Louisville, Kentucky, isn't just about balancing Midwestern sensibilities with Southern hospitality; it's also got great internet options, too. The best internet provider in Louisville is AT&T Fiber, but the area has plenty of solid providers for those who can't get AT&T Fiber at their address. Ookla's latest data suggests that Louisville ranks amongst the top 10 cities in the US when it comes to median internet download speeds. That's faster internet than some bigger cities like Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and New York,

Like most major US cities, Louisville has several internet service providers across the entire metro area. Those ISPs include big names like T-Mobile, AT&T and Spectrum (aka Charter Communications). You'll have your choice between fiber, 5G and cable connections. Unlimited data is even on the table.

Best internet providers in Louisville

We're calling the race for AT&T Fiber when it comes to the best ISPs in Louisville. Even if it's not available at your address, CNET can help you choose the right internet provider for your needs.

Note: The prices, speeds and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed in the product detail cards, which represent providers’ national offerings. Your particular internet service options -- including prices and speeds -- depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.

All available Louisville residential internet providers

The providers listed above aren't the necessarily the only ones you'll come across in Louisville, just the ones we'd recommend most. Here's a quick look at all Louisville ISPs that may be worth your consideration.

What other internet options are there in Louisville?

Louisville has several other ISPs available. If you're shopping for a particular price or you just want to weigh all of your options, consider the following providers who didn't make our best list. 

• Earthlink: This provider has DSL, fiber and 5G internet plans available across Louisville. Plans start at $60 per month and speeds vary by available connection type.
• Kinetic by Windstream: Windstream high-speed internet is not widely available in Louisville, but if you can get it at your address you may enjoy download speeds up to 1Gbps. The company also has 200Mbps and 400Mbps plans. Prices start at $40 per month.

Pricing info on Louisville home internet service

Most providers in Louisville start their internet plans at about $50 per month. Some providers will offer a lower introductory rate, so be sure to check out the long-term pricing when you're shopping for plans. Fortunately, few require an equipment fee. 

Louisville cheap internet pricing

If you already have service with a certain phone company or television provider, you can often take advantage of cheaper internet rates in Louisville. For instance, Verizon 5G Home Internet offers the best bang for your buck at just $25 per month for up to 300Mbps, but you need to have an eligible Verizon mobile plan to take advantage of the deal. Similarly, the best Spectrum and Viasat plans come by way of bundled services. 

For customers who only want internet coverage and need a lot of speed to work at home and stream video, AT&T Fiber is the best option. The speeds are far superior to other options with a price tag that is competitive to other providers. 

For basic internet service, satellite service offers rural customers an affordable option.

Fastest internet providers in Louisville

Thanks to AT&T's multigigabit plans, Louisville has access to some of the fastest residential internet speeds you'll find anywhere, up to 5,000Mbps. AT&T won't be your only option for high-speed internet in the area, as Spectrum and Verizon 5G offer speeds up to 940Mbps as well. 

What's the final word on internet providers in Louisville?

Louisville offers some of the fastest average internet speeds in the country, much of that due to one provider, AT&T Fiber, although Spectrum is more than capable of delivering fast speeds in the area as well. Other options, particularly 5G home internet from T-Mobile or Verizon, are a little less enticing when it comes to speed potential, but the low cost and high availability make the two worth a look.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Louisville

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.

We then go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. To evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service, we look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power. 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: 

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? 
• Do customers get decent value for what they're paying? 
• 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. 

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

Louisville internet FAQs