What is the best internet provider in Montgomery?
Fast speeds, low pricing and simple service terms, including unlimited data, make WideOpenWest, or WOW, the best internet service provider in Montgomery, Alabama. The cable internet provider offers the cheapest internet plan in Montgomery, starting at $30 per month for speeds up to 300 megabits per second. That’s $10 cheaper than the same speeds from Spectrum and $25 cheaper than AT&T Fiber’s 300Mbps plan. Other WOW plans, ranging from 600 to 1,200Mbps, are also competitively priced.
Between Spectrum and WOW, cable internet is available to around 85% of Montgomery households, though Spectrum has slightly higher availability than WOW. If you’re looking for fiber internet, AT&T Fiber and C Spire are the area’s leading fiber providers. AT&T Fiber has the best availability, while C Spire offers the fastest multigigabit speeds in Montgomery, up to 8,000Mbps.
Similarly, T-Mobile Home Internet boasts the best fixed wireless broadband coverage in Montgomery, but Verizon 5G Home Internet has faster speed potential. Both providers offer a mobile bundle discount, so your home’s best fixed wireless provider may depend on your wireless service carrier, T-Mobile or Verizon.
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Montgomery across several 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 are variable: certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, 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.
Also, 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 Montgomery. 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 also be available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Montgomery, Alabama
100 – 1,200 Mbps
$20 – $95 per month
Our take – Speeds and pricing are two of the most important considerations when choosing an internet provider and plan. WOW offers fast speeds, 300 to 1,200Mbps, and the lowest introductory pricing in Montgomery. All plans now come with unlimited data and no contract requirements.
100 – 1,200 Mbps
$20 – $95 per month
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per month
Our take – Fiber internet is preferable for its fast, symmetrical speeds and superior reliability. AT&T Fiber is Montgomery’s largest fiber internet provider, offering speeds of 300 to 5,000Mbps over a 100% fiber-optic network. The contract-free service includes free equipment and unlimited data, which have helped the ISP earn high customer satisfaction.
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per month
100 – 1,000 Mbps
$30- $90 per month
Our take – Spectrum has the best availability of any non-satellite internet provider in Montgomery, covering just over 83% of local households. Service isn’t as fast as other Montgomery ISPs at 300 to 1,000Mbps, but the straightforward pricing that includes unlimited data and free modem rental (router rental is optional, $7 per month) makes Spectrum an option worth considering.
100 – 1,000 Mbps
$30- $90 per month
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Our take – Simple setup and customer-friendly service terms — no contracts, equipment fees or data caps — make T-Mobile Home Internet an enticing home internet choice, even if speeds are slower than most. Overall value will depend on the speeds you can get, somewhere between 72 and 245Mbps.
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Montgomery, Alabama, internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Read full review |
DSL, fiber | $55 DSL, $55-$225 fiber | 10-100Mbps DSL, 300-5,000Mbps fiber | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| C Spire | Fiber | $45-$325 | 500-8,000Mbps | $13 (optional) | None | None | N/A |
|
Spectrum Read full review |
Cable | $30-$90 | 100-1,000Mbps | $5 (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $60 ($40-$50 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible mobile plans) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
| WideOpenWest | Cable | $30-$95 | 300-1,200Mbps | $10 (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
Show more (2 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Montgomery?
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| WOW Internet 300 | $30 | 300Mbps | $10 (optional) |
|
Spectrum Internet Read full review |
$40 | 300Mbps | $7 (optional) |
| C Spire Fiber 500 | $45 | 500Mbps | $13 (optional) |
| WOW Internet 600 | $45 | 600Mbps | $10 (optional) |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 300Mbps | None |
|
AT&T Fiber 300 Read full review |
$55 | 300Mbps | None |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$60 ($40-$5 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
Show more (3 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Montgomery
Montgomery’s best internet deals and top promotions depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Montgomery internet providers, such as WideOpenWest, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including AT&T Fiber, Spectrum and C Spire, run the same standard pricing year-round.
Fastest internet plans in Montgomery
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C Spire Fiber 8 Gig | $325 | 8,000Mbps | 8,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
AT&T Internet 5000 Read full review |
$225 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
AT&T Internet 2000 Read full review |
$125 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| C Spire Fiber 2 Gig | $90 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| WOW Internet 1.2 Gig | $95 | 1,200Mbps | 50Mbps | None | Cable |
|
AT&T Internet 1000 Read full review |
$80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review |
$90 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
| WOW Internet 1 Gig | $60 | 1,000Mbps | 50Mbps | None | Cable |
|
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review |
$70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
Show more (5 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s a good internet speed?
Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines — and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.
- 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics — browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
- 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Montgomery, Alabama
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. So 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.
But it doesn’t end there. We go to 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:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
- Are customers happy with their service?
While the answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that 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, though 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 how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in Montgomery, Alabama, FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Montgomery?
WideOpenWest, or WOW, is the best internet service provider in Montgomery. WOW is available to more than three-quarters of Montgomery households, second only to Spectrum among wired internet providers, and offers the cheapest internet in the area. WOW plans include unlimited data and no contract requirements.
Is fiber internet available in Montgomery?
Fiber internet is available to just over a quarter of Montgomery addresses, according to FCC data from June 2023. Serviceability is greatest around Alabama State University and the Wynlakes Golf and Country Club, though fiber service can be found in random neighborhoods throughout the city. AT&T Fiber is Montgomery’s largest fiber internet provider, while C Spire has a smaller yet growing local fiber presence.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Montgomery?
WideOpenWest has the cheapest internet in Montgomery, with service starting at $30 monthly for speeds up to 300Mbps. Other WOW plans, including 600Mbps and gig service, are competitively priced as well, starting at $45 and $60 per month, respectively.
Which internet provider in Montgomery offers the fastest plan?
Local fiber internet provider C Spire offers the fastest internet plan in Montgomery with symmetrical speeds up to 8,000Mbps. AT&T Fiber offers the next-fastest plan, up to 5,000Mbps, while both providers offer a 2,000Mbps plan. Cable internet providers WOW and Spectrum have slower max download and upload speeds. WOW offers a 1,200Mbps plan (50Mbps upload speeds), while top download speeds from Spectrum reach 1,000Mbps (35Mbps upload).
