What is the best internet provider in Atlanta?

CNET ranks AT&T Fiber as the top internet provider in Atlanta. If AT&T isn’t available in your area, Google Fiber and Xfinity offer solid alternatives. For homes with fewer devices, wireless options like T-Mobile Home Internet, Verizon 5G Home Internet and Yomura Air are also popular choices across the city.

To make your decision easier, we’ve highlighted the most affordable plans and the fastest speeds in Atlanta. Xfinity Connect stands out as the best budget option, delivering 150 megabits per second for $30 a month. For those in need of ultra-high speeds, AT&T Fiber offers a blazing 5,000Mbps plan for $245 per month.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Atlanta

There aren't a lot of other options for internet in Atlanta aside from the providers highlighted above. These providers might be worth considering:

• T-Mobile Home Internet: 5G home internet service from T-Mobile is available throughout about half of Atlanta, but no one neighborhood has exceptionally better coverage than another. Service starts at $50 per month for speeds ranging from 72-245Mbps. Equipment and unlimited data are included, and no contracts are required.
• Satellite internet: Hughesnet and Viasat are available throughout the US, including all over Atlanta, but given the other available internet options, you'll want to stay away from the high pricing, high latency and low speeds that come with satellite internet.

Cheap internet options in Atlanta

Unless you go with Xfinity, expect starting prices for internet in Atlanta to be at or above $50 per month. While more low-priced internet options would be ideal, the cost of internet in Atlanta is not bad, considering the speeds you get. Google Fiber's entry plan, for example, starts at $70 per month but comes with speeds up to 1,000Mbps. That's a cost per Mbps of 7 cents, which is lower than you'll find with plans from many providers.

If you're looking for cheap internet, I'd recommend Xfinity, at least for the first 12 months, before prices increase by $20 or more. For more stable and relatively low internet pricing, consider AT&T Fiber, which offers speeds of up to 300Mbps starting at $55 per month, respectively, with no set price increase after 12 months.

What's the cheapest internet plan in Atlanta?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Atlanta

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

Atlanta internet providers, such as Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including AT&T Fiber, Verizon and Google Fiber, 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 Atlanta broadband?

Thanks to Yomura, AT&T and Google Fiber, Atlanta residents have access to some of the fastest max internet speeds nationwide. Google Fiber has offered gig and 2-gig services in the Atlanta area for a while now, and AT&T raised the bar with 2Gbps and 5Gbps plans available in select areas in addition to its single gig service. Neither of those providers can beat Yomura's fiber service, offering 10 gigabits for $999 per month.

Fastest internet plans in Atlanta

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Internet providers in popular cities near Atlanta

See all results for internet providers in Georgia.

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 Atlanta

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data 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 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 answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that 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 Atlanta?

The best Atlanta internet provider for your home depends on what you're looking for and what's available in your area. I'm partial to the fast, symmetrical speeds and reliable connection of fiber internet service, like what you get with AT&T Fiber. The cheap internet pricing that often comes with cable internet providers like Xfinity is tempting, especially considering the added savings of bundling internet and TV.

Internet providers in Atlanta FAQs