What is the best internet provider in Gainesville?
Whether you’re shopping around for a better internet provider, or you’re signing up for the first time, these are CNET’s top recommendations to help you find the best broadband option for you. For most households in Gainesville, CNET recommends Cox Communications as the top choice. With broad coverage across the city and multiple speed tiers, Cox provides flexibility to suit different needs. If Cox isn’t an option at your address, consider AT&T Fiber or T-Mobile Home Internet, both of which are excellent alternatives.
We’ve also identified the best deals and fastest plans in Gainesville. If budget is your primary concern, T-Mobile Home Internet offers great value at $50 per month, delivering speeds of up to 245Mbps. For those seeking top-tier performance, AT&T Fiber 5000 leads the pack with lightning-fast symmetrical speeds of up to 5Gbps. Whether you’re after affordability or raw speed, Gainesville has you covered.
Best internet in Gainesville in 2024
Gainesville internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Home Internet Read full review |
DSL | $60 | 20-100Mbps | None | 1.5TB on some plans | None | 7.4 |
| AT&T Fiber Read full review |
Fiber | $55-$245 | 300-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Cox Communications Read full review |
Cable/Fiber | $50-$150 | 100-2,000Mbps | $15 (optional) | 1.25TB | None | 6.2 |
| Kinetic by Windstream | DSL/Fiber | $40-$100 | 300-2000Mbps | None | None | None | 6.7 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $60-$80 ($35-$45 with eligible mobile plans) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other available internet providers in Gainesville
- Kinetic by Windstream: You won’t find it directly in the city, but Kinetic by Windstream provides service near Fairbanks, Orange Heights, Micanopy and Alachua. Kinetic offers both DSL and fiber internet — only consider this provider if its fiber-optic network is available at your household.
- Satellite internet: Satellite internet from Hughesnet, Viasat or Starlink is an option wherever you live. But it shouldn’t be your first pick — with high prices and slow speeds, there are cheaper and faster options available.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Similar to T-Mobile Home Internet, Verizon offers a fixed wireless service with flat-rate pricing. For $60-$80 per month, customers can expect speeds of 50-1,000Mbps. So why should you consider T-Mobile over Verizon? While T-Mobile Home Internet covers almost 60% of Gainesville, Verizon covers only 2%. But if it’s available at your address, definitely consider it as a solid broadband option.
Cheap internet options in Gainesville
Despite Kinetic by Windstream taking the cake for the cheapest internet plan in Gainesville, it probably isn’t the best one. The majority of Kinetic’s coverage in the city is through its DSL network, so you may experience lag or delay more often than you would with other connections. For the best overall value — while still staying relatively cheap — turn to T-Mobile Home Internet. Its base price is the same as Cox Essential and Verizon 5G Home Internet, but customers can save an additional significantly if they’re an eligible mobile user.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Gainesville?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinetic by Windstream | $40 | 300Mbps | None |
| Cox Essential 100 Read full review |
$50 | 100Mbps | $15 (optional) |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Read full review |
$60 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 300Mbps | None |
| AT&T Fiber 300 Read full review |
$55 | 300Mbps | None |
| AT&T Internet Read full review |
$60 | 100Mbps | None |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Gainesville
The best internet deals and top promotions in Gainesville depend on what discounts are available during that time period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Some Gainesville internet providers, such as Cox Communications, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including AT&T Fiber, T-Mobile and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide to the best internet deals.
How fast is Gainesville broadband?
Among the 50 states, Florida places third for the fastest broadband speeds, with a median download speed of 238Mbps in the fourth quarter of 2023. The state’s fastest provider is AT&T Fiber, with a median download speed of 287Mbps. So how does Gainesville stack up? This small Florida city isn’t far behind, with a median speed of 242Mbps. That’s pretty fast.
People looking for more speed than 221Mbps have plenty of options. The fastest speed you’ll find in Gainesville is 5,000Mbps, which is offered by AT&T Fiber for $245 per month. Cox also offers a 2 gigabit plan for $100 monthly, which is a great option if you want to bundle your internet and television service.
Fastest internet plans in Gainesville
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data caps | Internet technology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber 5000 Read full review |
$245 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| AT&T Fiber 2000 Read full review |
$145 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Cox 2 Gig Read full review |
$150 | 2,000Mbps | 100Mbps | 1.25TB | Cable |
| AT&T Fiber 1000 Read full review |
$80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Cox 1 Gig Read full review |
$110 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | 1.25TB | Cable |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Read full review |
$70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) | 1,000Mbps | 50Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s 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 accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines — and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.
- 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics — browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
- 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Gainesville
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. So what’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
- Are customers happy with their service?
Though the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (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.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Gainesville?
When it comes to home internet, fiber-optic connections are usually the best option. However, AT&T Fiber isn’t widespread across Gainesville — your address will likely only be able to get AT&T’s DSL service. You’re better off with Cox Communications, which covers almost the entire city and offers faster speeds than DSL. Plus, Cox offers its new fiber network to select households in Gainesville, which is why it takes the number one spot for ISPs in the area.
Gainesville internet provider FAQs
What is the cheapest internet provider in Gainesville?
Though Kinetic by Windstream technically offers the cheapest plan in the city (at $40 per month), customers with eligible T-Mobile phone plans can get $15 off their T-Mobile Home Internet plan, bringing down their monthly bill to $35. In addition, T-Mobile Home Internet offers internet over a fixed wireless network versus Kinetic’s DSL network, which makes it a much better value overall.
Which internet provider in Gainesville offers the fastest plan?
The fastest internet plan in Gainesville is offered by AT&T Fiber. For $245 per month, customers can reach speeds up to 5,000Mbps.
Is fiber internet available in Gainesville?
Yes. AT&T Fiber is the largest fiber provider in the area, but select addresses may be serviceable by Cox’s new fiber-optic network. Kinetic by Windstream also offers fiber service, but availability is sparse in Gainesville.
Which internet provider has the best coverage in Gainesville?
Cox Communications has the best coverage in the city — almost 100% of Gainesville households are serviceable by Cox.
