Why You Can Trust CNET Best Internet Providers in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth has some of the best options for internet in Texas. Here's what you need to know about price, speeds and availability.
Table of Contents
- Prices from $55 - $180 per month
- Speeds from 300 - 5,000Mbps
- Unlimited data
- Prices from $50 - $90 per month
- Speeds from 300 - 940Mbps
- Unlimited data
- Prices from $50 per month
- Speeds from 33 - 182Mbps
- Unlimited data
- Prices from $50 - $155 per month
- Speeds from 500 - 5,000Mbps
- Unlimited data
You could make an argument that Fort Worth is one of the best cities in the country when it comes to internet access. It has several fiber providers to choose from, the 17th fastest speeds in the country, and last year it rolled out free Wi-Fi to 40,000 residents in historically underserved neighborhoods.
But spend any time on Fort Worth Reddit, and you'll find one common complaint about internet in the city -- apartment complexes often have exclusive deals with one (less than ideal) internet provider. Fortunately, that started to change in the past year with the arrival of 5G home internet providers like T-Mobile and Verizon, which are available virtually everywhere in the city.
Best internet providers in Cowtown
The best internet in Fort Worth comes down to price, speed and what's available. For most people, that means AT&T Fiber, which has extensive coverage throughout the area. Let's take a deeper look at all of your options.
Product details
AT&T Fiber is arguably the best internet provider in the country, so it makes sense that it would top our list for the Fort Worth area. It's widely available throughout the city and it's one of the 100 cities where AT&T launched its ultra-fast multi-gig plans.
Availability: AT&T internet is available to more than 80% of Fort Worth households, but not everyone will have access to AT&T Fiber. AT&T also operates a DSL network -- simply called AT&T Internet -- that provides much slower speeds than fiber. In fact, AT&T has already said it plans to cut its DSL coverage in half by 2025. If you can't get AT&T Fiber at your address, you're better off moving on to one of the other options on this list.
Plans and pricing: AT&T Fiber has five plans ranging from $55 to $180 per month for max download speeds of 300Mbps to 5Gbps (5,000Mbps).
Fees and service details: All the equipment you need is included with the base price of AT&T Fiber, and you won't have to worry about contracts or data caps, either.
Product details
Spectrum is an old standby for internet in Forth Worth. The cable internet service may not be as flashy as newer fiber internet or 5G home, but it offers reliably fast speeds at a decent price. Spectrum's customer satisfaction scores are right around average for the industry.
Availability: Spectrum is the most widely available wired internet service provider in Fort Worth, covering 81% of households. Unlike AT&T, you won't have to guess what type of service you're eligible for, either. All of Spectrum's packages are high-speed cable connections.
Plans and pricing: Spectrum has three internet plans in Fort Worth: 300, 500 or 940Mbps. Prices cost between $50 and $90 per month.
Fees and service details: None of Spectrum's plans comes with contracts or data caps, and the cost of the modem is included in the price. That said, you will have to pay $5 per month for a router (or use your own).
Product details
T-Mobile expanded its fixed wireless network to Fort Worth in early 2022, and there's a lot to like: simple all-in pricing, no contracts and unlimited data. But the speeds you'll get depend on your proximity to a T-Mobile tower, so it won't be the right fit for everyone. Fortunately, you have 15 days to test drive it and see how it works at your address.
Availability: T-Mobile's 5G home internet now covers about 94% of homes in the Fort Worth area. You'll still have to check your address on their site, but chances are good that you can sign up.
Plans and pricing: There's only one plan available. You'll pay $50 per month and get speeds between 33 and 182Mbps. With eligible plans, T-Mobile cellphone customers can also get an additional $20 off per month.
Fees and service details: What you see is what you get with T-Mobile -- no fees, no contracts, and no data caps. T-Mobile also locks in your price for as long as you keep your service, so you won't have to worry about your bill rising unexpectedly.
Product details
Fiber internet from Frontier isn't as widely available as AT&T Fiber, but if you can get it at your address it's a good option. Speeds are on par with AT&T, but the prices are slightly lower out of the gate. However, Frontier does increase your price after the first year.
Availability: Frontier's fiber service is mostly limited to northern suburbs in Fort Worth. You'll be able to get service at some addresses in Pelican Bay, Keller and North Richland Hills.
Plans and pricing: Frontier's fiber plans start at $50 per month for 500Mbps speeds and go all the way up to $155 per month for 5 gig speeds. If you only have access to Frontier's DSL service at your address, it will cost $50 per month and you'll automatically get the fastest speeds available.
Fees and service details: Frontier doesn't charge extra fees for equipment, but you can upgrade to whole-home Wi-Fi for an extra $10 per month. You won't have to worry about contracts or data caps, either.
Internet providers in Fort Worth overview
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | DSL/fiber | $55-$180 | 10-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Frontier Fiber | Fiber | $50-$165 | 10-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 6.3 |
| Nextlink | Fixed wireless | $50-$120 | 10-100Mbps | $7 router | None | Optional | N/A |
| Spectrum | Cable | $50-$90 | 300-940Mbps | Free modem; $5 router | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50 | 33-182Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 | 85-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
All available Fort Worth residential internet providers
There are a few other options for internet in Fort Worth aside from our top picks listed above. Some might not be available within city limits but offer service in the surrounding suburbs. All of them have their flaws, but they're worth checking your address to see what your options are.
Nextlink: You can get Nextlink's fixed wireless internet service virtually everywhere in the Fort Worth area, but I'd only recommend it as a last resort. It uses the same fixed wireless technology as T-Mobile and Verizon, but without 5G access, its speeds are generally slower -- and come at a much steeper price. The 50Mbps plan, for example, runs $100 per month after the $20 per month discount for committing to a two-year contract.
Satellite internet: Satellite internet is another option that's available almost everywhere in Fort Worth. For a long time, the standbys have been HughesNet and Viasat. Both require a two-year contract, have stingy data caps and generally get slower speeds than competitors. Like DSL internet, most people only go to satellite when there are no other options. But there is an intriguing new player in the satellite space: Elon Musk's Starlink, which uses low-Earth orbit satellites to provide much faster speeds than traditional satellite internet.
Verizon 5G Home Internet: Like T-Mobile's fixed wireless service, Verizon is now leveraging its vast 5G network for home internet too. It's not as widely available in Fort Worth as T-Mobile -- only 25% of residents can currently get it -- but it offers slightly faster speeds and two plans to choose from. If you subscribe to select Verizon Wireless plans, you can also get home internet service for half price.
Fort Worth internet details at a glance
With several cable and fiber internet providers in the area, residents enjoy some of the fastest internet speeds in the country. Here's a quick look at the state of internet service in Fort Worth right now.
Broadband availability
Most available internet technology
Price of internet in Fort Worth
The average starting price for internet plans in Fort Worth is $52 per month. There aren't as many cheap internet plans in Forth Worth as many other major metro areas -- several providers start their plans at $50 per month -- but most of those don't add on extra fees for equipment either. The $52 average price is more expensive than neighboring Dallas ($43 per month) and other Texas cities like Houston ($45) and San Antonio ($48).
Cheap internet options in the Fort Worth metro area
Frontier, Nextlink, T-Mobile, Spectrum and Verizon all share the cheapest starting prices for internet in Fort Worth at $50 per month. That said, all of the providers listed participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides eligible customers with a $30 monthly discount on home internet. Qualification for the program is based on income -- it must be less than or equal to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.
What's the cheapest internet plan in Fort Worth?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | $50 ($25 with eligible mobile plan) | 300Mbps | None | None |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plan) | 182Mbps | None | None |
| Nextlink | $50 | 15Mbps | $7 router | Two years |
| Spectrum | $50 | 300Mbps | Free modem; $5 router | None |
| Frontier | $50 | 500Mbps | None | None |
| AT&T Fiber 300 | $55 | 300Mbps | None | None |
Here are the internet speeds you can find in Fort Worth
Fort Worth's internet speeds compare favorably with the rest of Texas, and the country as a whole. As I mentioned above, Fort Worth residents enjoy the 17th fastest internet speeds of any city in the nation, according to Ookla's speed test results.
Download speeds
Upload speeds
Fastest internet providers in Fort Worth
Both AT&T and Frontier offer 5-gig plans in some parts of Fort Worth. Because they're fiber connections, you'll get symmetrical upload and download speeds on their plans. Spectrum's cable internet reaches download speeds of 940Mbps, but upload speeds top out at 35Mbps for its gig plan.
What are the fastest internet plans in Fort Worth?
| Provider | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Starting price | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Fiber 5 Gig | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $155 | None | None |
| AT&T Fiber 5000 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $180 | None | None |
| AT&T Fiber 2000 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $110 | None | None |
| Frontier Fiber 2 Gig | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $100 | None | None |
| AT&T Fiber 1000 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $80 | None | None |
| Frontier Fiber 1 Gig | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $70 | None | None |
| Spectrum Internet Gig | 940Mbps | 35Mbps | $90 | None | None |
What's the final word on internet providers in Fort Worth?
It's good to be an internet customer in Fort Worth. Most residents have access to at least one fiber provider -- AT&T or Frontier -- which is as good as it gets for residential internet. The main downside is that there aren't many cheap internet plans in Fort Worth. Starting prices don't go any lower than $50 per month, but most of these plans offer fantastic value.
Internet providers in Fort Worth FAQs
What's the cheapest internet in Fort Worth?
The cheapest internet plans available in Fort Worth start at $50 per month, and you can get that price from a few different providers: Frontier, Nextlink, T-Mobile, Spectrum and Verizon. Frontier offers the fastest speeds of those choices. However, Verizon 5G home internet may truly be your cheapest option since you can knock the monthly cost down to $25 when you bundle it with an eligible cellphone plan.
Is fiber internet available in Fort Worth?
Yes. Both Frontier and AT&T offer fiber plans in the Fort Worth area. AT&T Fiber is available to about 19% of the city, while Frontier is available to about 7% of residents.
Which internet provider in Fort Worth offers the fastest plan?
AT&T Fiber and Frontier both offer 5Gbps plans in the Fort Worth area. That said, 5Gbps is probably overkill for most households. How much internet speed you need depends on how many devices will be connected at once, what types of activities you do and how many people live in your house. The median internet speed in Fort Worth is 228Mbps, so most people get by with far less than the 5Gbps that AT&T and Frontier offer.
Table of Contents
- Best Internet Providers in Fort Worth, Texas
- Best internet providers in Cowtown
- AT&T Fiber: Best Fort Worth internet provider overall
- Spectrum: Best availability among Fort Worth internet providers
- T-Mobile Home Internet: Best fixed wireless provider in Fort Worth
- Frontier Fiber: Best budget-friendly fiber option in Fort Worth
- All available Fort Worth residential internet providers
- Fort Worth internet details at a glance
- Price of internet in Fort Worth
- Cheap internet options in the Fort Worth metro area
- Here are the internet speeds you can find in Fort Worth
- Fastest internet providers in Fort Worth
- What's the final word on internet providers in Fort Worth?
- Internet providers in Fort Worth FAQs
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