What is the best internet provider in Las Cruces, New Mexico?

Xfinity is CNET's top pick for the best internet service provider in Las Cruces, thanks to its wide availability throughout the city. It’s also the only cable connection available. But if you want the cheapest and fastest internet plans in Las Cruces, Xfinity is the provider for you. Plan prices go up after a year or two, so be prepared for a bill increase though. However, despite the increase, some plans still offer a decent deal even at the regular rate. This cable giant has also made strides in its customer satisfaction ratings.

If Xfinity doesn't serve your address, you can pick between fixed wireless or satellite internet. While more susceptible to network disruption than wired connections, and slower than Xfinity, they're decent alternatives. T-Mobile Home Internet is our favorite wireless provider in the area, and you can get great discounts for bundling with an eligible cellphone plan.

Need speed? Xfinity offers the fastest internet plan in the city, with download speeds of 1,200 megabits per second for $80 monthly. The cost per Mbps of its top-end plan is a very cheap 7 cents per Mbps. And if you want to save money, Xfinity also has a $20 monthly plan for 150Mbps.

Best internet in Las Cruces, New Mexico

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Las Cruces

• Verizon 5G Home Internet: According to the latest FCC data, this fixed wireless provider is available to about 52% of Las Cruces households. If you want to avoid a hike in prices from Xfinity after your promo period ends, this ISP is a great alternative. Verizon offers two plans for the area: a 100Mbps plan for $50 a month and a 300Mbps plan for $70. While 300Mbps might not be the fastest plan, you'll still be getting faster speeds than T-Mobile at 245Mbps. With Verizon, you can expect straightforward service terms: no contracts or data caps and the equipment is included at no extra cost.
• Satellite internet: While Starlink is taking the lead for the best satellite connection in the city, Hughesnet and Viasat also offer solid home broadband options. Hughesnet is the cheapest option of the three, with standard service starting at $50 a month for download speeds of 50Mbps. If you're looking for more speed, Starlink is the fastest satellite ISP, with speeds of up to 225Mbps. Viasat offers a singular plan for up to 150Mbps with no term agreements.

Cheap internet options in Las Cruces

Most internet options in Las Cruces start at around $43 a month, but a few ISPs offer cheaper options. The cheapest internet offering in the city is Xfinity's $20-a-month plan for download speeds of 150Mbps. If you're looking for more speed, Xfinity also has a 300Mbps plan for just $15 more. Verizon and T-Mobile also offer eligible mobile customers discounts and may knock $10 to $20 off your monthly bill.

What's the cheapest internet plan in Las Cruces?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Las Cruces

The best internet deals and top promotions in Las Cruces depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Las Cruces internet providers, such as T-Mobile Home Internet, Xfinity and Verizon 5G Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, like Starlink, run the same standard pricing year-round.  

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

How fast is Las Cruces broadband?

In the latest Ookla speed test data, Las Cruces had a fixed median download speed of 277Mbps. That's not bad, especially considering the state of New Mexico rang in with a speed of 178Mbps. Nearby cities like Albuquerque and Sante Fe also couldn't match Las Cruces, coming in with 248Mbps and 225Mbps, respectively. Rio Rancho took home the trophy for top median speeds with 288Mbps.

Fastest internet plans in Las Cruces

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines 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 allows you to tackle the basics: browsing the internet, sending and receiving email and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Las Cruces

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

It doesn’t end there: We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time of publication.

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

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. Are customers happy with their service?

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

What's the final word on internet providers in Las Cruces?

Your home broadband options will be limited if you reside in Las Cruces. Most households in the city are serviceable for a cable connection from Xfinity. Like most cable providers, expect a price hike from Xfinity once the promo period ends. A fixed wireless connection from T-Mobile might be a decent alternative to avoid that increase. Starlink is available virtually everywhere, but you might have to settle for slower speeds and a steeper monthly cost (to say nothing of the $599 upfront cost for starting service).

Internet providers in Las Cruces FAQs