Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Residents of Arlington can expect to pay between $50 to $80 for internet plans with speeds up to 1Gbps. Spectrum has the cheapest plans in the area, but the monthly prices increase significantly in the second or third year.
Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
---|---|---|---|
Spectrum Internet 100 Read full review | $30 ($60 in year three) | 100Mbps | $10 (optional) |
Nextlink | $40 (with two-year contract) | 25Mbps | $9 (optional) |
Spectrum Internet 500 Read full review | $50 ($105 in year two) | 500Mbps | $10 (optional) |
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($40 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 300Mbps | None |
AT&T Fiber Read full review | $55 | 300Mbps | None |
Show more (2 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Arlington residents can expect median download speeds of 260Mbps and upload speeds of 23Mbps, according to Ookla speed test results. That’s about on par with Texas (225/33Mbps) and the US as a whole (245/34Mbps). Arlington also ranks ahead of nearby Fort Worth and Dallas for download speed.
Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AT&T Fiber Internet 5000 Read full review | $245 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
AT&T Fiber Internet 2000 Read full review | $145 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
AT&T Fiber Internet 1000 Read full review | $80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review | $70 ($45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review | $70 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
Show more (1 item)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How many members of your household use the internet?
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
This guide leverages an in-house artificial intelligence tool called RAMP, which is trained on our own writing and uses our database to generate content about specific internet service providers that our writers can use in determining and presenting our picks for a given guide. Check CNET’s AI policy for more information about how our teams use (and don’t use) AI tools.
Because our database is not exhaustive, we go to the FCC’s website to check the primary data for ourselves and make sure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we input local addresses on provider websites to find the specific options available to residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time of our prepublication fact-check.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. To explore our process in more depth, you can visit our page on how we test ISPs.
Fast internet is widely available in Arlington -- 95% of the city can get 250Mbps speeds, compared to 83% of Texas -- but residents don’t have as many options as they do in other cities. AT&T Fiber is widely available, and if you can get it, you should. It’s the only ISP in the area that has symmetrical upload and download speeds, and the monthly prices are reasonable -- and don’t automatically increase over time the way Spectrum's sometimes do. T-Mobile Home Internet offers an affordable option throughout Arlington, but it doesn’t offer the same high speeds as AT&T and Spectrum.
What is the best internet service provider in Arlington?
AT&T Fiber is the best internet service provider in Arlington. It was named the best fiber internet provider in the US by CNET and received the highest customer satisfaction score in the 2023 American Customer Satisfaction Index survey. AT&T offers five plans in Arlington, with symmetrical speeds between 300Mbps and 5,000Mbps and prices ranging from $55 to $245. Equipment is included with every AT&T Fiber plan and there are no data caps or contracts required.
Is fiber internet available in Arlington?
Yes, fiber internet is available in Arlington through AT&T. The provider offers symmetrical upload and download speeds up to 5,000Mbps throughout the city.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Arlington?
The cheapest internet provider in Arlington is Spectrum. Spectrum offers three different plans ranging from 100Mbps to 1,000Mbps, with plans starting as low as $30 a month. Spectrum’s prices increase significantly once the promotional rate expires in Year 2 or 3.
Which internet provider in Arlington offers the fastest plan?
The internet provider in Arlington that offers the fastest plan is AT&T Fiber. Its AT&T Fiber Internet 5000 plan provides symmetrical upload and download speeds of 5,000Mbps.
Source: cnet.com