Best Internet Service Providers in Richardson, Texas

What is the best internet provider in Richardson?

AT&T Fiber is the best overall internet provider for many homes in Richardson. With consistent speeds and no data caps or monthly equipment costs, it’s a great choice for home internet in the city. If AT&T Fiber isn’t available at your address, Spectrum and T-Mobile are solid choices that offer unlimited data.

If you’re hunting for low monthly costs in Richardson, Astound Broadband offers a 300 megabits per second connection for $20 a month. Astound’s coverage is limited in the area, so Spectrum’s 100Mbps at $30 per month may be the cheapest option for many residents. For those who need speed, the fastest internet speed available in the city is 5,000Mbps, provided by AT&T Fiber for $245 per month.

The best internet in Richardson, Texas

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other internet providers available in Richardson

• Amazing Broadband: While Astound Broadband is not available to most Richardson residents, some families may be able to access service in nearby Dallas, Frisco or McKinney. Astound offers speeds of up to 1,500Mbps for just $55, so it’s worth checking out to see if it’s an option for you.
• The Frontier: If you live near Garland or Plano, you probably work for Frontier Communications. Frontier has great prices for one of the top speeds offered in Richardson.
• Rise Broadband: This wireless internet provider offers plans starting at $55 per month with speeds up to 50Mbps. Rise Broadband is available in areas around Garland and Plano.
• Satellite Internet: Of course, satellite internet from Hughesnet, Viasat or Starlink is an option wherever you live. But it shouldn’t be your first choice — with high prices and slow speeds, there are cheaper and faster options available.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Available in about 34% of Richardson households, Verizon 5G Home Internet can reach speeds of up to 250Mbps. You can choose between two plans: $50 per month 50-85Mbps and $70 per month 85-250Mbps. No plan requires a contract or monthly fees for equipment; data is unlimited.

Cheap internet options in Richardson

Astound Broadband offers 300Mbps for $20 per month for those looking for the cheapest option possible. However, many residents in the area will not be served by Astound Broadband, according to the FCC map. A widely accessible cheap broadband option is Spectrum’s Advantage plan, which offers download speeds of 100Mbps for just $30 a month.

What is the cheapest online program in Richardson?

Source: CNET analysis of supplier data.

How to find Richardson’s online deals and promotions

The best online deals and top Richardson promotions depend on what discounts are available at the time. Most deals are temporary, but we often check for the latest offers.

Richardson’s Internet providers, such as Spectrum and Astound Broadband, may offer low introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including AT&T and Verizon, use flat rates throughout the year.

For the most comprehensive list of promos, check out our guide to the best online deals.

How fast is Richardson’s broadband?

The latest Ookla speed test data ranks Texas as the 15th fastest broadband state, with an average download speed of 224Mbps. In Richardson, Ookla reports that the city’s average download speed is about 318Mbps, surpassing the state average and the nearby city of Dallas’ speed of 143Mbps. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

If you’re looking for express programs in Richardson, you have several providers. AT&T Fiber offers speeds of up to 5Gbps, the fastest home Internet. AT&T’s fastest plan will cost you $245 a month. Spectrum offers 1 gig of speed for $70 every month if you only have access to a cable connection.

Fastest online programs in Richardson

Source: CNET analysis of supplier data.

What is the best internet speed?

Most Internet connection systems can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an Internet plan that can accommodate video conferencing, streaming video or playing games, you’ll have a better experience with a stronger connection. Here’s an overview of the minimum recommended download speeds for various apps, according to the FCC. Note that these are guidelines only 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 lets you deal with the basics: browsing the Internet, sending and receiving email and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you high quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should provide one person with enough bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telephony, video streaming and Internet gaming.
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, live streaming and online gaming all at the same time.

How CNET picked the best Internet providers in Richardson

Internet service providers are many and varied. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen appliance, it is not possible to manually test every internet service provider in a particular city. What is our approach? First, we access a database of rates, availability and speeds that we pull from our ISP’s historical data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

That’s not all: We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we consider every ISP that provides service in the area. We also include local addresses on provider websites to provide residents with specific options. We look to sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to assess how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as published.

Once we have this location information, we ask three main questions:

• Does the provider offer access to fast internet speeds?
• Are customers getting a decent value for what they are paying for?
• Are customers happy with their service?

The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but the providers who come closest to saying “yes” to all three are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fees, although we also take into account factors such as price increases, equipment costs and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources such as Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, visit the How We Test ISPs page.

What is the final word on internet providers in Richardson?

While you may have to go with whatever provider is available in your home, there are still many fast plans and affordable options in Richardson. AT&T Fiber ranks as a top choice for residents because of its rated download and upload speeds and convenient service details. If you want to bundle your TV and Internet service, Spectrum is the best option in town. For smaller households, T-Mobile Home Internet is also a strong choice locally and may fit home Internet needs better.

Online providers at Richardson FAQs