Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Many other broadband choices exist in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area beyond our top three picks. Some are outside the Dallas city limits but can be found well within the immediate suburbs. Others may only be in small pockets farther away from the city center. In most cases, each provider offers something enticing, even with some glaring issues.
How many members of your household use the internet?
The average starting price for internet service in Dallas is approximately $46 per month, but a few providers offer plans cheaper than that. The absolute lowest starting price you can find currently belongs to Astound Broadband. It features a 300Mbps plan with a promo price of $20 per month.
Residents in downtown Dallas won't be able to get Astound's cheap internet, but serviceability reaches out to Flower Mound, Frisco, Fairview, Little Elm and McKinney.
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
The best internet deals and top promotions in Dallas depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Dallas internet providers, such as Astound Broadband and Optimum, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including AT&T, Frontier and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Dallas disappoints when you compare its home internet speeds to some of the other top cities in the US. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area boasts the country's fourth-largest population, but according to Ookla's most recent reporting, Dallas managed only a 98th-place finish among the 100 most populated cities in the US. That puts it right behind Seattle and just above Detroit and Atlanta. This may seem competitive, but it's well behind other Texas towns such as Austin, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Fort Worth and San Antonio -- all of which made the top 15.
Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Frontier Fiber 5 Gig Read full review | $130 ($140 after 12 months) | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
AT&T Fiber 5000 Read full review | $245 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
AT&T Fiber 2000 Read full review | $145 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
Frontier Fiber 2 Gig Read full review | $100 ($110 after 12 months) | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
Astound 1500 Read full review | $55 | 1,500Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Cable |
Astound 1000 Read full review | $45 | 1,000Mbps | 50Mbps | None | Cable |
AT&T Fiber 1000 Read full review | $80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
Frontier Fiber 1 Gig Read full review | $65 ($75 after 12 months) | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review | $80 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
Optimum Gig Read full review | $80 | 940Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Internet service 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. What’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
It doesn't end there: We use the FCC's website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for 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 publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
While the answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our page on how we test ISPs.
As we like to say in our CNET home internet reviews, fiber internet trumps cable broadband almost every time. So if you have access to any of the AT&T Fiber plans -- or, if you're in the suburbs, Frontier Fiber -- that will be your best bet. Cable providers like Spectrum, Astound, and Optimum offer reliable connections and plenty of fast plans to suit just about any household. Be sure to avoid data caps, and if you're serviceable for providers like AT&T or Frontier, ensure you can get their fiber plans and don't have to settle for a slower, spottier DSL connection.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Dallas?
If you're looking for the cheapest service in Dallas, Astound Broadband's option of 300Mbps for $20 per month is the absolute lowest you can pay monthly. Just beware of a steep price jump after the promo period ends.
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Is fiber internet service available in Dallas?
Yes. Several internet providers offer fiber connections within the greater Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area. AT&T and Frontier have the fastest plans, each with a 5Gbps tier with symmetrical speeds. One thing to note is that each of those ISPs also has DSL plans, so do your homework to ensure you're getting their fiber offering and not DSL.
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Which internet provider in Dallas offers the fastest plan?
AT&T and Frontier have the fastest plans in Big D, featuring symmetrical download and upload speeds of 5,000Mbps. They each also have a 2-gig plan. Among cable internet providers, Astound Broadband boasts a 1,500Mbps plan, the fastest cable internet package in the Dallas metro area. Lastly, according to Ookla's most recent findings, AT&T has the fastest average download speeds in Dallas, clocking in with a median download speed of approximately 265Mbps.
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Source: cnet.com