Best Internet Providers in Tampa, Florida
What is the best internet provider in Tampa, FL?
Among all the wonderful things Tampa has to offer—including beautiful sunsets, oceanfront real estate, and rich culture—it also has some great internet options. Based on customer service reviews, pricing and overall value for money, Cutting edge fiber optics is the best overall internet provider in Tampa.
However, if Frontier Fiber is not available at your address, there are many other options Internet service provider options Worth a look. Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet If you’re already a wireless customer with either provider, this can be an excellent budget option since they offer discounts on internet service when you bundle. spectrum Also offers strong coverage and competitive pricing in the Tampa area.
Best Internet Service Providers in Tampa
I believe Frontier Fiber offers the best speed and value, but Spectrum or wireless options like Verizon 5G Home Internet Might suit your needs too. I’ve listed the top internet providers in Tampa, including their plans and prices, to help you choose the right ISP. Please note that prices reflect the discount for paperless billing; choosing not to sign up will result in a higher rate.
notes: Prices, speeds, and features mentioned in this article may differ from those shown in the product detail card, which reflects the provider’s country offerings. The Internet service options available to you, including price and speed, will depend on your specific address and may differ from those detailed here.
All available Tampa home internet providers
The providers mentioned above are not the only ones serving Tampa, but they are the ones I recommend the most. Here’s a quick comparison of the practical internet options available in the Tampa area.
Tampa internet provider details at a glance
| provider | Pricing | Download speed range (Mbps) | Equipment cost | CNET Review Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| earth connection Read full review |
$65-$190 | 500-5,000 | $13 | 6.3 |
| Cutting edge fiber optics Read full review |
$30-$300 | 200-7,000 | without any | 6.3 |
| spectrum Read full review |
$50-$70 | 500-1,000 | $10 | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$50-$70 ($30-50 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245 | without any | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible mobile plans) | 50-250 | without any | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Top Tampa ISP Honorable Mention
earth connection: EarthLink, a name almost as old as home internet itself, now offers its services by piggybacking on the networks of other providers and municipalities. Therefore, you may have to pay more for services compared to other providers. Pricing and speeds vary by location, but all plans come with a one-year contract.
fast system: Local fixed wireless provider Rapid Systems is a good choice for internet in rural Central Florida, but prices are higher and speeds are lower in the Tampa Bay area. You’ll want to check out other Internet options at your address before choosing Rapid Systems, as residential pricing in Hillsborough County starts at $79 per month with top speeds of 10Mbps.
T-Mobile Home Internet: With speeds ranging from 72-245Mbps and prices starting at $50 per month ($30 for qualifying Magenta Max customers), T-Mobile competes with Verizon on: 5G home internet. While T-Mobile doesn’t have the same speed potential, it does have greater coverage than Verizon, making it an excellent choice for home internet in suburban and rural areas outside of Tampa.
open west: You won’t find WideOpenWest (aka WOW) in Tampa, but it’s available in much of the Tampa Bay area, including Clearwater, East Lake, Oldsmar, and St. Petersburg. This cable internet provider is a great choice for low-cost, high-speed internet, with service starting at $25 per month and speeds up to 100Mbps.
satellite internet: hughes network, Via Satellite It’s even possible Starlink These services are available in Tampa, but there are many other cheaper, faster options in the area to avoid having to settle for satellite internet.
How much does internet cost in Tampa?
Internet costs in Tampa depend on the provider and plan you choose. The cheapest internet plan in Tampa costs $50 per month, plus tax, unless you qualify for a discount from Verizon or T-Mobile.
Cheapest Internet Plans in Tampa
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Internet options for low-income families in Tampa
The financial threshold for home internet service in Tampa is $50 per month, which is slightly higher than the rest of Florida. Therefore, you may want to look for more affordable internet services.
Spectrum offers discounted internet plans designed to help low-income families stay connected. Spectrum Internet Assist plans offer download speeds up to 50Mbps and start at $25 per month.
Frontier does not have a special low-income program like Spectrum.
How fast is the internet in Tampa?
According to the latest Ookla (disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET Ziff Davis) speed test data, Florida ranks third in speed tests. Q4 2023 The fastest median download speed in the United States is about 238Mbps. Tampa’s download speeds were slightly slower than the state’s, ranking 50th overall among U.S. cities, with a median download speed of 232Mbps.
Spectrum’s fastest median speed is 267Mbps in Tampa.
Many factors go into a speed test, such as using Wi-Fi and your internet plan’s maximum speed, but the Tampa speed test results are impressive and a good indication of the speeds you can experience with Spectrum and Frontier.
The slowest available plan from both providers (excluding Spectrum’s Internet Assist) has download speeds of up to 500Mbps. Both providers offer faster plans, with EarthLink offering speeds of up to 5,000Mbps in select areas.
Fastest Internet Plans in Tampa
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
CNET How to choose the best internet provider in Tampa
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. 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.
It doesn’t end there: We went to the FCC’s website to check our data and make sure we accounted for every ISP offering service in a certain area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. To assess customer satisfaction with ISP services, we looked at sources including 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?
The answers to these questions are often layered and complex, but we recommend the provider that comes closest to a “yes” on these three questions.
To explore our process in more depth, please visit our pages: How we test ISPs.
Tampa Home Internet FAQs
Is the internet good in Tampa?
The latest Ookla speed test data shows Tampa’s median download speed in the fourth quarter of 2023 was 298Mbps, ranking 50th among all major U.S. cities. Frontier Fiber is perhaps the most significant contributor to high speeds, with its lowest speed tier offering a maximum download speed of 500Mbps.
However, the spectrum does not cover the entire Tampa area. Verizon 5G Home Internet or T-Mobile Home Internet’s wireless broadband connections (with speeds of 50 to 250 Mbps and 72 to 245 Mbps, respectively) can help Tampa residents stay connected when wired service is unavailable.
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