Best Home Internet Providers of 2024 | Digital trends

You can’t always choose from a wide range of home internet providers (depending on your location), but even if your choice is limited, you still want to choose the right one. From price to speed, support and contract plans, choosing the right broadband provider can make a real difference to the service you receive. Here are our favorites.

Interested in getting a short term internet deal with a discount and bundled extras? Here are the best ones available right now.

AT&T Fiber

AT&T offers a variety of affordable Internet plans starting at $55 per month for download and upload speeds of up to 300 Mbps, up to its flagship Fiber 5000 package, which gets you download and upload speeds of up to 5,000 Mbps — though it comes with a price of 250 dollars per month. Data caps on its lowest-tier packages are generous, with 1.5TB for anything up to 50Mbps, and then unlimited data from 100Mbps up.

For additional value, you can bundle TV and mobile services, as well as software and internet security services. You can use AT&T hardware if you want, with options for professional installations, but you can also use your own cable modem and router if you prefer, allowing you to get greater performance or features without having to pay twice for the hardware.

If you want to use your own router, check our list of the best routers of 2024.

AT&T is available in 21 states, offering strong coverage but leaving many people unable to use its service. For those who like it, though, if you find you don’t like what AT&T has to offer, you can always switch to another company, since its plans don’t have a contract that locks you in for a set period.

Google Fiber

If you want the fastest fiber internet connection possible, Google Fiber is the service provider for you. It’s only available in 16 states, and even then only a few cities can use it. But if you can, the performance available is unprecedented, even extremely affordable.

Google only offers Gigabit+ internet packages and has symmetrical download and upload speeds. Its lowest offering is 1Gbps for $70 per month, but you can go up to 8Gbps in select locations for just $150 per month. You also get a terabyte of free cloud storage with all Google Fiber plans, and they include an optional network router and extender.

Although availability is extremely limited, Google is expanding its coverage until 2024, so even if you can’t use Google Fiber yet, that could change in the near future.

Verizon Fios

Verizon is one of the most widely available Internet service providers, with a presence in nearly all 50 states. While this may be a 5G connection option, this is a very viable way to get online with Verizon, though it also offers a variety of fiber and DSL packages.

Packages start at $50 for new customers, although existing Verizon mobile plan subscribers can get packages as low as $35 per month, making it worthwhile to bundle your subscriptions together. There are also cable TV packages, streaming service packages, and options for free gifts with a signup, like a pair of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses.

Verizon offers packages up to 2,000 Mbps upload and download for $110 per month, making it an affordable high-speed option. All plans come with no annual contracts or data limits, so you can download or stream as much as you want. You also get free setup and installation with Gigabit+ packages, and there are no hardware fees either. Router rental is included in the monthly fee.

Kinetic

Finding good internet in a rural location is tricky, but if you don’t want to rely on a satellite connection, Kinetic can often provide a fast and affordable alternative. Its cheapest packages start at just $40 for download and upload speeds of up to 300Mbps, including a year’s free cable modem rental (just remember you’ll start paying for it a year later) . There’s no data limit and no annual contract, so you can go away whenever you want. Kinetic’s packages top out at 8,000 Mbps, which is much more expensive, but has limited availability in some major cities.

Kinetic offers coverage in 18 states, with a primary focus on the US East and Southeast, but particularly focuses on more rural regions where traditional Internet connectivity is harder to reach. If you find you’re not covered by Kinetic, check out the 5G packages available through Verizon and AT&T.

T-Mobile Internet

If you want an Internet service provider that offers direct, high-speed Internet without the bells and whistles and complicated packaging, T-Mobile is the provider for you. It doesn’t offer the fastest fiber speeds, but its simple package options make the sign-up and setup process easier than most.

Your speed will depend on your location, but T-Mobile guarantees a 25 Mbps connection everywhere — T-Mobile has nearly full coverage of all 50 states with 4G and 5G connections — and typical connection speeds are between 72 Mbps and 250 Mbps. This means there are no gigabit speed options, but outside of those doing the biggest downloads and uploads, this isn’t strictly necessary.

Home internet packages start at $50 per month for unlimited data and a 5G Wi-Fi modem/router, or you can pay $70 per month for the highest-performance version, which also includes video support for devices your connected. There are options to include a phone line and you can activate extra features like home booking services if you want, but there’s no annual contract and no data caps to worry about.

Comcast Xfinity

If you’re looking to get online for the lowest price possible, Comcast Xfinity is the most affordable of the lot. Its standard plans start at $20 a month with a $15 a month modem rental fee, but it also offers a special Internet Essentials plan for low-income families that gets you 50 Mbps Internet for just $10 a month. These super low-cost plans don’t have a data cap or cancellation fee, and there’s no monthly rental fee either. If you live in one of the 35 states where Xfinity operates and you qualify, it’s a super affordable way to get online.

Even for those who don’t, however, you can get speeds of up to 2,000 Mbps for $120 a month, though that availability depends on your region. There is a monthly modem rental fee if you use the included equipment. You can use your modem and router, but then Xfinity puts a 1.2TB data cap, which isn’t ideal.