Best ISPs in Waco, TX

What is the best ISP in Waco?

Looking for the best ISP in Waco, TX? CNET’s broadband experts reviewed providers in the region to help you find the best plan for your needs. When it comes to fast and reliable Internet service in Waco, CNET is the best choice Spectrum. It offers unlimited data and a decent price for the first year to go with high speeds. There is no contract requirement either. Your next best bets are Astound Broadband and Nextlink.

Astound offers some of the most affordable broadband in Waco with plans starting at 300 megabits per second for just $20 per month, including equipment. Need speed? AT&T Fiber offers symmetrical speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second — the fastest plan in the area.

The best internet in Waco

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Waco

The best internet deals and the best promotions in Waco depend on the discounts available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we’re often on the lookout for the latest deals.

Waco ISPs like Nextlink and Astound Broadband may offer lower introductory rates or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including AT&T and T-Mobile, maintain the same standard rates throughout the year.

For a more extensive list of promotions, our guide to the best internet deals did you cover

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 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 emails, 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 chose the best ISPs in Waco

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. So 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 FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We use the FCC’s website to verify our data and ensure that we account for 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?

While the answer to these questions is often layered and complex, the vendors 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 such as 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.

Frequently Asked Questions for ISPs in Waco