 64- or 128-bit encryption. WPA2 improves upon WPA by using a stronger encryption algorithm. It uses the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm that is more secure than WPA and its TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) algorithm. WPA3 stepped up the security measures even further, strengthening password security, data encryption and smart home connections. Many routers offer a mixed mode of WPA2 and WPA3 so that older devices that pre-date WPA3 can connect to your network. WPA2 has been around for more than 10 years so it's unlikely that your router is still using WPA encryption. When choosing the security mode for your router, I would go with WPA3 and only switch to mixed mode if you have an ancient device that won't connect to your WPA2-protected network. 3. Check network mode and bands If you're using a newer Wi-Fi 7 router, it broadcasts in three frequencies: 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz. These are the frequencies with which your wireless network broadcasts radio waves to transmit information. All three frequency bands should be on by default, but check the advanced settings of your provider's website or app to check the status of both to make sure they are active. The 2.4GHz band is more crowded because it's the frequency many common electronics in your household use, from cordless phones and baby monitors to garage door openers and microwaves. You might run into network interference with 2.4GHz, but it allows older devices to connect to your network. The 5GHz band is less congested and faster but has shorter range than the 2.4GHz band. The 6GHz band is significantly faster than the other two, but it works best when your devic around 15 feet or closer to your router. With all three modes operating, your router will choose the best mode for each of your network devices. 4. Enable parental controls Look for a Parental Controls or Access Restrictions section to establish some boundaries for your kids' devices. With Xfinity, click the People tab to set up profiles for your kids. You can assign devices for each profile and then hit Pause for any or all devices of a profile to give them a break from Instagram, Snapchat, texting and everything else on the Internet. You can also enable parental controls for a profile to "reduce the risk of accessing objectionable websites and apps and enable protective search settings for Google, Bing and YouTube." You'll also find the option to set active hours for your kids' devices. Xfinity calls it Bedtime mode, which lets you set the hours the internet is and isn't available. There are different options for weeknights and weekends. Matt Elliott/CNET 5. Set up guest network Creating a guest Wi-Fi network saves you from potentially giving visitors access to shared computers and files on your network as well as the hassle of needing to tell them your complicated or embarrassing Wi-Fi password. In your account settings, look for Guest Network or Home Hotspot. Matt Elliott/CNET With Xfinity, I couldn't find this setting with the other Wi-Fi settings but instead had to move a level up to my general account settings. From the main account page, it was listed under Settings. With it enabled, Xfinity started broadcasting a separate network called "xfinitywifi" that guests can use without needing to track me down for a password.
CNET
14-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
Best Internet Providers in Houston, Texas
What is the best internet provider in Houston? AT&T Fiber is CNET's pick for the best internet service provider in Houston. It's our top recommendation because it offers thanks to its symmetrical download and upload speeds along with high customer satisfaction scores. Plans range from $55 to $245 for the impressive 5-gig option. Since AT&T Fiber coverage doesn't extend to all Houston neighborhoods, Xfinity and Verizon 5G Home Internet are also solid alternatives to consider if you're outside of AT&T's service area. For Houston residents seeking budget-friendly internet options, providers have options available. The cheapest ISP in Houston is Astound Broadband, with plans starting with a $30 plan offering speeds of up to 300 megabits per second. When it comes to blazing-fast speeds in Houston, AT&T Fiber and local internet provider Tachus Fiber lead the pack. Each provider offers up to 5 gigabits of symmetrical speed, costing $245 and $180, respectively. Houston internet providers compared Provider Internet technology Monthly price range Speed range Monthly equipment costs Data cap Contract CNET review score Astound Broadband Read full review Cable $30-$70 300-1,500Mbps Free modem, $5 for Whole-home Wi-Fi (optional) None None 7 AT&T Internet Air Read full review Fixed wireless $60 75-225Mbps None None None 7.4 AT&T Fiber Read full review Fiber $55-$245 300-5,000Mbps None None None 7.4 Brightspeed DSL $55 Up to 140Mbps (varies by location) $15 modem (optional) None None 6.6 Optimum Read full review Cable $35-$40 500-940Mbps None None None 6.2 Tachus Fiber $65-$180 300-5,000Mbps None None None N/A T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review Fixed wireless $50-$70 ($35-$55 for eligible mobile customers with autopay) 87-415Mbps None None None 7.4 Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review Fixed wireless $50-$70 ($35-$45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans and autopay) 50-250Mbps None None None 7.2 Xfinity Read full review Cable $55-$85 400-2,100Mbps $15-$25 included in some plans 1.2TB on some plans 1 year on some plans 7 Show more (4 items) Shop providers at my address Source: CNET analysis of provider data. Other available internet providers in Houston Beyond the three picks above, several other broadband choices exist in the Houston metro area. Some can be found only in small pockets of the city, while others are mainly located in the city suburbs. There are some compelling choices here, even though they're not as widely available. Astound Broadband: This cable internet provider, known regionally as Grande, offers some of Houston's most competitive starting rates. Its starting price of $30 a month for a 300Mbps plan comes out to an affordable 10 cents per Mbps. The rub is that Astound's price increases are some of the steepest in the industry. Brightspeed: You'll want to research this because, depending on your location, you may be dealing with mostly DSL coverage for the Houston area (which can be as low as 20Mbps), or if you're in the Kingwood area, you might see the company's much more compelling fiber product. Kinetic by Windstream: This DSL and fiber provider is available in just a few small pockets within the Houston city limits. Most of that availability is in the southern suburb of Sugar Land. You'll mostly deal with its DSL service rather than the faster fiber-optic plans. Optimum: First off, I can imagine you might be confused. Suddenlink is the provider you're probably familiar with in the Houston area. Its parent company, Altice USA, renamed it Optimum in 2022. In any case, Optimum service is scattered lightly throughout the metro area but has a heavier density north of the city in Conroe and Kingwood. This cable ISP is notable for its highly competitive starting rates, some of the most affordable in the area. Tachus: This local ISP, founded in 2018, is notable for its community presence and commitment to building 100% fiber-to-the-home networks within the greater Houston metropolitan area. It's now available to over 50,000 homes in Atascocita, Conroe, East Montgomery County, Kingwood, Magnolia, Oak Ridge County North and The Woodlands. There are five fiber plans, depending on what is available at your location, -- 300Mbps, 600Mbps, 1Gbps, 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps -- ranging from $65 to $180 a month, with no data caps and no contracts. A modem rental is included in the monthly price, but you'll need to provide your own router or rent one for as low as $6 per month. T-Mobile Home Internet: T-Mobile uses its 5G and 4G LTE networks to power its fixed wireless home internet product, which is available to over 50 million homes nationwide and approximately 53% of residents in the greater Houston area. Check your address on the T-Mobile site Getty Images Cheap internet options in Houston The average starting price for internet service in Houston is just over $46 a month, but a few providers offer plans cheaper than that. Take our quiz How Fast Should Your Home Internet Be? Answer 3 easy questions to discover our recommended speed for your household. Get Started Progress Step 1 of 4 How many members of your household use the internet? 1-2 people 3-5 people 6-9 people 10+ people Next Astound Broadband offers the lowest starting price in Houston. Astound Broadband's $30 plan grants download speeds up to 300Mbps and includes your equipment rental. What's the cheapest internet plan in Houston? Source: CNET analysis of provider data. How to find internet deals and promotions in Houston The best internet deals and top promotions in Houston depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. Houston internet providers, such as Xfinity, Astound Broadband and Optimum, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including AT&T 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 Houston broadband? Houston, we have a problem. Although it's one of the top five most populated metros in the US, H-Town couldn't crack the top 50 on Ookla's list of the country's fastest cities for broadband. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Per the speed-testing site' Ookla's most recent reporting, Houston managed to clock in at only No. 58, with a median download speed of around 227Mbps. By contrast, its fellow Lone Star State cities of Austin, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Fort Worth and San Antonio all placed in the top 15. Other Texas towns that placed higher on the speed chart -- adding insult to injury -- include Arlington, Garland, Irving, Lubbock, Laredo and Plano. Some small consolation: Houston finished well ahead of Dallas, which was in the bottom 3. Some Houstonians may have access to the splashy 5Gbps plans from AT&T which cost $245. Fastest internet plans in Houston Source: CNET analysis of provider data. Internet providers in popular cities near Houston See all results for internet providers in Texas. What's a good internet speed? Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address. For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need. 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics: browsing the internet, sending and receiving email and streaming low-quality video. 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing. 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time. How CNET chose the best internet providers in Houston 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 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, 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 how we test ISPs page. What's the final word on Houston internet providers? Houston offers several high-speed internet choices. You can get hooked up with home internet from fast fiber options, including AT&T and local internet service provider Tachus. You could hop online via cable connections from Optimum. You could join the 5G home internet movement by trying Verizon 5G Home Internet or T-Mobile Home Internet. Comcast's cable internet offering of Xfinity has Houston covered with the most extensive availability across the metro area. As we say in our CNET home internet reviews, a fiber internet connection outperforms cable almost every time. If you can access a fiber provider in the area -- including AT&T Fiber, Consolidated Communications or Tachus -- don't hesitate to sign on the virtual dotted line. Best internet providers in Houston FAQs Which internet service provider has the most coverage in Houston? More than a dozen different ISPs are in the greater Houston metro, including satellite internet providers like Hughesnet, Starlink and Viasat (all three are available to 100% of the area, according to the FCC). Besides those satellite providers, Xfinity covers the most extensive area. You can find Comcast's cable service as far as Conroe to the north, East Bernard to the west, Baytown to the east, and Freeport and Galveston to the south. Show more Is fiber internet available in Houston? Yes. You can find fiber internet throughout H-Town. Houston's top fiber internet providers include AT&T Fiber and Tachus Fiber. It should also be noted that a small percentage of Xfinity locations are also eligible for fiber service, but it first requires a site survey to ascertain if the address is serviceable. Show more
CNET
14-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
Best Internet Providers in Chicago, Illinois
What is the best internet provider in Chicago? CNET's top recommendation for most households in Chicago is AT&T Fiber thanks to its ultra-fast symmetrical speeds, straightforward pricing and solid availability. If AT&T Fiber isn't available in your neighborhood, Xfinity, Verizon 5G Home Internet and Rise Broadband are reliable alternatives. The best internet provider for your home depends on your budget and speed needs. To help you decide, our broadband experts reviewed the top options and found the fastest speeds and best deals in Chicago. If you're looking for affordable service, Astound Broadband and Xfinity have plans starting around $30 per month for 300Mbps speeds and beyond. For those who need top-tier performance, AT&T Fiber also delivers the fastest internet in the area with speeds up to 5,000Mbps for $245 per month, all without data caps or long-term contracts. Chicago internet providers compared Provider Internet technology Monthly price range Speed range Monthly equipment costs Data cap Contract CNET review score Air Wans Fixed wireless $50-$100 3-15Mbps $9 router (optional) None None N/A Astound Broadband Read full review Cable $30-$70 300-1,500Mbps None None None 7 AT&T Fiber Read full review Fiber $55-$245 300-5,000Mbps None None None 7.4 AT&T Internet Air Read full review Fixed wireless $60 90-300Mbps None None None 6.9 Rise Broadband Read full review Fixed wireless $75-$80 25-100Mbps $10 modem; $5-$15 router (optional) None None, but required for some promotions 6.2 T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review Fixed wireless $50-$70 ($35-$55 for eligible mobile customers) 87-415Mbps None None None 7.4 Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review Fixed wireless $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible Verizon 5G mobile plans) 50-1,000Mbps None None None 7.2 Xfinity Read full review Cable $55-$105 400-2,100Mbps $15 (optional) 1.2TB on some plans 1-2 years on some plans 7 Show more (3 items) Shop providers at my address Source: CNET analysis of provider data. Other available internet providers in Chicago Air Wans: Air Wans is a folksy fixed wireless provider servicing the rural areas of Illinois and Indiana surrounding Chicago. Pricing ranges from $50 to $100 a month with no contracts, data caps, throttling or price increases after the first year. The rub is that Air Wans speeds are some of the slowest you'll find, ranging from just 3 to 15Mbps with the downloads and uploads aggregated together. Astound Broadband: Astound boasts strong pricing during the first two years of service. Monthly rates on all four of the plans offered to Chicagoans will increase by $20 after the introductory period, and you can expect to pay additional fees on top of that, including an arbitrary monthly network access fee of up to $17 that isn't included in your base rate. Take our quiz How Fast Should Your Home Internet Be? Answer 3 easy questions to discover our recommended speed for your household. Get Started Progress Step 1 of 4 How many members of your household use the internet? 1-2 people 3-5 people 6-9 people 10+ people Next Satellite internet: A satellite internet connection uses a receiver dish mounted outside your home to connect with satellites orbiting overhead to get you online. You'll find service available from Hughesnet, Viasat and perhaps Starlink. In most cases, the prices are too high, the speeds too slow and the data caps too restrictive compared to other Chicago internet options. It's only worth considering if you lack other alternatives, and for most of Chicago, that won't be the case. T-Mobile Home Internet: Like Verizon, T-Mobile now offers cellular home internet service in hundreds of cities nationwide, including Chicago. You'll simply plug in a cellular modem that gets its signals not from wires in the wall, but over the 5G and LTE airwaves, like your phone. T-Mobile offers three plans ranging between $50-$70 a month, and speeds will range from 87 to 415Mbps in most homes with a strong enough signal to sign up. There are no data caps or contracts to worry about, and your price won't arbitrarily rise after 12 months, either. Cheap internet options in Chicago You'll need to pay about $50 per month if you're looking for the most affordable internet plan at your Chicago address. Air Wans, Verizon, T-Mobile and Astound Broadband all have starting plans priced at $50. And if you're a Verizon or T-Mobile mobile customer, then you may be able to bundle your internet and bring the price down to just $35 per month. What's the cheapest internet plan in Chicago? Provider Starting price Max download speed Monthly equipment fee Air Wans Basic $50 3Mbps $9 router (optional) Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plan) 300Mbps None T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plan) 318Mbps None Astound Broadband Basic Read full review $50 75Mbps None Xfinity Connect More Read full review $55 400Mbps None AT&T Fiber 300 Read full review $55 300Mbps None Show more (1 item) Shop providers at my address Source: CNET analysis of provider data. How to find internet deals and promotions in Chicago The best internet deals and top promotions in Chicago depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. Chicago internet providers, such as Xfinity and Rise Broadband, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including AT&T 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. JoeHow fast is Chicago broadband? Ookla speed test data put the Windy City in the bottom six among the nation's top 100 most populous cities (at an inglorious 95th position). It chalks up a median download speed of approximately 135Mbps, over 100Mbps behind a top-twenty city like North Las Vegas. Chicagoans still have plenty of ways to get high-speed internet in their homes. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Your fastest option for getting online in Chicago is to go with a fiber provider, but the service isn't available everywhere. AT&T is your best bet, with its fastest plan for Chicago ringing in with download and upload speeds of 5,000Mbps at a hefty flat monthly rate of $245. Fastest internet plans in Chicago Source: CNET analysis of provider data. Internet providers in popular cities near Chicago See all results for internet providers in Illinois. What's a good internet speed? Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address. For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need. 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics: browsing the internet, sending and receiving email and streaming low-quality video. 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing. 40 to 100Mbps should give one person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities, like videoconferencing, streaming and gaming. 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities all at the same time. How CNET chose the best internet providers in Chicago 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 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: 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? The answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that 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 also 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 Chicago? The Windy City has a lot of options when it comes to home internet, including both speedy and more affordable service. If you can get your hands on fiber connectivity, like AT&T Fiber, that will be your best choice. Cable companies like Xfinity and Astound Broadband have wider coverage for Chicagoans, so you might have to go with those providers instead. Internet providers in Chicago FAQs How much is internet per month in Chicago? Prices will vary depending on your provider and select plan, but most entry-level internet plans in Chicago start at $50 a month. Faster plans will cost more, with gigabit service from AT&T costing $80 to $245 a month in Chicago. Some providers enforce a price increase after your first year -- Xfinity's fastest Chicago plan nets you download speeds of 2,100Mbps and costs $105 a month for the first two years, then $115 a month after that. Show more Can I get fiber internet in Chicago? It depends on your address. AT&T offers fiber service in Chicago, but its footprint currently covers "hundreds of thousands" of residents in a city of 2.71 million. That means the odds are somewhat low that you'll find it available at your address. Smaller regional providers like Zentro Internet also offer fiber service at select addresses, but only to a scattering of buildings throughout the city. Show more Does Chicago have Google Fiber? Chicago isn't a Google Fiber city, so you won't find fiber internet plans from Google in the area. The company offers its Google Fiber Webpass service in Chicago: It's a high-speed fixed wireless internet service available only in select buildings equipped with antennas capable of receiving the signal. Gigabit speeds are possible at some locations with Webpass, and the service costs $70 or $63 a month with a one-year contract. You can find serviceable addresses listed on the Google Webpass site. Show more
