- Up to 10Gbps
- $59.99/month
- Up to 1.5Gbps
- $60/month
- Up to 140Mbps
- $55/month
Internet speed matters. Whether you use it for regular online gaming or just for basic web browsing, you want to make sure your download and upload speeds are fast enough. We've compared all of the internet providers in the U.S. and found which ones offer the fastest internet speeds.
The fastest internet providers in the U.S. include Sonic, AT&T, and Frontier with their 5-10Gbps fiber plans, and Astound with its 1,500Mbps (1.5Gbps) cable internet plans. Let's go through the fastest provider based on which internet connection type you prefer.
Fastest Fiber Internet Providers
The fastest internet connection is fiber, and the fastest fiber internet provider currently on the market is Sonic. Their speediest Double Play bundle reaches a blazing-fast 10Gbps—that’s over 50 times faster than average speeds of around 19Mbps.
The catch: Sonic is only available in a small portion of the U.S., and its 10GB plan is even more elusive, with access in just a handful of cities across the country. What's more, you can only get those speeds by signing up for the Double Play bundle with home phone service (and who really uses their landline anymore?).
So for most people in the country, the fastest fiber internet providers are AT&T and Frontier. Both of these ISPs offer plans that reach 7Gbps—that kind of speed can support multiple users performing data-intensive tasks simultaneously like live gaming, Zoom meetings, streaming audio and video, and more. That said, you will pay a pretty penny for the privilege of multi-gig internet speeds—Frontier's Fiber 5 Gig plan rings in at $89.99/month, and AT&T's Internet 5000 option is an even pricier $125/month. Given the price, having multi-gig internet isn't usually necessary when it comes to basic internet needs, but if you're in a household where you need that kind of support, AT&T and Frontier have you covered.
There are other fiber providers that offer multi-gig internet speeds at a slightly less staggering scale. GFiber (formally known as Google Fiber), for example, provides speeds of 2Gbps where available. In fact, you can see how these ISPs measure up in our GFiber vs. AT&T guide.
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#1
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Optimum
8 Gig Internet
$90/mo
with $10/month eligible Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas.
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#2
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Brightspeed
8 Gig
$119.99/mo
Limited availability/areas. Taxes and fees extra. Autopay required. Pricing Subject to change.
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#3
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GFiber
Edge 8 Gig
$150/mo
Available in select locations
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#4
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Quantum Fiber
Internet 8 Gpbs
$165/mo
price and speed may vary by location
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#5
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Nuvera
NuFiber 8Gig
$169.99/mo
+ $60 Upfront
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Fastest Cable Internet Providers
Cable internet speeds have grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, with the fastest cable internet reaching over 1Gbps. An internet plan with gigabit speeds allow you to download a 4GB HD movie in about 10 seconds.
While many (if not most) cable internet providers now offer at least one plan that reaches 1Gbps, the fastest cable internet provider currently is Astound, which offers plans at 1,500 Mbps. Because these are cable internet plans, they're much more readily available throughout the country than fiber plans are. However, Astound is smaller, having purchased a number of regional ISPs in recent years (specifically Astound, Grande, and Wave) to operate under its umbrella. If you have an Astound-branded ISP in your area, though, you're in luck.
Cable internet speeds reaching 1Gbps (or slightly lower) are much more available throughout the country than multi-gig cable internet. Several carriers provide 1Gbps including:
- Cox
- Spectrum
- Mediacom
- RCN
- Optimum
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#1
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TDS
Ultra 1 Gig Internet
$56.99/mo
($49.99 plan + $7 modem)
for 24 months then $79.99/month
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#2
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Spectrum
Internet Gig
$70/mo
($60 plan + $10 modem)
for 1 year
+ $20 Upfront
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#3
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Xfinity
500 Mbps
$45/mo
5 year price guarantee
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#4
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Optimum
500 Mbps Internet + Unlimited Mobile
$70/mo
with $10/month eligible Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas.
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Fastest DSL Internet Providers
While not able to reach the top speeds of fiber and cable, you can still get more than adequate speeds with DSL, and many providers offer speeds of 100Gbps or faster via DSL connections. Windstream's DSL plans can reach a maximum download speed of 500Mbps, while ISPs like Centurylink and AT&T offer DSL plans that deliver speeds of 140Mbps and 100Mbps, respectively. Both of these speeds are well over the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) minimum recommendation of 25Mbps for anyone who streams ultra high-definition (UHD) 4K video.
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CenturyLink
Simply Unlimited 140 Mbps
$55/mo
Available in select locations. Paperless billing required.
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Fastest Satellite Internet Providers
If you live in a rural area, your internet options might be more limited than those in urban areas. This doesn’t mean you have to settle for slow internet speeds. Starlink internet, the latest and greatest ISP to enter the space (pun entirely intended), can deliver satellite internet speeds reaching up to 400Mbps... on par with those of many cable providers. That has previously been unheard of for satellite internet, but thanks to Starlink's low-Earth orbit (LEO) network, customers benefit from far closer connections and much higher satellite availability, resulting in far faster speeds.
The other fastest satellite internet provider is Viasat, which offers satellite internet speeds of up to 150Mbps—that’s fast enough to download a high-quality HD movie in just about 4 minutes.
It's important to note, however, that your satellite internet speeds may be slower than promised, according to a number of satellite internet customers. This is often due to a number of factors that include the number of people sharing the same satellite internet beam, causing congestion and ultimately resulting in slower speeds, as well as the position of the satellite at a given time in the sky relative to your home.
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#1
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Starlink
Residential MAX
$140/mo
($130 plan + $10 modem)
Available in select locations
+ $369 Upfront
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#2
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Viasat
Viasat Essentials
$71.22/mo
for 12 months. Contract required.
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Fastest Mobile Broadband Providers
Mobile broadband provides internet on the networks that power your phones and tablets, but can also be used for your household internet with a compatible Wi-Fi modem. This option could be a consideration for people living in areas with limited access.
The fastest mobile broadband internet provider is T-Mobile 5G home internet, which provides mobile broadband speeds via fast Wi-Fi of up to 100Mbps. That's on par with most cable and DSL providers, and far exceeds the minimum 25Mbps benchmark to be considered high-speed broadband internet. To do this, T-Mobile uses a "High-Speed Internet Gateway," similar to a traditional Wi-Fi router, that connects to the carrier's 4G and 5G data networks, brings that signal into your home, then converts and distributes it as a high-speed Wi-Fi signal.
In fact, 5G (and its eventual successor, 6G) is poised to become possibly the prevalent wireless connection type for all future devices within the "Internet of Things" (IoT), with even faster speeds on the horizon.
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#1
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T-Mobile
Amplified Internet + T-Mobile voice line
$45/mo
with AutoPay. Plus taxes and fees.
+ $35 Upfront
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#2
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EarthLink
Unlimited 5G Home Internet
$74.90/mo
($59.95 plan + $14.95 modem)
Available in select locations
+ $79.95 Upfront
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#3
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Verizon
myPlan + 5G Home Plus
$45/mo
with AutoPay and any Verizon mobile phone plan
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#4
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NOW
200/10 Mbps
$45/mo
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#5
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AT&T
Internet Air
$60/mo
Paperless billing required. Plus taxes & fees. Limited availability. May not be available in your area.
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Fastest Unlimited Internet Under $40
Fast internet speeds require more data usage than slower ones, and therefore you'll need to seek an internet plan that has a higher data cap. If you want multi-gig speeds like those offered from our fastest fiber and cable providers above, you'll ideally need unlimited data—which can cost a pretty penny.
Wanting to save on no-cap internet prices doesn’t mean you have to settle for slow internet, though. Top internet providers like Spectrum and Xfinity offer internet speeds of 100Mbps and faster for under $40 with no data cap. This means you should have no problem binging your favorite show over a long weekend.
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#1
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Kinetic
100 Mbps
$19.99/mo
for 1 year with AutoPay
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#2
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NOW
100/10 Mbps
$30/mo
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#3
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Verizon
myPlan + 5G Home
$35/mo
with AutoPay and any Verizon mobile phone plan
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#4
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Ziply
Fiber 100/100
$35/mo
with AutoPay & paperless billing.
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#5
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Mercury Broadband
Mercury Essential
$35/mo
for 24 months then $65.00/month
+ $45 Upfront
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How Fast Should Your Internet Be?
How much internet speed you need depends heavily on how you use your internet. If you are in a house filled with people who are constantly streaming videos and playing games, you’ll need pretty fast internet, whereas a single person who is only on the internet for very basic browsing might be able to get by with slower speeds.
The FCC recommends a minimum speed of 1Mbps for anyone who uses the internet for basic email and browsing, all the way up to a minimum of 25Mbps high-speed internet for students/telecommuters and heavy Ultra HD video streamers.
Your internet might not always reach the top speed included in your service agreement. If you feel your internet is slowing, we recommend running an internet speed test. Testing your internet speed regularly—and at different times of the day—helps you determine if your plan is up to snuff, especially if you find that your habits are changing or you're using more connected devices simultaneously. If so, it's probably time to shop for a new internet plan.
Lauren Hannula
Managing Editor
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