Best Internet Providers in Columbus, Ohio – CNET
Best Internet Providers in Columbus, Ohio - CNET
- Prices from $55 – $180 per month
- Speeds from 300 – 5,000Mbps
- Unlimited data
- Prices from $50 per month
- Speeds from 72 – 245Mbps
- Unlimited data
- Prices from $50 – $90 per month
- Speeds from 300 – 940Mbps
- Unlimited data
Columbus may be home to The Ohio State University, but it’s also the land of several internet service providers that offer a little something for everyone. The bustling city in the center of Ohio is rapidly growing its fiber service, increasing high-speed internet availability. Currently, AT&T offers fiber plans for a reasonable price, making AT&T Fiber the best internet provider in Columbus. However, there’s more than just AT&T.
AT&T offers some of the overall fastest upload speeds across the board, but when it comes to Columbus, it’s neck and neck with Spectrum. Spectrum has the highest median download speed in Ohio’s capital city at 252 megabits per second, and the toss-up is due in part to the fact that many of Columbus’ customers only have access to AT&T’s DSL service and not high-speed fiber. In the end, though, AT&T still comes out on top, with its fan-favorite fiber service outperforming Spectrum’s network.
Beyond these two ISPs, Columbus residents also have access to satellite internet — great for rural customers — and other popular providers like T-Mobile and Verizon, which offer discounts to their mobile customers.
Ahead, find a full breakdown of ISPs in Columbus to decide which company is best for your speed needs and budget.
Best internet providers in the Buckeye City
Plenty of solid ISPs are available in Columbus; we rate many of them as good options. These are our absolute top contenders.
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Product details
AT&T is widely available throughout Columbus and is notably reliable for its fiber service’s upload and download speeds. You’ll find fiber and DSL options in the Columbus area.
Availability: Nearly all of Columbus has access to AT&T’s DSL service, though the ISP is deprioritizing this in favor of its AT&T Air fixed wireless option. For some parts of Columbus, especially downtown, you’ll find fiber service, and that availability is increasing.
Plans and pricing: Fiber plans range in download speed from 300Mbps to 5,000Mbps. Prices span from $55 a month to $180 monthly. The 100Mbps DSL plan costs $70 a month.
Fees and service details: There are no contracts, equipment fees or data caps with AT&T Fiber.
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T-Mobile Home Internet
Best cheap plan among internet providers in Columbus
Product details
T-Mobile is rapidly expanding its coverage and landed in Columbus in early 2022. Though it’s not available everywhere and only offers one plan, it is reasonably priced. Potential customers can check eligibility here.
Availability: T-Mobile’s availability in Columbus is spotty, though it’s billed as widely available. It’s especially available in the city’s outskirts, where people generally don’t have as many ISP options.
Plans and pricing: T-Mobile Home Internet features one plan at $50 a month. Go5G Plus or Magenta Max phone plan customers can get it for $30 monthly, while Go5G, Magenta, or Essentials phone plan customers can get discounted service for $40. Speeds range from 72 to 245Mbps.
Fees and service details: T-Mobile Home Internet boasts no contracts, data caps or fees.
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Product details
Spectrum offers a wide variety of plans at budget-friendly prices. It’s also widely available throughout the Columbus area.
Availability: Spectrum’s internet service is available pretty much everywhere in Columbus and the surrounding area.
Plans and pricing: Plans range from $30 to $90 per month, with speeds that include 100Mbps to 1Gbps.
Fees and service details: You’ll find no data caps or contracts, though a router will run you an additional $5 monthly. Customers may also see a price hike after the first 12 months of service.
Internet providers in Columbus overview
Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AT&T | DSL/fiber | $55-$180 | 10-5,000Mbps | None | 1.5TB for plans under 100Mbps | None | 7.4 |
Breezeline | Cable | $20-$60 | 100-1,000Mbps | $15 | None | None | N/A |
Brightspeed | DSL/Fiber | $50-$60 | 200-940Mbps | None | None | None | N/A |
Spectrum | Cable | $20-$90 | 300-1,000Mbps | Free modem; $5 router | None | None | 7.2 |
T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50 | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
Verizon 5G Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 | 85-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
All available Columbus residential internet providers
Beyond our best list, a handful of other ISPs in Columbus have various plans and prices. These include DSL and satellite and speeds up to 5,000Mbps.
- Breezeline: Breezeline’s cable internet is available in about 70% of Columbus, and plans range from $20 to $60 per month and 100 to 1,000Mbps.
- Brightspeed: Brightspeed took over CenturyLink’s network in Columbus. The DSL and fiber service is available in about half of the Columbus area. DSL speeds go up to 100Mbps for $50 a month, while fiber speeds start at 200Mbps for $30 monthly.
- Satellite internet: Residents can access satellite internet through Viasat, Starlink and HughesNet in Columbus. Viasat’s plans start at $65 per month for 25Mbps and go up to $250 for 50Mbps. The recently launched Starlink offers the fastest speeds (up to 250Mbps) for $90 to $120 a month, and HughesNet’s plans start at $50 a month for 25Mbps.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon offers 5G internet service throughout central Columbus. Plans start at $50 a month for 85 to 300Mbps and go up to $70 a month for 300 to 1,000Mbps. Verizon Wireless customers could pay as little as $25 monthly for internet with autopay and select mobile plans.
Columbus internet details at a glance
Columbus offers a variety of ISPs in and around the central metro area. The plans and prices are wide-ranging, so whether you need internet to simply check your email or you’re a hardcore gamer, there’s something for you.
Pricing details on Columbus home internet service
Columbus’ broadband prices are pretty reasonable, with the average starting price at just over $44 a month. Most ISPs offer a plan that’s $50 a month or below, and only a few skew higher than that (largely the satellite providers).
Cheap internet options in the Columbus metro area
The cheapest plans you’ll likely find in Columbus are Spectrum’s $30-a-month plan and Breezeline’s Base $20 monthly plan. However, these are not available in all areas of the city. The best deal would be Breezeline’s UltraFast plan at $40 a month for 500Mbps. Why? If you break down the numbers further, Breezeline’s UltraFast plan comes to just 8 cents per Mbps. Breezeline’s Base plan at $20 a month, though it’s the cheapest monthly plan, is 20 cents per Mbps. Some customers may also qualify for a lower-cost internet plan through the Affordable Connectivity Program.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Columbus?
Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee | Contract |
---|---|---|---|---|
Breezeline Base | $20 | 100Mbps | None | None |
Spectrum | $30 | 100Mbps | Free modem; $5 router | None |
Brightspeed | $50 | 200Mbps | None | None |
T-Mobile Home Internet | $50 | 245Mbps | None | None |
HughesNet | $50 | 25Mbps | $15 | 2 years |
Verizon 5G Home Internet | $50 | 300Mbps | None | None |
AT&T Fiber 300 | $55 | 300Mbps | None | None |
Here are the internet speeds you can find in Columbus
Download speeds
Upload speeds
Speeds range from a very modest 3Mbps to 5,000Mbps in Columbus — though not everyone will have access to these numbers. Many plans sit in the 100 to 300Mbps range, while some much faster speeds can be found.
Fastest internet providers in Columbus
AT&T offers the fastest internet plans in Columbus. It boasts fiber options that include multi-gigabit plans.
What are the fastest internet plans in Columbus?
Provider | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Starting price | Data cap | Contract |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AT&T Fiber 5000 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $180 | None | None |
AT&T Fiber 2000 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $110 | None | None |
AT&T Fiber 1000 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $80 | None | None |
Verizon 5G Home Internet Plus | 1,000Mbps | 50Mbps | $70 | None | None |
Breezeline GigaFast | 1,000Mbps | 50Mbps | $60 | None | None |
Spectrum Internet Gig | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | $90 | None | None |
Brightspeed | 940Mbps | 880Mbps | $60 | None | None |
What’s the final word on internet providers in Columbus?
AT&T’s fiber plans are the best bet in Columbus, but they’re not available to all customers in the city. However, there are plenty of other reliable, affordable and fast plans. Whether you need satellite or cable, fiber or DSL, there are several options, with some starting at just $20 a month.
Internet providers in Columbus FAQs
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Is fiber internet available in Columbus?
Fiber internet is available through AT&T and Brightspeed. Though neither is widely available, you’ll find access to fiber in about 20% of the Columbus area.
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Who is the cheapest internet provider in Columbus?
Breezeline offers a $20 monthly plan that’s the cheapest in Columbus. However, customers may be able to save the most money through Verizon or T-Mobile if they’re already mobile customers. Both ISPs offer deals to eligible mobile customers who sign up for internet service. Check your Verizon eligibility here and your T-Mobile eligibility here.