Table of Contents
According to CNET, AT&T Fiber is the best internet provider. Fast speeds of up to 5,000 Mbps and a low price make it the best broadband choice for most. Availability is spotty, however, and if you can’t get AT&T Fiber in your area, you may want to consider Cox as a backup. Your ISP choices will vary depending on your location, but Cox and AT&T Fiber can deliver gigabit speeds.
Finally, there are also some 5G home internet options from Verizon and T-Mobile. All prices on this page reflect available discounts for setting up paperless billing. If you decide not to go with automatic monthly payments, your price will be higher. Put on some Louis Armstrong and let’s take a look at the best internet providers in New Orleans.
Best Internet Providers in The Big Easy
I’m totally on the fiber bandwagon for home internet, so AT&T Fiber is at the top of my recommended list for New Orleans. If you can’t get fiber at home, look into Cox’s cable service or 5G home internet from T-Mobile or Verizon.
Remark: The prices, speeds, and features described in the article text may differ from those in the product detail cards, which represent national carrier offerings. Your specific Internet service options, including prices and speeds, depend on your address and may differ from those described here.
Internet providers in New Orleans compared
| Supplier | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data limit | Contract | CNET Review Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber Read the full review | Fiber | $55-$245 | 300-5,000 Mbps | No | No | No | 7.4 |
| AT&T Internet Read the full review | DSL | $60 | 768Kbps-100Mbps | No | 1.5 TB (no data limit for 100 Mbps subscription) | No | 7.4 |
| helmsman Read the full review | Cable | $30-$150 | 100-2,000 Mbps | Differs | 1.25 TB or unlimited | Differs | 6.2 |
| NOLA Broadband | Fixed wireless connection | $57-$175 | 25-150 Mbps | No | No | No | n/a |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review | Fixed wireless connection | $50 ($40 with eligible phone plan) | 72-245 Mbps | No | No | No | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review | Fixed wireless connection | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with a suitable phone plan) | 50-1,000 Mbps | No | No | No | 7.2 |
Show more (2 items)
Source: CNET analysis of carrier data
All available residential internet providers in New Orleans
While New Orleans is largely an AT&T vs. Cox battleground, there are a few other options. Verizon 5G Home Internet is especially worth considering if you can’t get fiber and want an alternative way to get online.
- AT&T Internet: I singled out AT&T Fiber for special recognition, but there’s another side to the company’s internet offerings. AT&T Internet is the ISP’s legacy DSL service. Speeds max out at 100 Mbps in some areas, but many New Orleans residents may find speeds drastically lower. There’s no contract, and the service costs $60 per month for each speed tier you can get at your address. Consider this a last resort if fiber, 5G, or cable don’t work for you.
- Skycom1: Local fixed wireless ISP Skycom1 primarily serves businesses, hotels, and apartment buildings. It doesn’t advertise its prices online, so check with your apartment building to make sure it serves your address.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon is giving T-Mobile a run for its money in the 5G home internet space. Which one you choose depends on open slots, your location and whether you have a phone with either. Verizon has strong 5G Ultra Wideband coverage in the metro area, even offering speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps under its $70-per-month 5G Home Plus plan in some spots. The ISP’s base 5G Home plan costs $50 per month for typical speeds of 85-300 Mbps. Verizon is increasing the price of its bundled plans, bringing the cheapest plan to $35 per month with a qualifying phone plan.
- Satellite internet: If you’re out of faster or more affordable options, there’s always satellite internet from Starlink, Viasat, or HughesNet. Satellite service can be slow and expensive, so it’s usually of interest to rural residents with few (or no) ISP choices.
Broadband in New Orleans at a glance
ISP availability in New Orleans is extremely address-dependent. Your buddy a few blocks away might have AT&T Fiber, while at home you only get Cox or AT&T DSL. Home internet from Verizon or T-Mobile can save you some money if you bundle it with a phone plan. These services are easy to try out, and I recommend giving them a try if you’re not happy with your wired ISP options.
Photo by PeterUnger/GettyImages
Home Internet Service Pricing Information in New Orleans
Expect to pay at least $50 per month for home internet in New Orleans. However, you can get Cox’s service for $30 per month for 100 Mbps downloads if you qualify. When it comes to value, AT&T Fiber’s $55 per month 300 Mbps plan is worth considering.
Cheap Internet Options in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area
It’s a challenge to negotiate internet in New Orleans, as all the major carriers start at around $50 a month. If you’re already a Verizon or T-Mobile phone customer, see if you can bundle your home internet with a qualifying mobile plan for a bundle discount.
What is the cheapest internet plan in New Orleans?
| Supplier | Starting price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment costs | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot 100 Read the full review | $50 | 100 Mbps | Differs | No |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review | $60 ($40 with a qualifying mobile plan) | 245 Mbps | No | No |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review | $50 ($35 with a qualifying mobile plan) | 300 Mbps | No | No |
| AT&T Fiber 300 Read the full review | $55 | 300 Mbps | No | No |
Show more (0 items)
Source: CNET analysis of carrier data
How fast is the broadband internet in New Orleans?
Recent Ookla Speed Test Data ranked New Orleans way down at 93rd for median download speeds among the 100 most populous cities in the U.S., with an average of 175 Mbps. Compare that to top-ranked Raleigh, North Carolina at nearly 290 Mbps.FCC data shows that all of New Orleans has broadband internet access, remember that the FCC says 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up qualifies as broadband. Gig speeds and higher are harder to find in the Big Easy. Your best bets for fast speeds are with AT&T Fiber or Cox.
Fastest Internet Providers in New Orleans
It’s hard to beat AT&T Fiber when it comes to the fastest internet in New Orleans. The ISP maxes out at 5,000 Mbps, and no one else comes close. The catch is that it’s available throughout the metropolitan area. If you’re moving to the city and multi-gig speeds are a must, do your research on AT&T Fiber’s service areas and try to get within their coverage zone. If fiber doesn’t reach your home, look into Cox’s 1-gig cable plan as an alternative. Just keep in mind that cable can’t match the fast upload speeds of fiber.
What are the fastest internet plans in New Orleans?
| Supplier | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | Starting price | Data limit | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber 5 Gig Read the full review | 5,000 Mbps | 5,000 Mbps | $245 | No | No |
| AT&T Fiber 2 Gig Read the full review | 2,000 Mbps | 2,000 Mbps | $145 | No | No |
| AT&T Fiber 1 Gig Read the full review | 1,000 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps | $80 | No | No |
| Send 1 Gig Read the full review | 1,000 Mbps | 35 Mbps | $110 | 1.25 TB | No |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read the full review | 1,000 Mbps | 50 Mbps | $70 | No | No |
Show more (1 item)
Source: CNET analysis of carrier data
What’s the final word on internet providers in New Orleans?
In New Orleans, the most common question when it comes to home internet is, “AT&T or Cox?” I recommend looking at A&T Fiber first, then Cox Cable. Don’t overlook T-Mobile and Verizon as alternatives for 5G home internet, especially if fiber isn’t available to you.
How CNET Chose the Best Internet Providers in New Orleans
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router, or kitchen utensil, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So how do we do it? We start by examining pricing, availability, and speed information based on our own historical ISP data, provider sites, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
And it doesn’t stop there: We head to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also enter local addresses into provider websites to find specific options for residents. To evaluate how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service, we look at sources like the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power. ISP plans and pricing are subject to frequent change; all information provided is accurate at the time of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask ourselves three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Do customers get value for their money?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
While the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, the providers that come closest to ‘yes’ to all three questions are the providers we recommend.
If you would like to take a more detailed look at our process, please visit our How We Test ISPs page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Internet Providers in New Orleans
Is fiber optic internet available in New Orleans?
AT&T Fiber is the largest player in fiber-to-the-home internet in New Orleans. Coverage is limited. A few small areas are served by Cox’s full fiber-to-the-home network, but this option is unlikely to be available for most of the city.
Which internet provider in New Orleans offers the fastest plan?
If your need for speed can only be satisfied with a multi-gig plan, look into AT&T Fiber. It maxes out at 5,000 Mbps, which will keep even power users happy.
Is AT&T or Cox better in New Orleans?
This is a more complicated question than it may seem at first glance. If you can get AT&T Fiber, you’ll appreciate the speed, pricing, and symmetrical uploads compared to what Cox offers in most of the city. When it comes down to AT&T’s older DSL service versus Cox, give the cable provider the first chance.
