Best Internet Providers in Columbus, Georgia
What is the best internet provider in Columbus?
WideOpenWest, also known as WOW Internet, is CNET’s choice of the best Internet provider in Columbus, Georgia. WOW has a good selection of high-speed plans – more than cable competitors Mediacom and Spectrum. It is also the cheapest internet provider of all the major ISPs in the area. It charges $30 per month for speeds up to 300 megabits per second. Spectrum also has a $30 plan, but it offers speeds of 100 Mbps and is only available to select households.
Among cable internet providers, WOW also offers the fastest internet plan with maximum download speeds of 1,200 Mbps. AT&T Fiber, the main fiber provider in Columbus, is the fastest internet provider overall, with speed levels up to 2,000 and 5,000 Mbps.
If you are looking for an alternative to the major cable or fiber optic providers, start with T-Mobile Thuis Internet. The fixed wireless provider is available in much of Columbus, and service starts at just $50 per month, with no additional equipment fees, data caps or contracts. Verizon 5G Home Internet offers similar pricing and terms of service, but availability is more limited in Columbus.
Best internet in Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data limit | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Read the full review |
DSL, fiber optic | $55 DSL, $55-$245 fiber | 10-100 Mbps DSL, 300-5,000 Mbps fiber optic | No | No | No | 7.4 |
| Mediacom Read the full review |
Cable | $20-$65 | 250-1,000 Mbps | $14 | 350-3,000 GB | No | 6.4 |
| Spectrum Read the full review |
Cable | $30-$70 | 100-1,000 Mbps | Free modem, $10 router rental (optional) | No | No | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($40-$50 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | No | No | No | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G home internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 50-1,000 Mbps | No | No | No | 7.2 |
| WideOpenWest | Cable | $30-$95 | 300-1,200 Mbps | No | Varies, 1.5 TB to unlimited | No | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Columbus?
| Plan | From price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| WOW Internet 300 Read the full review |
$30 | 300Mbps | No |
| Mediacom 250Mbps Read the full review |
$20 | 250Mbps | Modem rental from $14 |
| Mediacom 500Mbps Read the full review |
$45 | 500Mbps | Modem rental from $14 |
| Spectrum Internet Read the full review |
$50 | 500Mbps | Free modem, $10 router rental (optional) |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($40 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | No |
| Verizon 5G home internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 50-300Mbps | No |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Here’s how to find internet deals and promotions in Columbus
The best internet deals and top promotions in Columbus depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most offers are short-lived, but we regularly review the latest offers.
Columbus internet providers such as WideOpenWest and AT&T Fiber may offer lower introductory prices or free gift cards for a limited time. However, many, including Mediacom, T-Mobile Home Internet and Spectrum, have the same standard prices all year round.
For a more comprehensive list of promos, check out our guide to the best internet deals.
Fastest internet plans in Columbus
| Plan | From price | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | Data limit | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Internet 5000 Read the full review |
$245 | 5,000 Mbps | 5,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
| AT&T Internet 2000 Read the full review |
$45 | 2,000 Mbps | 2,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
| WOW Internet 1.2 Gig Read the full review |
$95 | 1,200 Mbps | 50Mbps | No | Cable |
| WOW Internet 1 performance Read the full review |
$60 | 1,000 Mbps | 50Mbps | No | Cable |
| Mediacom 1 performance Read the full review |
$65 | 1,000 Mbps | 50Mbps | 3,000 GB | Cable |
| Spectrum internet performance Read the full review |
$70 | 1,000 Mbps | 35Mbps | No | Cable |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read the full review |
$70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) | 85-1,000 Mbps | 50-75Mbps | No | Fixed wireless |
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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 Federal Communications Commission. 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 one person enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- With 100 to 500 Mbps, one to two people can simultaneously participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- With 500 to 1,000 Mbps, three or more people can perform high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.
How CNET chose the best Internet providers in Columbus
Internet providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what is our approach? We start by researching the price, availability and speed information based on our own historical ISP data, the providers’ sites and map information from FCC.gov.
But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our records and make sure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in a particular area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for 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 publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably high internet speeds?
- Do customers get a good price for what they pay?
- 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 selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the subscriptions with the lowest monthly amount, but we also take into account things such as price increases, equipment costs and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively easy. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and take into account real-world speed data from sources such as Ookla And FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
Visit our page on how we test ISPs to explore our process in more depth.
Frequently asked questions about internet providers in Columbus
What is the best internet provider in Columbus, Georgia?
WideOpenWest, or WOW, is the best Internet provider in Columbus, due to its wide high-speed coverage, low prices, and fast download speeds. The contract-free service includes free equipment rental for one year on select plans, while the 1.2 gig plan comes with ongoing free equipment rental and unlimited data.
Is fiber optic internet available in Columbus?
Fiber optic internet is available to just over a quarter of Columbus households, according to the FCC. Usability is greatest in the communities of Castlewood, Northstar, and Hillside Terrace, although fiber optic coverage can be found in random areas throughout Columbus.
AT&T Fiber is the largest fiber-optic internet provider in Columbus, although Public Service Communications also has a small fiber-optic presence in the area. Beamspeed has also recently emerged as a fiber provider in the Columbus area, but at the time of writing the service appears to be in beta.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Columbus?
WideOpenWest has the cheapest internet plans of all the major internet providers in Columbus, starting at a monthly price of $30 for download speeds up to 300 Mbps. The provider’s faster plans are also priced at or below local competition. For example, WOW’s 600 Mbps plan starts at $45 per month, $20 lower than AT&T Fiber’s 500 Mbps plan and $5 lower than Spectrum’s 500 Mbps plan.
Which internet provider in Columbus offers the fastest plan?
AT&T Fiber offers the fastest internet plan in Columbus, Georgia, with speeds up to 5,000 Mbps starting at a monthly price of $245. The plan offers symmetrical upload and download speeds, one of the biggest benefits of using a 100% fiber connection.
AT&T Fiber also has the second-fastest plan in Columbus – 2,000 Mbps starting at $145 per month – while download speeds from cable internet providers WOW, Mediacom and Spectrum are around 1,000 to 1,200 Mbps.
