The best internet providers in Florida

What are the best internet providers in Florida?

Looking for the best internet provider in Sunshine? Our broadband experts have compiled the best broadband providers in Florida to help you choose the right broadband provider for your needs. From DSL to fixed wireless to fiber, the Florida broadband provider range is likely to change dramatically in terms of affordability and speed. The best internet service providers in Florida are AT&T fiberthanks to its affordable plan and fast speed. The plan starts at $55 and has a maximum price of $245 per month. However, every address in the state is not available.

If you can't get AT&T fiber, there are many other reliable options. Cable TV provider Xfinity covers large sizes in the state, with the plan starting at $35 and 150 Mbps per month. DSL expert Frontier competes in the Tampa area, and the cable ISP Spectrum has a great presence in central Florida. Other rural areas with few options can be viewed with DSL, satellite, 5G home internet or fixed wireless providers. The goal is to find a reliable internet provider fast enough to meet your streaming, gaming or remote work needs.

The best internet options in Florida

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Even in remote areas, satellite internet can go almost anywhere, but you may have other options for rural homes. You may not have the luxury of fiber-connected, and even cables are hard to get. Regarding wired internet, the best option is probably DSL from ISPs like AT&T Internet or CenturyLink, we chose the best rural internet provider in the United States. DSL speeds won't whip you, but they may be faster and cheaper than other options.

Fixed wireless is a solution to reach a home that is not connected to a wired internet. Can you check if the T-Mobile Home Internet (which expands its coverage in rural areas) or if the Verizon 5G home internet happens to serve your address. Please note the smaller regional providers. Rapid Systems, for example, provides fixed wireless to 11 Florida counties and offers Valrico and Bradenton services, with plans starting at $49 per month. Open Broadband is a company focused on underserved areas in the Southeastern United States, covering several Florida counties, with plans starting at $50 for $25Mbps.

Florida will soon have more rural internet options thanks to government investments and grants. In June 2023, Comcast announced plans to expand its Xfinity 10G network to 25 rural areas in the state.

Go to the FCC's national broadband map and find your address to find out where you are at the ISPS service. You may find local providers you don't know. If everything else fails, there will always be satellite internet from Starlink, Viasat or Hughesnet, which is our affordability-based advice. Here is our comparison of the best satellite internet providers.

Internet failure in Florida cities

It is difficult to cover broadband options across the state and provide the attention that cities deserve. That's why we also compiled a list of the best internet providers in various cities in the United States, including those in Florida. We address details such as internet connection type, maximum speed, cheapest providers and more. If you can't find the town below, please check it back later. We are working hard to add more cities every week.

Florida broadband coverage at a glance

According to the FCC, a broadband connection must have a download speed of at least 100Mbps and an upload speed of at least 20Mbps. Florida's 2022 data suggests that 88.8% of households in the state have access to broadband internet, but some counties perform better than others. Clay County, part of the Jacksonville metropolitan area, received nearly 94% of visits, while Hamilton County on the northern edge of the state has only 73.9%. If you look at Florida’s data back to 2017, broadband availability has been rising across the state.

Fiber Internet is praised for its reliability and upload speeds and fast downloads, but it still doesn't get 100% coverage statewide. FCC data shows that about 92.8% of homes can be connected to fiber optics up to 250Mbps, and only 47% of residences can perform or faster. The best places to cover fiber are concentrated in the metropolitan areas of Tampa, Jacksonville and Miami. If you are planning to move to Florida and need work or games on fiber, this is something to consider. AT&T Fiber is a major ISP player in Florida but is looking for border fiber in the Tampa area.

How fast is Florida broadband?

FCC data shows that over 90% of Florida homes can access fixed broadband speeds of at least 250Mbps, but that figure drops below 50% for speeds of at least 1,000Mbps. It’s no surprise that the largest metro area enjoys the highest speed options, so if you need super fast work or game connections, keep an eye on big cities like Jacksonville, Tampa, and Miami.

Let's measure Florida's measurement of other parts of the country. According to Ookla's speed test data, Florida ranks highly in fixed broadband, second only to Rhode Island and Connecticut. Ookla also ranks internet speeds for the 100 most populous cities in the United States. Florida enters the picture, Hialeah ranked 25th and Jacksonville ranked 27th. Other metro areas, including Tampa (50th), Miami (87th) and Orlando (59th), also don’t have fares, which suggests Florida has some room for improvement in its broadband performance. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET.)

When it comes to Florida's fast internet, fiber is where it is. AT&T fiber has the widest availability statewide, although it still suffers from hits when you look at the statewide map. AT&T offers speeds up to 5,000Mbps in some places. There are also a few other fiber competitors, especially CenturyLink’s quantum and boundary fibers. Recent federal and state broadband infrastructure investments should help expand the state’s fiber footprint.

Internet pricing in Florida

The typical starting price for home internet is $50 per month, but some providers’ entry points are usually promotional or contractual transactions for new customers. XFINITY is known for offering a $35 per month Connect program for 150Mbps service, but it's a one-year promotional price. If you are an existing T-Mobile or Verizon phone customer (or plan to become a customer), you can get a discounted $40 per month for home internet via T-Mobile or Verizon.

There are other ways to save your internet bill. For beginners, be realistic about how fast you need. If you're just streaming Netflix and shopping online, you probably don't need the $245 per month AT&T fiber plan. Slower, lower plans will be good. While switching to an ISP isn't necessarily fun, the savings are worth it. Store and compare pricing, especially if your existing plan reaches the end of the promotion period and the price goes up. Here are eight ways to save on internet bills.

How CNET Chooses the Best Internet Provider in Florida

There are numerous and regional Internet service providers. Unlike the latest smartphones, laptops, routers, or kitchen tools, it is impractical to test every internet service provider in a given city in person. What is our method? For beginners, we take advantage of proprietary pricing, availability and speed databases taken from our own historical ISP data, partner data and FCC.GOV plot information.

It doesn't end: we use the FCC's website to check our data and make sure we consider all ISPs that provide services in a certain area. We also enter a local address on the provider's website to find specific options for residents. We look at resources including the U.S. Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power to evaluate how satisfied ISP services have with customers. ISP plans and prices change frequently; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

Once this local information is obtained, we ask three main questions:

• Can providers access reasonable and fast internet speeds?
• Do customers get decent value for the money they pay?
• Are customers satisfied with their service?

Although the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, the three we recommend are closest to the provider of “yes”. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the lowest monthly plan, although we also consider issues such as price increase, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We view upload and download speeds on ads and consider actual speed data from sources such as Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process more deeply, visit our test ISP page.

The Future of Florida Broadband

The future of Florida broadband looks bright. Federal funds are pouring in to improve internet options. In December 2022, Florida received $248 million in approval to help connect an estimated 48,400 homes and businesses lacking high-speed internet access. As part of the Federal Infrastructure Act, the dollar figure dwarfed through nearly $1.7 billion in investments.

Florida's broadband opportunity program is working to expand broadband. It announced a $60 million award ceremony for 22 projects across the state in May 2023. The funds will be used for a variety of work, including laying fiber optic cables in several counties including Bradford, Marion, Heights and Santa Rosa. Other projects focus on expanding fixed wireless coverage in rural areas. As these projects are implemented, more rural and underserved areas will be able to have a fast, reliable and affordable internet.

Internet providers of Florida FAQs