What are the best internet providers in College Station?
Optimum, College Station’s largest cable internet provider, is CNET’s top choice for residential internet for most homes. Optimum serves many addresses in College Station and offers some of the cheapest and fastest plans in the area. T-Mobile Home Internet and Frontier Fiber are other options for home broadband, but it depends on what’s available in your area. Nextlink may also be available in some homes, but its price is higher than T-Mobile’s fixed wireless service.
Shopping for the most affordable plan or fastest speeds in College Station? We’ve found it for you, too. Optimum’s 300 Mbit/s plan is the cheapest at just $40 per month. For super-fast connectivity, check out Frontier Fiber’s $155/month service. The service offers symmetrical download and upload speeds of up to 5 Gigabits.
CNET recommends the best internet service in College Station across several categories, considering speed, pricing, customer service, and overall value. Our evaluations include reference to a proprietary database built over many years of reviewing Internet services. Verify against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. Also, read your provider’s terms and conditions and, if necessary, call your ISP for more information.
While we strive to find the most up-to-date and accurate information, there are some limitations to our process that you should be aware of. Price and speed data is subject to change. Certain addresses may have different tiers of service, and monthly costs may vary even within the same city. The best way to identify a particular option is to enter the address on the provider’s website.
In addition, the prices, speeds, and other information listed on the provider cards above and below may differ from what our research reveals. The card displays the full range of prices and speeds from providers across the United States, according to a database of plan information provided directly by your ISP. At the same time, the text is specific to what is available at College Station. The prices referenced within the body of this article are based on our research and include discounts for setting up automatic monthly payments, an industry standard service. Discounts and promotions may also be available when you sign a term contract or bundle multiple services.
For more information on how we vet internet providers, please see our full methodology page.
Best Internet in College Station, Texas in 2024
300～940 Mbps
$40 – $80 per month
Our view – Optimum is available to more than 76% of households in College Station, according to Federal Communications Commission data. Optimum’s network offers three plans with download speeds ranging from 300Mbps up to 940Mbps. Prices start at $40 per month, making it the cheapest home internet option available in the area.
300～940 Mbps
$40 – $80 per month
fixed wireless
72～245 Mbps
$60 per month
Our view – T-Mobile Home Internet and Nextlink square off for the No. 2 spot in College Station, with T-Mobile Home Internet outperforming the competition. This fixed wireless provider’s speeds are only 245Mbps, but it’s especially attractive for eligible mobile users who can save $20 per month. Plus, T-Mobile Home Internet has no data caps, contracts, or device fees.
fixed wireless
72～245 Mbps
$60 per month
500 – 5,000 Mbps
$50 – $155 per month
Our view – If you’re looking for fiber optic connectivity in College Station, Frontier Fiber is the place to go. In addition to offering symmetrical speeds up to 5 Gigabits and a low price of $45 per month, all plans come with unlimited data and equipment, and no annual commitments. Be careful not to get stuck with this provider’s extremely slow DSL network.
500 – 5,000 Mbps
$50 – $155 per month
College Station Internet Provider Comparison
| provider | internet technology | Monthly price range | speed range | Monthly equipment costs | data limit | contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| frontier communications | DSL, fiber | $45-$155 | 500～5,000Mbps | none | none | none | 6.3 |
| Next link | fixed wireless | $60-$80 | 50-300Mbps | none | none | 2 years | Not applicable |
| optimal | cable | $40-$80 | 300-940Mbps | none | none | none | 6.2 |
| The rise of broadband | fixed wireless | $45-$55 | 25-50Mbps | $10 modem. Router (optional) from $5 to $15 | none | None, but required for some promotions | 6.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | fixed wireless | $60 ($40 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max mobile customers) | 72-245Mbps | none | none | none | 7.4 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What are the cheapest internet plans in College Station?
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to Find Internet Sales and Promotions in College Station
The best internet deals and top promotions in College Station depend on the discounts available during the period. Most sales have a short shelf life, but we check frequently for the latest offers.
College Station internet providers such as Optimum, Nextlink, and Rise Broadband may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. However, some companies, such as Frontier, apply the same standard rate throughout the year.
For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide to the best internet deals.
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Fastest Internet Plans in College Station
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is a good internet speed?
Most internet connectivity plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that supports video conferencing, streaming video, and gaming, you’ll enjoy a better experience with a more robust connection. According to the FCC, here’s a summary of recommended minimum download speeds for various applications: Please note that these are just guidelines and internet speed, service and performance will vary depending on connection type, provider and address.
For more information, see our guide to the internet speed you actually need.
- At 0-5Mbps, you can tackle basic tasks like browsing the Internet, sending and receiving emails, and streaming low-quality videos.
- 5-40Mbps allows for higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
- 40-100Mbps provides a single user with enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern work-from-home, video streaming, and online gaming.
- 100-500Mbps allows one or two users to simultaneously participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming, and gaming.
- 500-1,000Mbps allows three or more users to participate in high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.
How CNET chooses the best internet providers in College Station
There are many Internet service providers and they vary by region. Unlike modern smartphones, laptops, routers, and kitchen tools, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a particular city. So what is our approach? We start by researching pricing, availability, and speed information using our own historical ISP data, provider sites, and mapping information from FCC.gov.
But that’s not the end. We went to the FCC’s website and checked the data to ensure we considered all ISPs serving the area. Also, enter your local address on the provider’s website to find specific options for residents. Consult sources such as the US Customer Satisfaction Index and his JD Power to rate how satisfied customers are with their ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices may change frequently. All information provided is accurate at the time of publication.
Once you have this localized information, ask three main questions:
- Does your provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Are customers getting value for their money?
- Are your customers satisfied with your service?
The answers to these questions are often layered and complex, but the provider that comes closest to a “yes” to all three is recommended. When choosing the cheapest internet service, look for the plan with the lowest monthly fee, although you also consider factors such as markups, equipment fees, and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively easy. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and also consider actual speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To find out more about our process, check out our page on how we test ISPs.
College Station Internet Provider FAQs
Who is the best internet service provider in College Station?
Optimum’s extensive coverage makes it stand out from other College Station providers, but Optimum also offers simple service details and cheap broadband prices.
Is fiber internet available in College Station?
Fiber internet is available in just under 37% of College Station addresses. Frontier Fiber is the region’s largest fiber optic provider, but some households may be able to get service on his Pavlov Media fiber optic network.
Where is the cheapest internet provider in College Station?
Optimum offers the cheapest internet plans in College Station, starting at $40 per month for 300Mbps.
Which internet provider offers the fastest plans in College Station?
Frontier Fiber’s 5 Gigabit plan is the fastest speed available in College Station and costs $155 per month with no data caps.
