Internet in DFW varies wildly by address. Here's the honest comparison.
Major providers:
AT&T Fiber:
- Speeds: 300 Mbps to 5 Gbps
- Price: $55-180/month
- Availability: expanding in DFW but not everywhere. Check address.
- Verdict: If you can get fiber, GET FIBER. Best option.
- Source: att.com/internet
Spectrum (Charter):
- Speeds: 300 Mbps to 1 Gbps
- Price: $50-110/month (promo rates, goes up after year 1)
- Availability: wide DFW coverage
- Verdict: Solid backup if fiber isn't available. No data caps.
- Source: spectrum.com
Frontier Fiber (formerly Verizon Fios areas):
- Speeds: 500 Mbps to 5 Gbps
- Price: $50-155/month
- Availability: parts of DFW (former Verizon territory)
- Verdict: Great where available. Competitive with AT&T Fiber.
- Source: frontier.com
T-Mobile Home Internet (5G):
- Speeds: 33-245 Mbps (highly variable)
- Price: $50/month flat
- Availability: most DFW areas with T-Mobile 5G
- Verdict: Good budget option but speeds fluctuate. No contract.
- Source: t-mobile.com/home-internet
Speed test averages (DFW, Speedtest.net data): | Provider | Avg Download | Avg Upload | |----------|-------------|------------| | AT&T Fiber | 350 Mbps | 310 Mbps | | Spectrum | 215 Mbps | 12 Mbps | | Frontier Fiber | 420 Mbps | 380 Mbps | | T-Mobile 5G | 120 Mbps | 25 Mbps |
Pro tips:
- Always check att.com/internet first. If fiber is available at your address, that's the answer.
- Spectrum promo rates are $30-50/month cheaper than regular rates. Call to negotiate after year 1.
- T-Mobile Home Internet has no data caps. Good for streaming. Bad for competitive gaming (latency).
- Your own router > rented router. $100 investment saves $10/month in rental fees.
Sources:
- Speedtest.net — DFW data
- Provider websites for pricing and availability
- BroadbandNow.com — DFW ISP comparison
What are you paying for internet?