What is the best internet provider in Plano?
Frontier Fiber is the best internet provider in Plano, with the best combination of speed and price. Plans start at just $40 per month for 500 Mbps upload and download speeds – one of the best deals you’ll find anywhere – and there are no equipment fees, data caps or contracts.
Spectrum offers the cheapest internet in Plano, with plans starting at just $30 per month for 100 Mbps download speeds. That said, Spectrum’s prices increase significantly after a year or two, and you get much slower upload speeds than download.
T-Mobile Home Internet is a good backup option if you can’t get Frontier and don’t want to deal with Spectrum’s price increases. It uses a wireless connection, which can be more erratic than cable or fiber, but T-Mobile still has one of the highest customer satisfaction scores in the industry.
CNET considers speeds, prices, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Plano across several categories. Our evaluation includes referring to a proprietary database that has been built up after years of assessing Internet services. We validate this against provider information by checking local addresses for service availability. We also carefully read providers’ terms and conditions and, if necessary, call ISPs to verify details.
Despite our efforts to find the most current and accurate information, our process has some limitations that you should be aware of. Prices and speed data are variable: certain addresses may qualify for different levels of service and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your specific options is to enter your address on a provider’s website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and on the provider maps below may differ from what we found in our research. The maps show the full price and speed range of a provider in the US, according to our database of subscription information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what is available in Plano. The prices referenced in the text of this article are from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up monthly automatic payments – an industry standard offering. There may also be other discounts and promotions available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.
To learn more about how we rate ISPs, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Plano, Texas
500 – 5,000 Mbps
$50 – $155 per month
Our opinion – Frontier’s fiber optic internet service is one of the better internet providers you’ll find anywhere in the country, and it’s available everywhere in Plano. Prices are extremely low for the speeds you get, and Frontier is one of the few providers in the area that offers upload speeds that are as fast as downloads – an important consideration for online gamers or remote workers. Frontier also received an above-average score for customer satisfaction in J.D. Power’s most recent Plano-area survey.
500 – 5,000 Mbps
$50 – $155 per month
500 – 5,000 Mbps
$50 – $155 per month
100 – 1,000 Mbps
$30-$90 per month
Our opinion – If you’re looking for low prices, Spectrum has by far the cheapest internet plans in Plano. But there are a few downsides: You’ll get significantly slower upload speeds than download, and Spectrum’s prices rise significantly after a year or two. You are not tied to a contract, so you can always switch if the service becomes too expensive.
100 – 1,000 Mbps
$30-$90 per month
100 – 1,000 Mbps
$30-$90 per month
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$50 per month
Our opinion – T-Mobile has all the details you would expect from an internet provider: no price increases (ever), no data limits and no equipment costs. It uses a wireless connection, which can be a bit more unreliable than Spectrum’s cable or Frontier’s fiber optic internet. But T-Mobile’s download speeds go up to 245 Mbps, which is more than sufficient for most households.
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$50 per month
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$50 per month
Plano internet providers compared
Provider | internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data limit | Contract | CNET review score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AT&T Fiber Optic | Fiber | $55-$250 | 300-5,000 Mbps | No | No | No | 7.4 |
Border fiber | Fiber | $40-$155 | 500-5,000 Mbps | No | No | No | 6.3 |
Spectrum | Cable | $30-$90 | 100-1,000 Mbps | $5 (optional) | No | No | 7.2 |
T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | No | No | No | 7.4 |
Verizon 5G home internet | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 50-1,000 Mbps | No | No | No | 7.2 |
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Retail providers
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Plano?
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Retail providers
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Plano
The best internet deals and top promotions in Plano depend on what discounts are available at any given time. Most offers are short-lived, but we regularly review the latest offers.
Plano internet providers, such as Spectrum and Verizon, may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. However, many, including Frontier Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet, have the same standard prices year-round.
For a more comprehensive list of promos, check out our guide to the best internet deals.
Fastest Internet Plans in Plano
Provider | Starting price | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | Data limit | Connection type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AT&T Internet 5000 | $250 | 5,000 Mbps | 5,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
Frontier Fiber 5 Gig | $155 | 5,000 Mbps | 5,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
AT&T Internet 2000 | $150 | 2,000 Mbps | 2,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
Frontier Fiber 2 gig | $100 | 2,000 Mbps | 2,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
AT&T Internet 1000 | $80 | 1,000 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
Frontier Fiber 1 Gig | $60 | 1,000 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
Spectrum internet performance | $90 | 1,000 Mbps | 35Mbps | No | Cable |
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet | $70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) | 1,000 Mbps | 75Mbps | No | Fixed wireless |
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Retail providers
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is a good internet speed?
Most internet plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that’s suitable for video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here you will find an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Please note that these are guidelines only and internet speed, service and performance will vary by connection type, provider and address.
For more information, see our guide to how much internet speed you really need.
- With 0 to 5 Mbps you can handle the basics: surfing the web, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40 Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
- 40 to 100 Mbps should give a single user enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- With 100 to 500 Mbps, one to two users can simultaneously participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- With 500 to 1,000 Mbps, three or more users can perform high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Plano
Internet 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 is our approach? We’ll start by examining the price, availability, and speed information, based on our own historical ISP data, the carriers’ sites, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission on FCC.gov.
But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our records and make sure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in a given area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look to sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to evaluate how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate at the time of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably high internet speeds?
- Do customers get a good price for what they pay?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
Although the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, we recommend the providers who come closest to ‘yes’ to all three questions. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the subscriptions with the lowest monthly amount, but we also take into account things such as price increases, equipment costs and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively easy. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
Visit our page on how we test ISPs to explore our process in more depth.
Internet Service Providers in Plano FAQs
What is the best internet provider in Plano?
Frontier Fiber is the best internet provider in Plano, offering fast, symmetrical speeds, low prices, and above-average customer satisfaction scores.
Is fiber optic internet available in Plano?
Yes, according to FCC data, fiber optic internet is available to 63% of Plano residents. This is primarily done through Frontier Fiber, but AT&T Fiber is also available on the south side of the city.
Which internet provider is the cheapest in Plano?
Spectrum is the cheapest internet provider in Plano, with prices starting at $30 per month for 100 Mbps speeds. That said, Spectrum prices increase significantly in price after a year or two.
Which internet provider in Plano offers the fastest plan?
Frontier Fiber and AT&T Fiber offer top download and upload speeds of 5,000 Mbps in Plano.