Here’s a list of big ISPs in the U.S.. These providers provide internet service through DSL, copper, fixed wireless, cable internet, and fiber. Prices and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
Top ISPs
Xfinity is Comcast’s brand for consumer cable TV, internet, phone, and wireless. Comcast is one of the biggest cable providers, offering services to U.S. residential and industrial clients in 40 states. Xfinity’s gigabit net is available to approximately 58 million homes and businesses. Xfinity offers various download speeds ranging from 25 to 2,000 Mbps. Plans begin with introductory pricing of $24.99 a month. Xfinity also supplies no-contract strategies for slightly higher monthly prices.
Xfinity Internet
AT&T Internet provides high-speed service to 21 states. Besides DSL broadband, AT&T Internet provides fiber and fixed wireless online service. Internet plans begin at $39.99 a month when bundled with other AT&T products, for downloading speeds up to 940 Mbps.
CenturyLink features online service in all 50 states, with DSL available to approximately 50 million customers. CenturyLink also provides fiber net to approximately 10 million people. CenturyLink’s price-for-life offering is particularly attractive. In general, plans start at $49 a month with speeds up to 100 Mbps. The 940 Mbps fiber program is $65 a month.
Verizon Fios (“Fiber Optic Service”) launched in 2005 as one of the first suppliers to provide fiber Web services to residential customers. It is available in 10 states along the East Coast for 35 million customers. Verizon also provides residential DSL support. Plans begin at $39.99 a month for 200 Mbps downloads and $79.99 a month for up to 904 Mbps.
Spectrum, from Charter Communications, offers online services to over 29 million customers in 41 states. Launched in 2014, Spectrum provides a selection of fiber and broadband solutions to residential and business customers. Plans start at $49.99 a month for 12 months with no data limit and download rates up to 940 Mbps.
Spectrum Internet
Frontier provides DSL and fiber net programs in 29 countries, primarily along the West Coast, Midwest, and South. It does not have any data caps and provides some of the cheapest alternatives. Plans start at only $20 a month for 6 Mbps. The 940 Mbps program is $74.99 a month.
Cox is your third-largest cable television provider in the U.S., serving 18 countries with the maximum concentration in Arizona and California. Cox features cable TV, internet, and telephone services. In addition to cable broadband, Cox also provides fiber net services. Internet plans start at $29.99 a month for 10 Mbps. The 940 Mbps program is $99.99 per month.
Suddenlink, a cable supplier, offers internet, cable TV, and telephone services across 19 states, primarily in the South and Southwest. Suddenlink offers cable and fiber broadband internet. Suddenlink does not need contracts but does utilize promotional pricing. Plans begin at $35 for 50 Mbps. The 940 Mbps program is $80 a month.
Sparklight, previously Cable One, offers internet, cable TV, and phone service in 19 states, mainly in the Midwest and Northwest. It’s the ninth-largest U.S. cable supplier, available to approximately 3 million individuals. Plans begin at $39 a month for 100 Mbps. The 1,000 Mbps program is $125 a month using a 1,500 GB data limit.
Mediacom started in 1995 to deliver innovative TV, internet, and telephone services to America’s smaller cities and towns. It is the fifth-largest cable supplier and provides services in 22 states, with the most extensive coverage in the Midwest. Plans begin at $39.99 a month for 60 Mbps. The 1,000 Mbps program is $79.99 per month with a 6,000 GB data limit.
Mediacom Xtreme
Windstream provides DSL, copper, fixed wireless, fiber, and cable services. Windstream’s DSL service is available in 50 countries, but its Kinetic hybrid fiber-DSL service is offered in 18 states. Windstream does not need contracts and doesn’t have information caps, but prices do increase after the initial promotional calendar year. Kinetic plans begin at $55 for 100 Mbps. The 1,000 Mbps program is $75 a month.
WOW offers fiber, cable, and DSL internet access across 10 countries in the Central and Southeast regions. WOW offers plans with no information caps and no contracts. Plans begin at $39.99 a month for 100 Mbps. The 1,000 Mbps program is $74.99 a month.
Optimum, from Altice, provides fiber and cable net solutions to four states: Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Optimum does not need contracts and provides pricing for life. Plans begin at $40 a month for 300 Mbps. The 940 Mbps program is $75 a month.
Earthlink provides online services across 36 states. EarthLink’s DSL is available to approximately 175 million people, which makes it the largest residential DSL supplier by coverage area. EarthLink also provides fiber net to approximately 25 million people. Plans begin at $49.95 for 15 Mbps. The 1,000 Mbps program is $99.95 a month.
Rise Broadband is the nation’s largest fixed wireless broadband service provider, providing high-speed internet and digital voice services to residential and business clients across 16 states. Fixed wireless provides broadband coverage in previously under-served places. Rise Broadband provides speeds between 3 and 1,000 Mbps. Plans begin at $42.95 per month for 5 Mbps.
Rise Broadband
Consolidated Communications, previously Fairpoint Communications, offers online services to consumers and businesses across 23 countries with 37,500 fiber route miles. It gives high-speed net, data, telephone, security, managed accounts, cloud services, and wholesale carrier choices. Plans include $34.95 a month for 100 Mbps and $73.85 a month for 1,000 Mbps, with no information caps.
TDS Telecom features fiber, cable, and copper net services across 31 states, primarily in the Midwest, with rates from 50 to 1,000 Mbps. TDS is the 10th largest DSL provider in the U.S. Plans include $69.95 a month for 600 Mbps and $89.95 a month for 1,000 Mbps.
Google Fiber, part of the Access branch of Alphabet, is a fiber-optic broadband service in 19 cities across the U.S. Google Fiber provides 1 Gbps uploads and downloads, with no information caps and no yearly contracts. The price is $70 a month.
HughesNet, a subsidiary of EchoStar, provides satellite internet access to over 1 million readers in all 50 states and is a fantastic option for rural consumers. Starting in 2016, HughesNet enlarged into South America, such as Brazil, Columbia, Peru, and Ecuador. HughesNet requires a two-year contract. Plans range from $59.99 to $149.99 per month, offering 25 Mbps downloads and up to 50 GB data limit.
Viasat is just another satellite Internet provider which may be an attractive solution for rural regions with fiber, cable, or DSL. Viasat provides download speeds up to 100 Mbps and takes a two-year contract. Plans start at $50 per month with a 25 GB data limit.