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The best internet provider is the best one that reaches your address, so this guide sorts the 2026 picks by connection type and shows what each one really costs. Fiber leads on satisfaction, cable has the widest reach, 5G home internet suits renters, and satellite covers places wires do not. Prices below are listed rates for new customers, and the fine print explains when they change.
How we picked
Satisfaction scores come from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) 2026 study, which surveys customers of each provider. Prices come from provider pages where we could open them and from the comparison sites linked in each section, dated October 26, 2026. Picks are our editorial judgment from those two inputs, not a ranking of every provider, and availability decides what you can actually order.
Quick picks
| Situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber reaches your street | AT&T Fiber | Top ACSI score among fiber brands (79), symmetrical speeds from 300 Mbps to 5 Gbps |
| Fiber, lowest price | Frontier Fiber | Listed from $44.99 for 500 Mbps, but the lowest ACSI score of the five major fiber brands (72) |
| Cable is your only wired option | Spectrum | Satisfaction of 71, tied with Xfinity and AT&T’s non-fiber service, no contracts, no data caps |
| Lowest long-term price | Optimum | From $30 a month for 300 Mbps with a multi-year price lock, in Optimum areas only |
| No wired option, or you rent | T-Mobile or Verizon 5G Home | ACSI 78 and 79; T-Mobile’s base price is guaranteed for five years |
| Rural, nothing else available | Starlink | ACSI 76, as reported by Allconnect |
Customer satisfaction, ACSI 2026
| Provider | Type | ACSI score (of 100) |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber | Fiber | 79 |
| Xfinity Fiber | Fiber | 77 |
| Verizon Fios | Fiber | 75 |
| Optimum Fiber | Fiber | 74 |
| Frontier Fiber (Verizon) | Fiber | 72 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | 5G | 79 |
| T-Mobile 5G Home Internet | 5G | 78 |
| Starlink | Satellite | 76 |
| Spectrum | Cable | 71 |
| Xfinity (cable) | Cable | 71 |
| AT&T Internet (non-fiber) | DSL and fixed wireless | 71 |
| Optimum (cable) | Cable | 64 |
| Frontier (non-fiber) | DSL | 63 |
The ACSI industry average is 73: fiber 76, non-fiber 71. Source: ACSI fiber and non-fiber tables; T-Mobile and Starlink scores as reported by Allconnect. In the South region, ACSI’s non-fiber scores were Verizon 5G Home 80, AT&T Internet 74, Spectrum 72, Xfinity 71 and Optimum 66.
What the plans cost
Prices are monthly, for new customers, before taxes and fees, and change by address.
| Provider | Entry plans (speed: price) | With a phone line or other discount | Lock or guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber | 300 Mbps: $50, 500 Mbps: $60, 1 Gig: $70, 5 Gig: $110 | As low as $35 for 300 Mbps with an eligible AT&T wireless plan | Confirm the guarantee terms on att.com |
| Frontier Fiber | 500 Mbps: $44.99, 1 Gig: $64.99, 2 Gig: $79.99, 5 Gig: $104.99 (regular $54.99 to $114.99) | $15 more off with a postpaid Verizon phone plan | 4-year guarantee on 500 Mbps, 5-year on faster plans |
| Spectrum | Internet 100: $30, Internet 500: $40, Internet 1 Gig: $60, first year | Advanced WiFi adds $10 on the two slower plans; one free mobile line for the first year | Standard rates after year one |
| Optimum | 300 Mbps: from $30 | Up to $15 off internet when bundled with TV and mobile | Multi-year price lock; Optimum’s pages state both three and five years |
| T-Mobile 5G Home | Rely: $50, Amplified: $60, All-In: $70 | $35, $45 and $55 with a T-Mobile voice line and AutoPay | 5-year guarantee on the base rate; taxes and fees excluded |
| Xfinity | NOW Internet 100 Mbps: $30 (prepaid, taxes and fees included); regular plans vary by address | Bundles with mobile and TV | Five-year guarantee on regular plans, as reported by third-party sites |
Sources: AT&T plan prices agree across Allconnect and BroadbandNow, and a live McKinney, TX quote shows the wireless-line prices; Frontier’s sales-agent page; Charter; Optimum’s article of June 11, 2026; T-Mobile; Xfinity NOW Internet and Konecteaze on Xfinity’s guarantee. Frontier’s page says AutoPay is required or a $10 monthly fee applies. T-Mobile says AutoPay needs a bank account or debit card, otherwise $5 to $10 more, and charges $35 for the gateway at sale.
The providers in plain terms
AT&T Fiber
AT&T has the highest fiber satisfaction score in the 2026 study and symmetrical speeds, so upload matches download. Its wireless discount is tiered by plan ($15, $20 or $25 a month, per LocalCableDeals), and AT&T’s bundles page now advertises up to $420 a year with three months of YouTube TV and a $100 reward card for new customers. Many addresses only qualify for AT&T’s non-fiber service, such as Internet Air, which BroadbandNow lists at $55 a month for 300 Mbps. See our AT&T page.
Frontier Fiber
Frontier is now part of Verizon, which closed the purchase on January 20, 2026. New customers can order 500 Mbps to 5 Gig plans, with the $15 Verizon-phone discount on top. It has the lowest satisfaction score of the five major fiber brands, though that score rose in 2026. The price guarantee is the main reason to choose it. See our Frontier page.
Spectrum
Spectrum sells cable internet with no contracts and no data caps, and Charter renamed its plans on September 16, 2026 to Internet 100, 500 and 1 Gig, with 2 Gig and 7 Gig in select markets. Charter closed its Cox purchase on August 20, 2026, so former Cox areas are now Spectrum. For plan details and the bundles with mobile and TV, see our Spectrum plans guide and bundles guide.
Optimum
Optimum is a regional provider with a 21-state footprint, per its own site, so confirm it serves your address. Its June 2026 article lists a 300 Mbps plan at $30 a month and says bundling takes $5 off internet with TV, $10 with mobile and $15 with both. The same article describes both a three-year and a five-year price lock, so confirm which one your offer carries. Satisfaction is much higher on fiber (74) than on cable (64), and one review says the price rises by up to $15 a year after the lock ends. See our Optimum page.
Xfinity, Verizon Fios and GFiber, where available
Xfinity Fiber scored 77, second among fiber brands. Xfinity’s NOW Internet starts at $30 for 100 Mbps as a prepaid plan, and third-party sites report that current regular plans include unlimited data, with a 1.2 TB limit only on older plans. Verizon Fios scored 75 and, per Frontier’s page, covers nine states and DC. GFiber (formerly Google Fiber) ranks first in Reviews.org’s 2026 list where it is sold.
5G home internet and Starlink
Verizon 5G Home (79) and T-Mobile 5G Home (78) are the best-rated non-fiber options. T-Mobile lists typical Rely download speeds of 170 to 354 Mbps, no monthly equipment fee, no annual contract and a $35 gateway charge at sale, and says speeds can drop during congestion. Its five-year price guarantee excludes taxes, fees and voluntary upgrades. Starlink (76) is the pick where nothing wired or 5G is available. Our guide to 5G home internet goes deeper.
Which one fits your situation
- Fiber is sold at your address: choose among AT&T Fiber, Xfinity Fiber, Verizon Fios, GFiber or Frontier Fiber by price and by the phone you already use. Fiber has the highest satisfaction and matching upload speed.
- Only cable reaches you: Spectrum, Xfinity or Optimum, whichever has the lower price after the promotion ends. See our fiber versus cable comparison.
- You rent, or move often: 5G home internet. It needs no installation visit and has no annual contract, but speeds vary.
- You are in a rural area with no wired option: try 5G home internet first, then Starlink. Our guide to places with no provider covers more.
- Price is the priority: compare Optimum’s multi-year lock, Spectrum Internet 100, and T-Mobile Rely with a phone line against the first-year price you would pay elsewhere. See our cheapest plans and new-customer deals.
- You also want TV: read our internet and TV bundles guide before you choose.
Five checks before you order internet
- Confirm the address. Use each provider’s own availability checker with your full street address, because coverage changes block by block.
- Check the upload speed. Fiber plans are symmetrical, while cable plans usually upload much more slowly than they download. It matters for video calls and backups.
- Check for a data cap. Spectrum, Optimum and AT&T Fiber list unlimited data. Xfinity’s current plans are uncapped, but customers on older plans have a 1.2 TB limit, and T-Mobile may slow Rely speeds above 1.2 TB during congestion.
- Ask what the price lock covers. T-Mobile’s five-year guarantee covers the base rate, not taxes, fees or upgrades, and Optimum’s pages state a three-year and a five-year lock.
- Look for AutoPay and reward-card conditions. Frontier lists a $10 monthly fee without AutoPay and an early-termination fee if you choose its optional Visa reward card. T-Mobile adds $5 to $10 without AutoPay and charges $35 for the gateway at sale.
Local guides for Texas addresses
To browse by connection type, see our fiber, cable, DSL and 5G plan pages. Providers and prices differ by city, so we keep separate guides for Murphy, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Highland Park, University Park and Houston. To size a plan, see what internet speed you need, and to change providers, see how to switch.
Frequently asked questions
Is fiber always better than cable?
Fiber usually scores higher on satisfaction and gives matching upload speed: ACSI’s 2026 average is 76 for fiber and 71 for non-fiber. A cheaper cable plan can still be the better buy, so compare prices at your address.
Does T-Mobile raise the price of 5G home internet?
T-Mobile promises not to change the base internet price for at least five years on Rely, Amplified and All-In. Taxes, fees and voluntary equipment or speed upgrades are not covered.
Which provider has the highest customer satisfaction?
In ACSI’s 2026 study, AT&T Fiber scored 79, the highest among fiber brands, and Verizon 5G Home scored 79 among non-fiber providers.
Do I have to sign a contract?
Most plans here have no annual contract, but a reward card can bring an early-termination fee, as Frontier’s page states. Ask before you accept one.
How we verify this page
Satisfaction scores come from ACSI, and prices come from provider pages where we could open them and from the comparison sites linked above, all dated October 26, 2026. We say when a number comes from a comparison site. We re-check prices monthly and update the page after any merger, price change or plan rename.
Updated October 26, 2026: rewritten with ACSI 2026 scores and current prices; corrected the Frontier, T-Mobile and Spectrum details; removed the TV section (see the bundles guide).
Not sure which provider serves you? Use the “Find exclusive discounts” link at the top of this page to check your ZIP code, or call (409) 273-7460.
