Best Internet Providers in Oklahoma – CNET
Best Internet Providers in Oklahoma - CNET
Table of contents
- Prices from $55 – $180 per month
- Speeds from 300 – 5,000Mbps
- Unlimited data
- Prices from $50 per month
- Speeds from 33 – 182Mbps
- Unlimited data
- Prices from $40 – $100 per month
- Speeds from 25 – 940Mbps
- 1.25TB monthly data allowance
- Prices from $60 – $116 per month
- Speeds from 100 – 1,000Mbps
- Unlimited data
- Prices from $50 – $70 per month
- Speeds from 85 – 1,000Mbps
- Unlimited data
Finding the best internet service provider in Oklahoma may be a task taller than narrowing down where to find the best onion burger. Because while you can drive around sampling that Sooner State culinary staple from Broken Arrow to Elk City, when it comes to internet providers, your sample size is set to the ISPs that serve your specific address.
Still, I’m betting on AT&T as the best internet provider for most Oklahoma households primarily due to its fiber coverage in the OKC, Norman and Tulsa areas, but also because of its decent copper-based network that spans much of the state. In addition to high availability, the speeds, pricing and service terms aren’t bad with AT&T, either.
But AT&T won’t be your only option for internet in Oklahoma. All told, there are dozens of internet providers in the state. Some are big, national brands while others are so localized you wouldn’t hear of them much outside of Perry or Stillwater.
The best internet providers in Oklahoma
Ultimately, the best internet providers in Oklahoma will be the ones that are available in your area. I can’t tell you which ones those are, but our proprietary, in-house search tool at the top of the page can. Once you discover the providers available to you, look to the info below for help determining which is the best fit for your needs.
Product details
AT&T has the largest coverage of any wired internet provider in Oklahoma thanks to its fiber-optic and copper-based (similar to DSL) networks. Those serviceable for AT&T Fiber will have a better selection of plans with greater overall value, but AT&T Internet, the copper-based service, will also be suitable for many households.
Availability: AT&T Fiber serviceability is greatest in Oklahoma City and south to Norman, but Tulsa and Bartlesville also have decent coverage. AT&T’s remaining coverage areas run on the copper-based network, which spans much of the heart of Oklahoma from north to south (but no coverage in the panhandle, sorry).
Plans and pricing: AT&T Fiber offers up to five options ranging from $55 per month for speeds up to 300Mbps to $180 monthly for max speeds of 5Gbps. AT&T Internet service is limited to one plan starting at $55 per month for the fastest speeds available, up to 100Mbps.
Fees and service details: There are no contracts or equipment fees, but AT&T Internet (again, the copper-based service) will have a 1.5TB per month data cap and overage fees to look out for.
Product details
Aside from satellite internet, T-Mobile’s 5G wireless home internet service has the greatest broadband coverage across Oklahoma of any provider. However, the service doesn’t just rival satellite ISPs regarding availability. Upfront and monthly costs are lower with T-Mobile Home Internet than satellite, and service terms such as data caps and contracts are much more favorable.
Availability: Serviceability is still expanding, but T-Mobile Home Internet is currently available throughout much of Oklahoma. Significant areas where service has not reached yet include the southeastern and northwestern parts of the state.
Plans and pricing: T-Mobile Home Internet offers a single plan starting at $50 per month ($30 for eligible T-Mobile Magenta Max customers) for speeds ranging from 33 to 182Mbps. Available speeds will vary by location.
Fees and service details: There are no contracts, equipment fees or data caps with T-Mobile Home Internet service.
Product details
Cable internet doesn’t have quite the same speed potential as fiber, but it’s still plenty fast for most households. It’s also a great option if you want to bundle internet and TV together. Cox is Oklahoma’s largest cable internet provider.
Availability: Major cable internet providers tend to stick to densely populated areas and Cox is no exception. Primary coverage areas include Oklahoma City, Norman and Tulsa, though you may find availability along the Arkansas border as well.
Plans and pricing: Pricing may vary a bit from Oklahoma City to Tulsa, but Cox customers can expect four or so plan options ranging from $50 to $100 per month for max speeds of 100Mbps to 1Gbps. Price increases after 12 months also vary by plan and location, but it’s possible for rates to go up by $20 or $30 after the first year.
Fees and service details: A one-year contract may be required to qualify for the lowest introductory rate and renting a router from Cox will add $13 to your bill. There’s also a 1.25TB data cap with all plans, and a potential fee for going over.
Product details
The image above isn’t just PTCI’s coverage area — it’s fiber-to-the-home coverage. Now, every household in the highlighted area won’t be serviceable, but still, PTCI brings high-speed internet to the panhandle better than any other provider.
Availability: The image above is a good reference, but serviceability is high throughout incorporated areas from Laverne in the east to Boise City in the west.
Plans and pricing: 100Mbps, 250Mbps and 1Gbps plans are available in most service areas, starting at $60, $86 and $116 monthly, respectively.
Fees and service details: Whole-home Wi-Fi is available for an additional $11 per month and may be included for free for the first three months. All plans come with unlimited data and a $135 installation fee that can be avoided by signing a one-year contract.
Verizon 5G Home Internet
Best alternative to cable and fiber ISPs in Oklahoma
Product details
If you’re ready to kick your cable connection to the curb or forgo fiber service, 5G home internet, specifically that from Verizon, may be your best way to do it. While T-Mobile Home Internet excels at bringing broadband to more areas, Verizon has shone when it comes to delivering speeds that rival cable or fiber internet service.
Availability: Oklahoma City, Norman and Tulsa expectedly have the greatest Verizon 5G Home Internet coverage, but households in smaller markets including Elk City, Guymon, Ponca City and Stillwater may be serviceable as well.
Plans and pricing: Verizon 5G Home Internet has two plans: $50 for speeds ranging from 85 to 300Mbps, or $70 per month for max speeds of 300-1,000Mbps. The pricing is about average for the speeds you get, but qualifying Verizon mobile customers can get 50% off, making it a much better deal.
Fees and service details: There are no contracts, data caps or equipment fees with Verizon 5G Home Internet.
Top internet providers in Oklahoma
You’ll find a quick comparison of Oklahoma ISPs below, followed by a closer look at potential rural internet options. And if you’re curious, check out the general information about internet pricing and speeds in Oklahoma along with commonly asked questions further down the page.
Internet providers in Oklahoma
| Provider | Connection type | Monthly price range | Speed range (Mbps) | Monthly data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | Fiber/copper | $55-$180 | 300-5,000 fiber, 10-100 copper | None fiber, 1.5TB copper | None |
| BluePeak | Fiber | $50-$100 | 1,000-5,000 | None | None |
| Cox | Cable | $50-$100 | 100-1,000 | 1.25TB | 1 year or none |
| EarthLink | Fiber/copper | $55-$190 | 100-5,000 fiber, 10-100 copper | None | 1 year |
| HughesNet | Satellite | $50-$150 | 25 | 15GB-100GB no hard data cap | 2 years |
| Kinetic | Fiber/copper | $40-$70 | 500-1,000 fiber, 12-100 copper | None | None |
| Optimum | Cable | $40-$60 | 300-1,000 | None | None |
| PTCI | Fiber | $60-$116 | 100-1,000 | None | 1 year or none |
| Rise Broadband | Fixed wireless | $25-$35 | 25-50 | 250GB or unlimited | None |
| Sparklight | Cable | $39-$110 | 200-1,000 | 700GB-unlimited | None |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | 5G fixed wireless | $50 | 33-182 | None | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | 5G fixed wireless | $50-$70 | 85-1,000 | None | None |
Rural internet options in Oklahoma
Available internet providers will vary from city to city in Oklahoma, and rural internet providers such as HughesNet, Rise Broadband and Viasat serve to fill the broadband voids in between. Here’s a closer look at potential providers and why they may be worth considering.
HughesNet: Best for broadband speeds anywhere. You’ll find the same HughesNet speed tier, 25Mbps down, 3Mbps up (the bare minimum to be considered “broadband”), throughout all of Oklahoma. Pricing is a bit lower than rival satellite provider Viasat, and all plans come with added 50GB of data monthly to use between the hours of 2 a.m. and 8 a.m.
Kinetic: Best for high speeds in rural areas. Kinetic by Windstream is popular in suburban and rural areas just outside the big cities where cable and big fiber internet providers often thrive. The ISP largely uses a DSL network, but speeds are relatively fast for the somewhat outdated connection type. Kinetic also has a fairly large fiber presence in Oklahoma, particularly to the southeast of Oklahoma City and to the southeast and northwest of Tulsa, and in the Mountain View area.
Rise Broadband: Best alternative to satellite internet. Before committing to the hassle and high prices of satellite internet, check to see if Rise Broadband is available. You won’t get speeds much faster than with satellite, but you’ll definitely pay less. Plus, service comes with 250GB of data per month with unlimited options available, and you won’t have the excessively high latency of satellite internet.
Starlink: Fastest satellite internet west of OKC. Starlink is rolling out service across the US, but its fastest speeds in Oklahoma, those over 100Mbps, are thus far reserved for the western part of the state. The improvements Starlink brings to the satellite internet space are impressive, but be prepared for sky-high costs: $600 or more for equipment and $120 per month for service.
Viasat: Fastest satellite internet south and east of OKC. If the 25Mbps you get with HughesNet isn’t enough speed for your home, Viasat may be the solution. Speeds of 50Mbps or higher are available in many parts of Oklahoma.
State internet details at a glance
Thanks to satellite internet service, multiple broadband options — those that can deliver speeds up to 25Mbps download and 3Mbps upload — are technically available throughout the state. That’s not to say high-speed, quality connections can be found everywhere, however. Aside from PTCI in the panhandle, the best selection of internet connection types, providers and plans is limited to the Oklahoma City, Norman and Tulsa areas.
Internet pricing in Oklahoma
What you pay for internet each month will depend on the available providers in your area and the plan you choose. Aside from Rise Broadband, you can expect starting prices from Oklahoma ISPs to range from $40 to $60 per month.
Equipment rental can add to the monthly cost, though there are providers such as AT&T and Optimum that may include your router for free. Additionally, you’ll want to be mindful of a provider’s data cap and potential overage fees or penalties like throttled speeds.
Internet service for low income households in Oklahoma
Availability isn’t the only factor contributing to the broadband divide. Affordability is another hurdle many face when searching for a reliable internet connection. Fortunately, there are special programs and plans available to help reduce the cost of internet service for low-income households.
The Affordable Connectivity Program grants qualifying Oklahoma residents up to $30 per month ($75 on Tribal lands) to apply towards internet service. That may not cover the entire cost of internet service, but it could significantly lower it. Additionally, select providers such as AT&T, Cox and Optimum offer unique low-cost plans that, when combined with the ACP credit, are available at zero net cost.
Internet plans for low-income households in OK
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access from AT&T | $30 | 100Mbps | None |
| Cox ConnectAssist | $30 | 100Mbps | None |
| Optimum Advantage Internet | $15 | 50Mbps | None |
Internet speeds in Oklahoma
Speed test averages reported by Ookla recently placed Oklahoma 41st in the US with median download speeds of 152Mbps, approximately 45Mbps lower than the national average. Upload speeds, however, were slightly higher than the national average at around 29Mbps.
Download speeds
Upload speeds
Fiber-optic internet will be your best bet for high-speed internet in Oklahoma, with providers such as AT&T, BluePeak and Kinetic offering speed tiers of 1Gbps or higher. That said, cable internet provider Cox actually had the fastest tested speed average in Oklahoma in March, at a median download speed of 212Mbps.
Oklahoma internet FAQs
Is internet in Oklahoma any good?
Ookla ranks Oklahoma 41st among US states for median download speeds at 152Mbps. That’s well above speeds considered to be “broadband,” but the low ranking indicates there is still room for improvement.
The speed and quality of internet service in Oklahoma will depend on where you live. Residents of Oklahoma City, Norman, Tulsa and other larger cities, for example, will have the best access to high-speed internet from providers such as AT&T, Cox, Optimum and Verizon 5G.
Outside city limits, Oklahoma residents can rely on rural providers like T-Mobile, Kinetic, HughesNet, Viasat and others for broadband service. Depending on the provider and connection type, expect max speeds of around 100Mbps, though some areas may only have access to speeds of 25Mbps or lower.
Does Oklahoma have fiber internet?
AT&T, BluePeak, Kinetic, PTCI and other regional providers offer fiber-optic service throughout the state. Serviceability is greatest in Oklahoma City, Norman, Tulsa and Stillwater, though PTCI covers much of the panhandle with fiber-to-the-home service.
Is Xfinity available in Oklahoma?
Xfinity does not offer internet service in Oklahoma. The largest cable internet providers in Oklahoma are Cox and Optimum. Spectrum also does not offer internet service in Oklahoma.
Is AT&T or Cox better?
AT&T is our choice for best internet provider in Oklahoma overall, but the quality of service may depend on which connection type is available at your home. If your address is eligible for fiber, you’ll likely find the plans and service terms to be more favorable than Cox.
On the other hand, if your address is only serviceable for AT&T Internet, the copper-based service, speeds and reliability are likely to be slower than Cox.
How do I get rural internet in Oklahoma?
In rural areas, it’s generally safe to assume satellite internet from HughesNet and Viasat is available. Both providers offer broadband speeds, or higher in the case of Viasat, in many areas, but the high cost and latency, not to mention equipment fees and contract requirements, make satellite internet a last resort for internet.
Start by checking to see what’s available in your area. It’s possible a DSL provider such as Kinetic or AT&T (though AT&T refers to their network as “copper-based,” not DSL) offers service at your address with speeds close to or faster than satellite internet.
5G home internet is also proving to be a practical alternative for internet in rural areas. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is available throughout much of Oklahoma and is capable of delivering download speeds ranging from 33-182Mbps.
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