The best internet providers in Fresno, CA

AT&T fiber It is the first choice for CNET The best internet provider in Fresno, California. That’s because it offers excellent upload and download speeds at competitive monthly prices. The main drawback is the limited coverage of AT&T fibers, which does not extend to all Fresno neighborhoods, so many residents cannot access it.

If you don’t have AT&T fiber on your address, Xfinity is a solid alternative, with some of the most affordable plans starting at just $35. Please note potential price increases and additional charges after the promotion period ends. T-Mobile is another option worth mentioning, and works especially well for smaller families with one or two. However, it also offers plans for large homes, such as its $70 national Internet plan, which is slightly faster and has better Wi-Fi hardware.

Our team studies speed, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service. We use special databases that have been built over the years of reviewing Internet services. To ensure accuracy, we also check that the service is available at a local address. We carefully read the provider’s terms and conditions and contact the ISP when needed to confirm details.

Our process has some limitations that you should know. Pricing and speed data are variable: some addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly fees may vary even within cities. The best way to identify a specific option is to insert the address into the provider’s website.

Please note that the prices, speeds and other information listed above may differ in the provider card below from what we found in our research. Based on our database of plan information provided directly by the ISP, this card shows the full price and speed of the provider. Meanwhile, the text is specific to what is available in Fresno. The prices quoted in this text are from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments per month – Standard Industry. Other discounts and promotions may also be used for things that are contracted or tied to a cell phone plan.

To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.

Fresno’s top internet providers

No matter where you live in Fresno, there are probably some good internet options to access. AT&T fiber can accommodate about a quarter of Fresno residents and offers the fastest speed at a fair price. Those who don’t have access to AT&T fiber have good backups in Xfinity, which is almost usable in cities.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What other internet options are there in Fresno?

Fresno has a few other internet providers, but it is slower and has higher prices. Still, they are worth considering in more rural areas.

• Ginsburg Media Foundation: This fixed wireless provider is worth mentioning only. The plan starts at $75 per month and takes only 10/5Mbps speeds, even if the satellite internet is worth less. Its advantage on satellites is that all its plans come with unlimited data.
• Satellite Internet: Overall, satellite internet is only used in rural areas where there is no faster choice. You can get Hughesnet and Viasat everywhere in Fresno, but it’s very low speeds, high prices, and very small data caps. Starlink is the new provider of SpaceX, which is faster than Hughesnet and Viasat, but its upfront equipment costs $349 and plans to open $120 a month.
• Verizon 5G home internet: Like T-Mobile Home Internet, Verizon has begun to use its own cellular network to provide wireless Internet access. It has two plans in Fresno, with speeds up to 250Mbps at some addresses. It is pointed out that availability is more limited than T-Mobile – only 29% of Fresno families will be able to get Verizon.

Pricing information for Fresno home internet services

Fresno residents have some very cheap internet plans – most of them from one provider. Xfinity offers some of the cheapest starting prices you find anywhere in the country, but you have to take a closer look at the exquisite prints to avoid sticker shock.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How fast is Fresno broadband?

Fresno has a large number of fast internet plans compared to other cities in other cities. Three different providers offer “performance speeds” – download speeds of 940Mbps or higher – AT&T fiber offers up to 5,000Mbps in some regions. According to FCC data, 66% of Fresno can currently get 1,000/100Mbps speeds.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s the last sentence of Fresno’s internet provider?

For part of the Fresno family where AT&T fiber can be used, choosing an internet provider is an easy decision. AT&T has symmetric upload and download speeds, direct and reasonable pricing, and the best customer satisfaction score for any provider in the country. Xfinity is a worthwhile backup option, but its price is complex and your bill will increase after the first year. T-Mobile Home Internet offers $50 per month performance, but is best for families with just one or two people.

How to choose the best internet provider in Fresno

There are numerous and regional Internet service providers. Unlike the latest smartphones, laptops, routers, or kitchen tools, it is impractical to test every internet service provider in a given city in person. So what is our method? For beginners, we leverage a proprietary database that leverages information from FCC.GOV’s Federal Communications Commission from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information.

This guide utilizes an in-house artificial intelligence tool called RAMP that is trained in our own writing and uses our database to generate content about specific Internet service providers that our authors can use for a given guide in identifying and introducing our choices. Check CNET’s AI policies for more information on how our team uses (and does not use) AI tools.

Since our database is not exhaustive, we visit the FCC’s website, check the main data in person, and make sure that we are considering all ISPs that provide services in a certain area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we enter our local address on the provider website to find specific options available to 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 our pre-publication fact check.

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

1. Can providers access reasonable and fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for the money they pay?
3. 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”. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the lowest monthly plan, although we also consider issues such as price increase, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We view upload and download speeds on ads and consider actual speed data from sources such as Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET.)

Fresno Internet FAQ