The best internet providers in Tampa, Florida

What are the best internet providers in Tampa, Florida?

Edge fiber CNET is the first choice for the best internet providers in Tampa. We recommend it for most families in the area because it offers a steady pace at a reasonable price and has a high customer satisfaction score. If you have coverage for border fibers or need alternative coverage, you can consider Verizon 5G home internet or wireless internet with T-Mobile Home Internet. These two wireless providers offer reliable products and are bundled with mobile plans that will bring you even more discounts. Another reliable alternative is Spectrum, which has extensive coverage throughout Tampa and offers good pricing. However, remember that availability, speed, and monthly pricing will vary depending on where you are, so the possibilities you can get may vary from the country list.

All available Tampa home internet providers

The providers mentioned above are not the only ones that serve Tampa, but I am the one I recommend the most. Here is a quick comparison of practical internet options available in the Tampa area.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Top Tampa ISP Honors

Earthlink: Earthlink is now almost as old as the home internet itself, and now serves through backpacks picked out from the network of other providers and municipalities. As a result, you may pay more for the service than other providers. Pricing and speed vary widely by location, but all plans are one year-long contracts.

Fast system: Local fixed wireless provider fast system is a great choice for the internet in central Florida, but it is expensive and the Tampa Bay area is very low. Before you choose a fast system, you need to check out other internet options at your address, as Hillsborough County homes are priced at $79 per month and top speeds at 10Mbps.

T-Mobile Home Internet: Speeds of 87-415Mbps start at $50 per month ($40 for eligible customers), T-Mobile competitor Verizon about 5G home internet. Although T-Mobile doesn’t have the same speed potential, it has a larger coverage than Verizon, which is a great choice for home internet in suburban and rural areas outside Tampa.

Wideopenwest: In Tampa, you won’t find the vast Waters, aka WOW in the Tampa Bay area (including Clearwater, East Lake, Aldersma and St. Petersburg). Wired Internet providers are an excellent choice for low-cost, high-speed Internet, with services starting at $30 per month and speeds up to 300Mbps.

Satellite Internet: Hughesnet, Viasat might even be available in Tampa, but there are many other cheaper, faster options in the area to avoid making the satellite internet available.

How much does the internet cost in Tampa?

The cost of internet in Tampa depends on the provider and plan you choose. Tampa’s cheapest internet plan will pay you $30 a month and charge taxes and fees unless you qualify for discounts with Verizon or T-Mobile.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Internet options for low-income families in Tampa

The financial barriers to home internet services in Tampa are a little higher than those in other parts of Florida. However, both Spectrum and Frontier Fiber offer plans for at least $30 per month for the first 12 months.

The Spectrum Internet Advantage plan has a download speed of up to 100Mbps and starts at $30 per month. Although Frontier offers 200Mbps and 500Mbps speeds for $30 per month.

How fast is the internet in Tampa?

According to the latest Ookla speed test data, Florida ranked third in the fourth quarter 2023, with the fastest download speed in the United States at about 238Mbps. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as Ziff Davis’ CNET.) Tampa is slightly slower than the state, with median download speeds of 232Mbps among U.S. cities, ranking 50th in the U.S. overall.

Spectrum timed Tampa’s fastest median speed in 314Mbps.

Many factors may affect speed tests, such as maximum speeds with Wi-Fi and Internet plans, but Tampa’s speed test results are impressive and well indicate the speed you can experience in Spectrum and Frontier.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How CNET chooses the best internet provider in Tampa

There are numerous and regional Internet service providers. Unlike the latest smartphones, laptops, routers, or kitchen tools, it is impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What is our method? First, draw information, study pricing, availability and speed information based on our own historical ISP data, provider websites, and fcc.gov FCC’s FCC mapping information.

It doesn’t end: We visit the FCC’s website to check our data and make sure we consider all ISPs that provide services in a certain area. We also enter a local address on the provider’s website to find specific options for residents. To evaluate customer satisfaction for ISP services, we examined resources including the U.S. Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power. ISP plans and prices change frequently; all information provided is accurate as of the time of publication.

Once this local information is obtained, we ask three main questions:

• Can providers access reasonable and fast internet speeds?
• Do customers get decent value for the money they pay?
• Are customers satisfied with their service?

The answers to these questions are usually layered and complex, but the three we recommend are closest to the provider of “yes”.

To explore our process more deeply, visit our page on how to test your ISP.

Tampa Home Internet FAQ