Best ISPs in Mobile, AL

What is the best ISP in Mobile?

The best ISP in Mobile, Alabama is AT&T Fiber. It’s reliable for most people with its 100% fiber optic connection that offers fast, symmetrical upload and download speeds — the fastest in Mobile at up to 5000 Mbps. AT&T also offers clear pricing and simple terms of service that include unlimited datafree equipment rental and no contractual requirements.

Considering the speeds and benefits, AT&T Fiber is an excellent value, but it’s not the cheapest internet available in the area. If you’re looking for something more budget friendly, plan for 250Mbps Mediacom starts at $20 per month. This provider also offers the lowest introductory price of high speed concert servicestarting at $60 monthly.

Technically, Verizon 5G Home Internet can offer cheaper giga internet in Mobile. Its Home Plus plan advertises speeds of up to 1,000Mbps at the discounted price of $45 per month (regularly $70) for qualified Verizon mobile customers. Actual speeds will vary between 85 and 1000 Mbps depending on your location.

T-Mobile Home Internet offers a similar discount for customers on its Magenta Max plan, but it doesn’t match the speed potential of Verizon 5G Home Internet. Service starts at $50 per month or $30 with the bundle discount for speeds ranging from 72 to 245Mbps.

The best mobile internet

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

How to find Internet deals and promotions on Mobile

The best Internet deals and the best Mobile promotions depend on what discounts are available at that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we’re often on the lookout for the latest deals.

Mobile Internet providers like Xfinity may offer lower introductory rates or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including AT&T and Mediacom, have the same standard rates throughout the year.

For a more extensive list of deals, see our guide to the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

What is 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 include video conferencing, streaming video, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more stable connection. Here’s an overview of recommended minimum download speeds for different apps, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Note that these are guidelines only and that internet speed, service and performance will vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, see our guide to how much internet speed do you really need?.

• 0 to 5 Mbps lets you handle the basics: surfing the web, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40 Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100 Mbps should provide a single user with enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one or two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
• 500 to 1000 Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.

How CNET picked the best ISPs in Mobile

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest ones smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen toolit is not practical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What is our approach? We start by researching pricing, availability, and speed information, drawing on our own historical data from ISPs, provider sites, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission on FCC.gov.

It doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we’re looking at every ISP that provides service in an area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power to gauge how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent change; all information provided is accurate at the time of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider offer relatively fast internet access?
2. Are customers getting decent value for what they pay?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

The answer to these questions is often layered and complex, the providers that come closest to saying yes to all three are the ones we recommend. When it comes to choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also take into account things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively easy. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and also 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.

ISPs in Mobile FAQ