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While Orlando may be seen as a sunny vacation city, there are plenty of residents of the big theme park capital. If you want the best internet providers in the area, we’ve got you covered. As with any part of the country, the best internet provider for everyone depends on what’s available in your area. Keep reading for more details on what sets them apart, from plan prices and speeds to device costs, data caps, and other fine print details.
What is the best internet provider in Orlando?
Spectrum is the best internet provider for most households in Orlando because of the wide coverage. Another cable giant, Xfinity, offers a variety of plans and speed levels throughout the area, and a respectable percentage of the city is wired for fiber-optic internet from providers like AT&T and Quantum Fiber. Additionally, Verizon and T-Mobile offer mobile home internet service in Orlando via 5G airwaves, and coverage is growing.
Best Internet in Orlando, Florida, in 2024
Orlando internet providers 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 Aviation Read the full review | Fixed wireless connection | $55 | 75-225 Mbps | No | No | No | 7.4 |
| CenturyLink Read the full review | DSL | $55 | 10-100 Mbps | $15 modem | No | No | 6.7 |
| Spectrum Read the full review | Cable | $50-$80 | 300-1,000 Mbps | Free modem, $7 router (optional) | No | No | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review | Fixed wireless connection | $50-$70 ($40-$50 for eligible mobile customers) | 72-245 Mbps | No | No | No | 7.4 |
| Quantum fiber | Fiber | $50-$75 | 500-940 Mbps | No | No | No | 6.7 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review | Fixed wireless connection | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 50-250 Mbps (varies by location) | No | No | No | 7.2 |
| Xfinity Read the full review | Cable | $30-$95 (varies by location) | 150-1,200 Mbps | $15-$25 included in some plans | 1.2 TB on some plans | 1-2 years on some plans | 7 |
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Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.
Other available internet providers in Orlando
- CenturyLink: CenturyLink DSL internet service is an option in many areas around Orlando to the north, west and south, but availability is sparse in the city. Service costs a flat $55 per month with no data caps or preset price increases, which is quite attractive for home internet. Speeds vary from address to address; in most parts of the coverage map, they won’t exceed double digits. Unless you have your own equipment, you’ll also have to spend $15 per month to rent the gateway device that brings your home online.
- Quantum fiber: With speeds that typically don’t break double digits, CenturyLink’s DSL plans are pretty boring as far as home internet goes — but CenturyLink’s parent company, Lumen Technologies, also offers fiber-optic internet service in the Orlando area, and that’s where things get interesting. The service, branded Quantum Fiber, offers matching upload and download speeds of 500 Mbps for $50 a month, including equipment rental. A faster gigabit plan with download speeds of 940 Mbps is also available at some addresses for $75 a month. Those plans don’t have data caps or pre-scheduled price increases after a year, making them a great option — if they’re available at your address.
- Satellite internet: Satellite internet from Hughesnet or Viasat is available almost everywhere. Still, don’t expect blazing fast speeds or low latency since your traffic has to get to space and back. You also shouldn’t expect value. Satellite internet often comes with high equipment costs and tight data caps. Depending on your provider, it may also come with long-term service contracts. Your other option is Starlink, the satellite internet service from SpaceX and Elon Musk. It doesn’t come with soft data caps like Hughesnet and Viasat plans, and speeds will likely be a bit faster than either competitor. The initial equipment cost of $299 and the monthly fee of $120 are tough to swallow.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon is focusing more on 5G with its service, which means the range of potential speeds at your address is significantly higher than you’ll see with T-Mobile. That also means fewer addresses will have the right kind of signal strength to even qualify for service. If you’re planning on going with 5G, Verizon’s potential for faster speeds means it’s worth checking to see if it’s available at your address. This is especially true for existing Verizon mobile subscribers, who may be able to sign up for home internet service for $35-$45.
Cheap Internet Options in Orlando
In most cases, home internet starts at around $50 per month in Orlando, though some residents within Xfinity’s footprint can sign up for internet service for $20 per month, which is the most affordable starting rate in the city. Here’s a look at how the most affordable plans from all the top providers compare:
What is the cheapest plan in Orlando?
| Supplier | From monthly price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity connection Read the full review | $30 | 150 Mbps | $15 gateway rental (optional) |
| Xfinity Connect More Read the full review | $35 | 300 Mbps | $15 Gateway Rental (included for 24 months) |
| Spectrum Internet 300 Read the full review | $50 | 300 Mbps | Free modem; $7 router (optional) |
| Quantum Fiber 500 | $50 | 500 Mbps | No |
| Spectrum Internet 500 Read the full review | $50 | 500 Mbps | Free modem; $7 router (optional) |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review | $50 ($35 with a qualifying mobile plan) | 300 Mbps | No |
| AT&T Fiber 300 Read the full review | $55 | 300 Mbps | No |
| AT&T Internet Aviation Read the full review | $55 | 75 Mbps | No |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review | $50 ($40 with a qualifying mobile plan) | 245 Mbps | No |
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Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.
How fast is broadband in Orlando?
Among U.S. metropolitan areas, the Orlando area ranks 59th in median internet speeds, with an average household download speed of 227 Mbps according to speed test site OoklaThat’s just an average. How fast can things go in an ideal scenario?
Actually, pretty fast. Several providers in the Orlando area now claim to offer multi-gigabit speeds at select addresses with proper fiber cabling. They’re not widespread yet, but here’s how those speeds compare to the fastest plans from all the top providers in the area:
Fastest Internet Plans in Orlando
| Supplier | From monthly price | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | Data limit | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber 5000 Read the full review | $245 | 5,000 Mbps | 5,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
| AT&T Fiber 2000 Read the full review | $145 | 2,000 Mbps | 2,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
| Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read the full review | $95 | 1,200 Mbps | 35 Mbps | 1.2 TB | Cable |
| Xfinity Gigabit Read the full review | $60 | 1,000 Mbps | 20 Mbps | 1.2 TB | Cable |
| Spectrum Internet Gig Read the full review | $80 | 1,000 Mbps | 35 Mbps | No | Cable |
| Quantum fiber | €75 | 940 Mbps | 940 Mbps | No | Fiber |
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Source: CNET analysis of carrier data.
How CNET Chose the Best Internet Providers in Orlando
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 approach this? We start by examining pricing, availability, and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the providers’ websites, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission on FCC.gov.
And it doesn’t stop there: We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we account for every ISP that offers service in an area. We also enter local addresses into carrier websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power to evaluate how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. 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 multi-layered and complex, the providers that come closest to “yes” to all three questions are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fees, though we also consider things like price increases, equipment costs, and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised upload and download speeds, and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla And FCC Reports.
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 Orlando
How fast is the internet at home in Orlando?
Does Orlando have Google Fiber?
Is fiber optic internet better than cable internet?
Fiber optic internet offers significantly faster speeds than cable internet, especially upload speeds, and is less prone to lag during peak network usage times. Fiber optic internet plans are also typically priced similarly to cable internet plans, so they generally offer more speed for your money.
