Best Internet Providers in Memphis, Tennessee
What is the best internet provider in Memphis?
Memphis has a lot of great music, great food, and the largest bass shop in the world. What it doesn’t have is a lot home internet service provider. The lack of ISP competition is reflected in the city’s ranking of 88th in 2017. Internet speed rankings from Speedtest.net Among the 100 most populous cities in the United States. The good news is that while options are limited, the providers available to you in the area are among the best.
AT&Tour pick for the best internet provider in Memphis, Fast fiber has been rolled out in some parts of town unlimited A variety of cable plans are available with affordable options and reasonable speeds, including 2,000 megabits per second plans. fixed wireless provider Verizon and T-Mobile If your address has space, these alternatives may work well.
CNET examines customer service, speed, pricing and overall value before recommending the best broadband in your area. All prices listed on this page reflect discounts available when setting up paperless billing. If you decide not to opt for automatic monthly payments, your price will be higher. Let’s explore the best ways to get online in Memphis.
Best Internet Providers in Memphis, Tennessee
Choosing an ISP in Memphis depends on the services available at your address. AT&T Fiber is a top choice for fast speeds and simple pricing, but it may not run to your home. Xfinity is a solid runner-up thanks to fairly fast cable speeds and a variety of plans. If none of these work for you, get affordable internet with a fixed wireless network when bundled with an eligible phone plan.
notes: Prices, speeds, and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed on the product detail card, which represents the provider’s country offering. Your specific Internet service options, including price and speed, depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.
Overview of internet providers in Memphis
provider | Internet technology | monthly price range | speed range | Monthly equipment cost | data cap | contract | CNET Review Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AT&T Fiber Read full review |
fiber | $55-$245 | 300-5,000Mbps | without any | without any | without any | 7.4 |
AT&T Internet Airlines Read full review |
fixed wireless | $55 | 768Kbps-100Mbps | without any | 1.5TB (100Mbps plan with no data cap) | without any | 7.4 |
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$50 for eligible mobile customers) | 72-245Mbps | without any | without any | without any | 7.4 |
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible mobile customers) | 50-250Mbps | without any | without any | without any | 7.2 |
unlimited Read full review |
cable | $30-$95 | 150-2,000Mbps | different | 1.2TB | different | 7 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
All available Memphis residential internet providers
AT&T Fiber, Xfinity, and Verizon 5G Home Internet are the top picks for Memphis ISPs, but there are other options. It’s hard to recommend AT&T Internet Air and its slow service, but T-Mobile’s fixed wireless internet can be a usable alternative for budget-conscious households with wired-only service.
- AT&T Internet:AT&T Fiber is better than the company’s AT&T Internet Air option. Speeds typically top out at 100Mbps, but many locations only get much slower service, sometimes as low as 768Kbps. No matter which speed is offered, you’ll see a $55 per month price tag, data caps on most speed tiers, and potential price increases after a year. If your cable TV service is extremely slow with AT&T Internet Air or Xfinity, choose Xfinity.
- T-Mobile Home Internet: T-Mobile is a solid alternative to slow DSL or expensive cable internet plans. For $50 a month, you can get speeds from 72 to 245Mbps with no contracts, data caps, or equipment costs. The company typically charges a $35 service fee when you get started, but it also offers a $50 rewards card to make it even easier. Bundle it with a qualifying phone plan and you can get home internet for just $30 per month.
- satellite internet: With few ISP options to choose from in Memphis, you may want to investigate satellite internet Starlink, Via Satellite or hughes network. Satellite internet can be pricey, and the speeds may not wow you, but for rural areas, it’s a useful option. Starlink’s mobile plans This is attractive for experienced travelers and anyone who needs to work on the road or in remote areas.
Memphis Broadband at a Glance
Xfinity and AT&T Fiber are both worthy competitors on the Internet, with Xfinity leading the pack with low-cost plans (but watch for price increases in the future). Verizon and T-Mobile make strong arguments with simple plans and pricing and great deals bundled with phone service.
Pricing information for Memphis home internet services
The average price for home Internet in Memphis starts at just under $50. If you have room for $50 or $55 in your budget, you can easily shop at any regional ISP. Of course, you can go to the other extreme if necessary. AT&T Fiber’s 5,000Mbps plan costs $245 per month, but also gets you some of the fastest residential internet speeds in the neighborhood.
Cheap internet options in the Memphis metro area
There are several plans vying to be the cheapest internet service in Memphis. Xfinity’s 150Mbps tier costs $35 per month for the first year, but compare that to the ISP’s other offerings. When you bundle it with a qualifying cell phone plan, the closest price competitors are T-Mobile and Verizon. AT&T Fiber’s $55 plan for 300Mbps service is the cheapest fiber offering. This is a reasonable entry point for fiber optics, and worth a look for budget buyers who need fast uploads.
What are the cheapest internet plans in Memphis?
provider | starting price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment fee | contract |
---|---|---|---|---|
Xfinity connection Read full review |
$35 | 150Mbps | $10-$25 (optional) | without any |
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 250Mbps | without any | without any |
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | without any | without any |
AT&T Fiber Read full review |
$55 | 300Mbps | without any | without any |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How fast is broadband in Memphis?
Memphis doesn’t rank high on Ookla’s ranking of internet speeds among the largest U.S. cities (Ookla and CNET are owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis). latest Statistics from Speedtest.net The median fixed download speed is shown to be around 185Mbps. To be fair, this is doable for most internet users. Good news comes from Xfinity’s gigabit X2 plans and AT&T Fiber’s 1,000Mbps, 2,000Mbps and 5,000Mbps offerings. These speeds are cause for celebration. Check out our guide to the best multi-gigabit internet plans.
Memphis’ fastest internet provider
AT&T is the leader in Memphis, with a 5,000Mbps fiber plan priced at $245 per month. If your address can use it and you need this kind of speed, you’re in luck. Xfinity is the next closest competitor, with its Gigabit X2, a 2,000Mbps plan that costs $95 per month for the first 24 months. It offers unlimited data all the time and no contract to go along with the tasty price tag. That puts the Gigabit X2 into serious competition with AT&T’s 2,000Mbps speed tier ($145). Xfinity has the advantage in availability in Memphis, but AT&T Fiber takes the crown for fastest upload speeds.
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the Final Decision About Memphis Internet Providers?
I’m a proponent of fiber if you can get it. Download speed is fast. Fast upload. What’s not to like? If you’re lucky and AT&T Fiber serves your address, I’d recommend prioritizing that as your first choice. However, Xfinity could pick up where AT&T left off. It has always been the backbone of the US ISP field, and its Relatively new Gigabit X2 plans Making it a solid choice for power users who need multi-gigabit speeds. If you’re faced with few choices or don’t like the ones you have, check out fixed wireless Internet service from Verizon or T-Mobile. You may find that it meets your needs well and saves you money.
CNET How to Choose the Best Internet Provider in Memphis
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. different from the latest cell phone, laptop, router or kitchen toolsit is impractical to personally test every ISP in a specific city. So what is our approach? We first looked at pricing, availability, and speed information based on our own historical ISP data, provider sites, and map information from the Federal Communications Commission. fcc.gov.
But it didn’t end there. We use the FCC’s website to check our data and make sure we account for every ISP that provides service in an area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. To gauge how satisfied people are with their ISP services, we looked at sources like the US Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power. ISP plans and prices may change frequently; all information provided is accurate as of publication time.
Once we have localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Are customers getting value for money?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
While the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, we recommend the provider that comes closest to a “yes” on these three questions.
To explore our processes in more depth, visit our How we test ISPs Page.
Memphis Internet Providers FAQs
Which internet provider in Memphis offers the fastest plans?
Is there fiber optic internet in Memphis?
Is Xfinity or AT&T Internet better in Memphis?
If AT&T Fiber serves your home, it’s an easy decision. Try fiber. But many households in Memphis have to choose between AT&T Internet Air, the company’s older service, and Xfinity. If you’re in this situation, you’ll find that Xfinity can provide you with faster speeds. Both ISPs impose data caps on most of their plans, but Xfinity offers a way around this slowdown if needed. Find unlimited data plans, or sign up to add xFi Complete to your plan. Read our comparison of Xfinity and AT&T.
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