Best Internet Providers in Lubbock, Texas

What is the best internet provider in Lubbock?

The best internet provider in Lubbock is AT&T Fiber. It has symmetrical upload and download speeds – ideal for online gaming or working from home – and you don’t have to worry about data caps, equipment costs or contracts. Vexus is the cheapest internet provider in Lubbock, with plans starting at just $35 per month for 150 megabits per second, followed by Optimum with its $40 300 Mbps plan. T-Mobile is another good option for smaller households: everything is included in the $50 monthly price tag, and it’s locked in as long as you remain a customer.

Best internet in Lubbock, Texas

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Lubbock

• Rise broadband: Available to 94% of households in Lubbock, Rise Broadband is a fixed wireless internet provider with plans starting at $55 per month for speeds of 25 Mbps. That’s on the expensive side for internet providers in Lubbock; I would only recommend Rise over satellite internet providers in the area.
• Satellite internet: No matter where you live, you can always get satellite internet – it just comes with a few headaches. Hughesnet and Viasat both come with low data limits, slower speeds and higher prices. Starlink is a faster option from SpaceX, but you have to pre-purchase the satellite dish for $349 to set up the service.
• Vexus fiber: If Vexus Fiber were more widely available, it would probably be one of our top picks for internet in Lubbock. Currently only 46% of residents can get it, but it’s definitely worth considering whether your address qualifies. Vexus offers symmetric speeds of up to 2,000 Mbps, along with unlimited data, and equipment is included in the monthly price.

Cheap Internet Options in Lubbock

There are five internet plans in Lubbock that cost $50 or less. That compares with other Texas cities such as Amarillo (five plans), Arlington (five) and Dallas (eight).

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Here’s how to find internet deals and promotions in Lubbock

The best internet deals and top promotions in Lubbock depend on what discounts are available during that time period. Most deals are short-lived, but we check regularly for the latest offers.

Lubbock internet providers like Optimum may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. However, many, including AT&T Fiber, T-Mobile and Vexus Fiber, have the same standard prices year-round.

For a more comprehensive list of promos, check out our guide to the best internet deals.

How fast is Lubbock broadband?

According to Ookla speed test dataLubbock residents receive average internet speeds of 230 Mbps down and 51 Mbps up. It ranked 52nd among the 100 most populous cities in the US in the fourth quarter of 2023. That’s behind Austin, Irving, Plano, Laredo and Fort Worth, but ahead of Houston. Lubbock also has slightly faster speeds than Texas as a whole, which averages speeds of 224/33 Mbps. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What is a good internet speed?

Most internet plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that’s suitable for video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here you will find an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for different applications, according to the FCC. Please note that these are guidelines only and internet speed, service and performance will vary by connection type, provider and address.

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

• With 0 to 5 Mbps you can handle the basics: surfing the web, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40 Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100 Mbps should give a single user enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
• With 100 to 500 Mbps, one to two users can simultaneously participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
• With 500 to 1,000 Mbps, three or more users can simultaneously perform high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and gaming.

How CNET chose the best Internet providers in Lubbock

Internet providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router, or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every Internet provider in a given city. So what is our approach? To start, we use a proprietary database of price, availability, and speed information that is based on our own historical ISP data, partner data, and card information from FCC.gov.

This guide uses an internal artificial intelligence tool called RAMP, which is trained on our own writing and uses our database to generate content about specific ISPs that our writers can use in determining and presenting our choices for a particular guide . For more information about how our teams use (and don’t use) AI tools, see CNET’s AI policy.

Because our database is not exhaustive, we use the FCC’s website to self-check the primary data and ensure that we are considering every ISP that provides service in an area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we enter local addresses into provider websites to find the specific options available to residents. We look to sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to evaluate how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate at the time of our pre-publication fact check.

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

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably high internet speeds?
2. Do customers get a good price for what they pay?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

Although the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, we recommend the providers who come closest to ‘yes’ to all three questions. When it comes to selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly payment, but we also take into account things like price increases, equipment costs 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.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our page on how we test ISPs.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Lubbock?

No matter where you live in Lubbock, you should have at least one good home internet option. AT&T Fiber is an easy choice for the top spot, with symmetrical upload and download speeds, clear pricing, and no data caps or equipment costs. Optimum offers the cheapest internet in the area, but Lubbock residents have noticed issues with outages and poor customer service. T-Mobile Home Internet has some of the happiest customers of any ISP, but the speeds may not be fast enough for larger households.

Frequently asked questions about internet providers in Lubbock