What is the best internet provider in Gulfport?

Whether you’re a new resident of Gulfport looking to sign up for internet service or you’re fed up with your current provider, you have options. After reviewing several top internet providers, Sparklight is CNET's choice for the best internet provider for most households in Gulfport, Mississippi. That's thanks to its wide availability and a gig-speed plan that'll have you browsing the internet and streaming with ease. However, Sparklight service isn’t available everywhere in Gulfport, making AT&T Fiber a solid pick, depending on what’s available in your area. 

If you're hunting for the lowest prices or fastest speeds, we've found the top internet service providers in those categories, too. Gulfport's most affordable internet offering is C Spire's $35 per month package, which provides 300 megabits per second download speeds. The highest internet speed in Gulfport comes from C Spire Fiber’s 8,000Mbps plan, but availability is limited. Look to AT&T Fiber’s 5,000Mbps plan for a more widespread option.

Best internet in Gulfport, Mississippi

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Gulfport

•  Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon has limited 5G Ultra Wideband coverage in Gulfport, mostly east of 22nd Avenue and south of the airport. That means Verizon’s home internet slots are scarce. If your address can get the service, you’ll choose between the $50-per-month 5G Home plan with maximum downloads of 100Mbps or the $70-per-month 5G Home Plus plan with maximum downloads of 300Mbps. Bundle with a phone plan to get a discount. There are no equipment fees, contracts or data caps. Here’s what you need to know about 5G home internet.
• Satellite internet: Starlink, Hughesnet or Viasat are ready to step in to provide satellite broadband for homes that don’t have a faster or more affordable wired or fixed wireless option. Since most homes in Gulfport can get cable or fiber, you probably won’t need to turn to satellite internet service. Rural homes with few other options should check into it for coverage.

Cheap internet options in Gulfport

If you’re hunting for a home internet bargain, check in with Sparklight and its promotional deals. The lowest plan is for $40 per month for 100Mbps. Step up to 300Mbps for $45 per month. C Spire also often offers its 300Mbps plan for $35 as a promotional price but given it's less coverage, that might not be suitable for everyone. Overall, Gulfport’s fiber providers offer a good value due to equally fast upload and download speeds. AT&T Fiber’s most affordable plan is $55 per month for 300Mbps. 

What's the cheapest internet plan in Gulfport?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Gulfport

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

Gulfport internet providers, like Sparklight, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including AT&T Fiber and Verizon 5G Home Internet, tend to 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 Gulfport broadband?

Gulfport put in a good showing on a recent Ookla speed test report, especially when compared with Mississippi’s overall download speeds. Gulfport logged a median fixed internet download speed of nearly 269Mbps. Mississippi pulled down just under 208Mbps. Gulfport also fared better than nearby Biloxi (231Mbps). C Spire and AT&T Fiber help boost Gulfport’s speeds, but even homes without fiber access can still get near-gig download speeds through Sparklight. 

Fastest internet plans in Gulfport

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 Gulfport

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 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 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. (Disclosure: 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 Gulfport?

No matter where you live in Gulfport, you should have access to Sparklight’s cable network. You can get some low-cost introductory deals and nab speeds up to 940Mbps at the top end. If you need multi-gig download speeds or fast uploads, look to AT&T Fiber and C Spire as the fiber ISPs in town. Availability for fiber is patchwork, so you’ll want to do some sleuthing if you’re planning to move to Gulfport and need to land in a fiber neighborhood. 

Internet providers in Gulfport FAQs