Best Internet Providers in Wichita, Kansas

CNET's analysis shows that AT&T Fiber is the best internet service provider in the country. That's good news for Wichita residents as AT&T has significantly expanded its footprint in the region over the last few years. It offers a compelling alternative to long-term options like Cox.

In 2020, Wichita residents received an average download speed of 94Mbps (the number typically used when referring to internet speed); today, that number is up to 266Mbps, according to Ookla's latest list of the cities with the fastest internet speed. That's still behind neighboring metros Oklahoma City and Kansas City but good enough to rank above the national average for connection speed. Internet speed in Wichita may continue to increase as AT&T fulfills its plan to expand its fiber service to 10,000 more Wichita residents by the end of 2024, targeting multidwelling units. 

Our team considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Wichita across a variety of categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.

Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data is variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different tiers of service and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider's website. 

Note that the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs, while the text is specific to what's available in Wichita. The prices referenced within this article's text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month -- a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might be available as well, for things like committing to a contract or bundling with a cellphone plan. 

To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.

Best internet options in Wichita

Wichita residents have several solid options, whether ultrafast gig speeds or inexpensive service is the priority. We think AT&T Fiber is the best option for most people, but Cox and T-Mobile are both solid backup options.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

What other internet options are there in Wichita?

Though we think the three picks highlighted above are the best internet providers in Wichita, you do have a few other options. 

• KwiKom: A local provider of internet, telephone and television services, KwiKom offers plans that are available to roughly 65% of Wichita residents. The company offers fixed wireless and fiber internet service, but you'll have to fill out a request form to order fiber service, and there's a hefty $95 installation fee. Monthly prices range from $55 to $105.
• Nextlink: Nextlink is another local provider that offers fixed wireless internet in Wichita. For most households, T-Mobile Home Internet is the faster and more affordable fixed wireless option.
• Satellite internet: Available almost everywhere in the country, satellite internet is usually what you get when you can't get anything else. HughesNet offers slightly faster speeds than its main rival, Viasat, which offers higher monthly data caps. One intriguing satellite option is Starlink from SpaceX, which offers a respectable 67Mbps but requires a $599 upfront payment for equipment.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Though it's available to only 18% of Wichita households, Verizon's 5G Home Internet is a solid deal featuring unlimited data, no contracts, free equipment and a 50% discount for eligible Verizon Wireless customers. There are two plans available in most areas: $50 per month for download speeds up to 100Mbps and $70 for up to 300Mbps.

Wichita internet pricing

Residents of Wichita have a range of internet options for various budgets. The average starting price for internet in the city is $54 monthly, which is slightly higher than other cities CNET has analyzed thus far. T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet both have plans for $50 per month, but you can get a significant discount with both if you have an eligible cellular plan.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

Wichita internet speeds

Residents of Wichita can access several multigigabit plans, which aren't common across the country. Cox Communications offers cable internet speeds up to 2,000Mbps, while AT&T Fiber offers speeds up to 5,000Mbps in some city areas.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

What's the final word on internet providers in Wichita?

Overall, Wichita residents have some excellent options to choose from for internet service. If you can get it, AT&T Fiber is the best provider in the area. While Cox offers comparable download speeds, its upload speeds are much lower, and you could be looking at dramatic price hikes after the promotional rate expires. T-Mobile Home Internet is another solid option at $50 per month if you don't need particularly high speeds. 

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Wichita

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike with the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So 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 isn't 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. To evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service, we look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power. 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: 

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? 
2. Do customers get decent value for what they're paying? 
3. Are customers happy with their service? 

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to "yes" on all three are the ones we recommend. To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page. 

Wichita internet FAQs