[ad_1]
AT&T – Best overall
- Prices: $55 – $180 per month
- Speeds: 300 – 5,000Mbps
- Key Info: Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included
Google Fiber – Best fiber service
- Prices: $70 – $100 per month
- Speeds: 1,000 – 2,000Mbps
- Key Info: Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included
T-Mobile Home Internet – Best fixed wireless service
- Prices: $50 per month
- Speeds: 72 – 245Mbps
- Key Info: Unlimited data, equipment included, no contracts, no additional fees
Spectrum – Best availability
- Prices: $40 – $70 per month
- Speeds: 300 – 940Mbps
- Key Info: Unlimited data, simple pricing, no contracts, modem included, free access to nationwide Wi-Fi hotspots
Perhaps San Antonio’s most famous attraction, the Alamo, is mythologized as a tale of brave, defiant loss. But this Lone Star State city is a frontrunner regarding the speed of its broadband connections. Of the country’s top 100 cities, San Antonio landed in the top five for the fastest fixed internet speeds on average.
According to the latest results from the speed-testing site Ookla, which tracks city speeds based on daily tests run by customers across the US, San Antonio residents enjoy median download speeds of over 260 megabits per second and median uploads of approximately 35Mbps. This solidifies the San Antonio metro area in the country’s top five and ahead of kindred Texas cities like Austin, Dallas and Houston.
What does that mean for you? If you live in the San Antonio-New Braunfels area, or plan to move there, you’ll have some zippy options, from fiber providers like AT&T and Google Fiber to reliable cable connections from Spectrum. Even if you venture beyond city limits, you should have some reasonable options available. If not, satellite providers like HughesNet and Viasat always ensure you can get your home online. But before you go that route, explore fixed wireless solutions, including 5G home internet, which continues to make significant strides in 2023.
Best internet providers in the Alamo City
Our pick for the best overall ISP in San Antonio is AT&T, but there was plenty of close competition. CNET examines customer service, speed, pricing and overall value before recommending the best broadband in your area. All prices listed on this page reflect available discounts for setting up paperless billing. If you decide not to go with automatic monthly payments, your price will be higher. Here’s what you need to know about the best internet providers in San Antonio.
Note: The prices, speeds and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed in the product detail cards, which represent providers’ national offerings. Your particular internet service options — including prices and speeds — depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.
AT&T
Best overall
Product details
Price range
$55 – $180 per month
Speed range
300 – 5,000Mbps
Connection
Fiber
Key Info
Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included
AT&T Internet has a strong presence in San Antonio, reaching approximately 70% of households, according to the Federal Communications Commission. However, not all of those homes can access the company’s fiber service. Some AT&T serviceable areas will feature the company’s DSL offering, which doesn’t compare. Don’t believe me? AT&T said so, essentially — it publicly announced a goal of halving its copper coverage by 2025.
Availability: AT&T Fiber availability reaches much of the city, including Alamo Heights, Blue Star, Columbia Heights, Five Points, Prospect Hill and other neighborhoods.
Plans and pricing: AT&T Fiber features five plans — 300Mbps, 500Mbps, 1,000Mbps, 2,000Mbps and 5,000Mbps — ranging in price from $55 per month to $180 monthly. Each offers symmetrical download and upload speeds.
Fees and service details: There are no term contracts. Customers get unlimited data, and the equipment rental is included in your monthly fee. That’s an excellent value.
Google Fiber
Best fiber service
Product details
Price range
$70 – $100 per month
Speed range
1,000 – 2,000Mbps
Connection
Fiber
Key Info
Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included
You may be thinking, “Didn’t he just sing the praises of AT&T?” Yes, but not all San Antonio customers within AT&T’s reach get access to AT&T Fiber. Some still only get DSL service, which features top download speeds of around 100Mbps, and in some cases, maxes out at around 25Mbps, which is the bare minimum to be considered broadband speed.
On the other hand, if you can access Google Fiber, you know what you will get — 100% fiber-optic internet service with symmetrical download and upload speeds. That consistency led Google Fiber to the title of the fastest fixed broadband provider in the city, featuring median download speeds of over 322Mbps.
Availability: Google Fiber can’t match the wide availability of some other providers in the greater San Antonio metro area. Still, within city limits, you should be able to find it in Balcones Heights, Castle Hills, Encino, Leon Valley, St. Mary’s University, Shavano Park and Stone Oak.
Plans and pricing: Google Fiber features just two plan options — 1,000Mbps for $70 per month and 2,000Mbps for $100 monthly. Is Google Fiber cheap? No. But in terms of value, it’s tough to beat: The gigabit plan has a cost per Mbps of 7 cents, while the two-gig plan is an even better 5 cents per Mbps.
Fees and service details: All Google Fiber plans feature unlimited data, no term agreements and all equipment.
T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless service
Product details
Price range
$50 per month ($30 for eligible mobile customers)
Speed range
72 – 245Mbps
Connection
Fixed wireless
Key Info
Unlimited data, equipment included, no contracts, no additional fees
T-Mobile has made some significant strides with its 5G internet service. It boasts over 3 million subscribers, availability to over 50 million people and an eye on continued expansion. Most impressively, T-Mobile says that nearly a third of its customers are from rural areas. So, if you’re in an area where DSL or satellite have been your only choices, T-Mobile Home Internet is a very intriguing option.
Availability: T-Mobile is available to over 82% of households in San Antonio, per the FCC. Though the greater San Antonio-New Braunfels area is included in T-Mobile’s coverage list for Texas, you’ll need to confirm an open slot available at your location. Plug in your address (or mobile phone number if you’re already a T-Mobile customer) on the T-Mobile Home Internet site to make certain.
Plans and pricing: There’s one plan and one plan only with T-Mobile Home Internet. You get download speeds of 72-245Mbps for $50 per month. T-Mobile customers with Go5G Plus and Magenta Max plans can reduce that monthly fee to $30.
Fees and service details: There is no contract or data cap with T-Mobile’s home internet service. The equipment rental is included in the monthly fee, and there’s a price-lock guarantee for as long as you remain a customer.
Spectrum
Best availability
Product details
Price range
$40 – $70 per month
Speed range
300 – 940Mbps
Connection
Cable
Key Info
Unlimited data, simple pricing, no contracts, modem included, free access to nationwide Wi-Fi hotspots
Charter Communications’ broadband service reaches more households in the San Antonio metropolitan area than even AT&T does. The two providers are essentially even in San Antonio proper, but Spectrum stretches out more significantly into neighboring New Braunfels. Why might that matter? It could come in handy if you need to move within the region and don’t want the hassle of changing your ISP.
Availability: Spectrum is available to 90% of households in San Antonio, per the FCC.
Plans and pricing: Spectrum is an appealing choice — especially for a cable internet provider — because of its straightforward approach. There are three plan options — 300, 500 or 940Mbps download speed — which range in price from $50 per month to $90 monthly.
Fees and service details: Spectrum Internet includes unlimited data and modem rental. However, you’re charged an additional $5 monthly for a Wi-Fi router (though you can opt out of that by providing your own). As a cable provider, Spectrum’s upload speeds will only reach 35Mbps (far short of fiber internet), but customers can count on greater reliability compared to DSL and satellite internet options.
Internet providers in San Antonio overview
Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Astound Broadband/Grande | Cable | $25-$60 | 300-1,200Mbps | $15 (optional) | None | None | 7 |
AT&T | DSL/fiber | $55-$180 | 10-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
Frontier | DSL/fiber | $55-$155 | 10-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 6 |
Google Fiber | Fiber | $70-$100 | 1,000-2,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
Spectrum | Cable | $50-$90 | 300-940Mbps | Free modem; $5 router | None | None | 7.2 |
T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 with Magenta MAX discount) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
Show more (1 item)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
All other available San Antonio residential internet providers
You can find many broadband options across the San Antonio-New Braunfels metropolitan region. Availability is dependent on your address, of course, but you may be able to find some appealing choices beyond our highlighted picks.
- Astound Broadband/Grande: You’ll be hard-pressed to find better starting rates in the region than what you’ll get from this cable internet provider. In San Antonio, Astound’s cheapest plan is a 300Mbps tier for $25 per month. At 8 cents per Mbps, that’s excellent value for a provider’s opening offering. Most ISPs, especially cable providers, will have a starting plan of around 50 to 100Mbps. If you’re looking for speed, Astound’s fastest plan — 1,200Mbps — is also one of the best values in the city, ringing in at 5 cents per Mbps, or $60 monthly. It also comes with a free year of HBO Max. All Astound plans come with a two-year price guarantee but beware of a potentially steep increase after that.
- Frontier: You can’t get Frontier anywhere within San Antonio city limits. But the provider’s mix of DSL and fiber service is an option to the southeast, specifically in the suburb of Floresville. Similar to our guidance on AT&T service, you’ll want to check your address to see if you can get fiber service rather than DSL. Frontier Fiber — with symmetrical plans of 500Mbps, gigabit or 2Gbps speeds — is an appealing choice. But you could probably do better if you get the slower, less reliable DSL.
- Ranch Wireless: This rural wireless provider covers markets throughout south-central Texas. While it doesn’t operate in San Antonio, it does reach many towns on the outskirts, including New Braunfels in the northeast, Adkins and Calaveras in the east, and several rural locations to the south, including Campbellton, Charlotte, Jourdanton and Pleasonton. Ranch Wireless features plans ranging from $30 per month for 1Mbps download and 30GB of data to $120 monthly for unlimited data and 25Mbps download speed.
- Rise Broadband: This fixed wireless provider offers internet service on the far east and upper northwest portion of San Antonio. It offers speeds up to 50Mbps and unlimited data too. That makes it an especially viable option for residents outside city limits, in towns like Floresville, Jourdanton, Pleasanton and San Geronimo.
- Satellite internet: If you live in San Antonio proper, you should have little need for satellite internet service. There are much faster (and cheaper) alternatives to be found. But suppose you’re part of the significant number of suburban and rural San Antonio-New Braunfels region residents. In that case, you might have reason to consider HughesNet or Viasat, the leading satellite broadband providers. A big drawback to both is they each require a two-year contract commitment. Elon Musk’s Starlink has them beat on that front — it nixes all term contract agreements. However, per the Starlink map, availability is short and potential customers must wait until later in 2023.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: This provider’s 5G fixed wireless home internet product has a higher average download speed (300Mbps) than T-Mobile Home Internet and also claims a similar all-in price that includes all equipment and fees for $50 per month (with eligible Verizon mobile customers getting a 50% discount on top of that). So why have I listed T-Mobile higher? Verizon’s coverage is strongest in metro areas, while T-Mobile flexes its muscles more capably in rural areas. That better fits the San Antonio-New Braunfels region.
Pricing for San Antonio home internet service
The average starting price for home internet in San Antonio is approximately $48 a month. That considers the promo prices you’ll get at the beginning, not the standard rates you’ll get hit with a year or so later. $48 monthly puts San Antonio toward the higher end of markets CNET has covered so far, including Brooklyn ($36 a month), Los Angeles ($38 a month), Denver ($39 per month), San Francisco ($40 a month), New York City ($41 per month), Seattle ($42 monthly), Dallas and Philadelphia (both near $43 per month), Houston ($45 monthly), Phoenix ($46 per month), Atlanta ($47 monthly), Orlando ($48 a month) and Charlotte, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Diego and St. Louis (all approximately $50 monthly).
Cheap internet options in the River City
Although the lowest starting price in San Antonio is a tie between Rise Broadband and its 25Mbps plan for $25 a month and Astound Broadband’s opening selection, the best value is Astound’s 300Mbps plan, which is exponentially faster.
Sticking with the topic of value, most providers we’ve listed are also participating in the Federal Communication Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program. It provides a $30 monthly discount to eligible, low-income homes for affordable, high-speed internet. If you qualify, the ACP can be used towards any internet plan from participating providers and in some cases, you might be able to get internet service for free.
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Fastest internet providers in San Antonio
As I mentioned earlier, the River City is the fastest broadband city in Texas and one of the country’s fastest cities regarding median download internet speeds.
The city’s impressive internet speed numbers are undoubtedly buoyed by the fiber internet service of AT&T (which features a 5Gbps plan in some areas of the city), Frontier Fiber (which also boasts a 5 gig plan) and Google Fiber, whose cheapest (and slowest) plan is a full gigabit.
What are the fastest internet plans in San Antonio?
Provider | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Monthly price | Data cap | Contract |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Frontier Fiber 5 Gig | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $165 | None | None |
AT&T Fiber 5000 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $180 | None | None |
Google Fiber 2 Gig | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $100 | None | None |
AT&T Fiber 2000 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $110 | None | None |
Frontier Fiber 2 Gig | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $110 | None | None |
Astound Broadband/Grande | 1,200Mbps | 50Mbps | $60 | None | None |
Google Fiber 1 Gig | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $70 | None | None |
AT&T Fiber 1000 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $80 | None | None |
Frontier Fiber 1 Gig | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $80 | None | None |
Rise Broadband | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $100 | None | None |
Astound Broadband/Grande | 940Mbps | 50Mbps | $50 | None | None |
Spectrum Internet Gig | 940Mbps | 35Mbps | $90 | None | None |
Show more (7 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
What’s the bottom line on San Antonio internet providers?
We mention it often in our CNET home internet reviews, but it bears repeating: All things being equal, fiber internet service trumps other internet connection types every time. However, what matters is what’s available at your address. You’re in great shape if you can get AT&T Fiber or Google Fiber at your home. If not, there are still affordable cable options — like Astound Broadband and Spectrum — that’ll get you plenty of speed and decent reliability.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in San Antonio
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? 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.
But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. To evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service, we look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time 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.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in San Antonio FAQs
Is there fiber internet service in San Antonio?
Who has the cheapest internet in San Antonio?
What provider offers the fastest internet service in San Antonio?
[ad_2]
Source link