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Internet providers in Tucson overview

Provider Internet technology Monthly price range Speed range Monthly equipment costs Data cap Contract CNET review score
CenturyLink DSL $50 10-80Mbps $15 None None 6.7
CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber Fiber $30-$300 200Mbps-8,000Mbps None None None 6.7
Cox Communications Cable $50-$120 100Mbps-1,000Mbps $13 (optional) 1.25TB None 6.2
HughesNet Satellite $50-$75 25Mbps $15 15GB-200GB 2 years 5.7
T-Mobile Home Internet Fixed wireless $50 72-245Mbps None None None 7.4
Verizon 5G Home Internet Fixed wireless $50-$70 85Mbps-1,000Mbps None None None 7.2
Xfinity Cable $20-$80 75Mbps-1,200Mbps $15 (included for 24 months) 1.2TB None 7
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data

All available Tucson residential internet providers

Beyond those we’ve highlighted as the best of the best, Tucson offers a number of other ISPs that offer DSL, satellite and more. Below, find out more about each of these providers.

  • CenturyLink: CenturyLink, which is owned by the same parent company, Lumen, as Quantum Fiber and operates on much of the same network, runs its DSL service throughout Tucson. The company’s limited 80Mbps plan is available for $50 per month, which doesn’t include an additional $15 monthly equipment rental fee.
  • Cox Communications: Cox Communications offers cable service in Tucson, with speeds ranging from 100Mbps to 1Gbps. It operates on a hybrid fiber-coax network so speeds will vary, and prices start at $50 per month. While customers won’t have to deal with contracts, you will have a data cap of 1.25TB.
  • Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon’s 5G home internet service is available to about 27% of Tucson, and speeds range from 85Mbps to 1,000Mbps. While prices start at $50 per month, eligible mobile customers could pay as little as $25 per month with qualifying phone plans.
  • Satellite internet: There are a couple of options for satellite service in Tucson: Viasat, Starlink and HughesNet. With HughesNet, prices start at $65 for 25Mbps. With Viasat, prices start at $50 per month for 25Mbps. Starlink’s prices start at $120 with speeds averaging 53Mbps. With each ISP, you’ll pay a monthly equipment fee as well as get locked into a contract (except for Starlink, which is a bit more flexible). You may also see a price hike after just a few months depending on what kind of contract you sign at the start.

Pricing info on Tucson home internet service

The average starting price for internet service in Tucson is just under $46 per month. Most providers offer a $50 monthly plan, but two providers offer plans even lower than that. 

Cheap internet options in the Tucson metro area

Xfinity offers the lowest plan you’ll find in Tucson with its $20 per month plan for download speeds of 75Mbps. Quantum Fiber is next with its $30 per month 200Mbps plan. Some Tucson residents may also find even cheaper costs through the Affordable Connectivity Program, which is available for low-income homes.

What’s the cheapest internet plan in Tucson?

Provider Starting price Max download speed Monthly equipment fee Contract
Xfinity Connect $20 75Mbps None 1 year
CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber $30 200Mbps None None
Verizon 5G Home Internet $50 ($25 with eligible phone plan) 300Mbps None None
T-Mobile Home Internet $50 ($30 with eligible phone plan) 245Mbps None None
Cox Communications $50 100Mbps $13 (optional) None
Viasat $50 25Mbps $15 2 years
HughesNet $50 25Mbps $15 2 years
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data

Fastest internet providers in Tucson

Quantum Fiber, Cox Communications, Verizon and Xfinity all offer high-speed gigabit plans in Tucson, with Quantum Fiber offering the fastest speeds. However, you won’t find those multigigabit speeds throughout a lot of the city, only at select addresses.

What are the fastest internet plans in Tucson?

Provider Max download speed Max upload speed Starting price Data cap Contract
Quantum Fiber 8 Gig 8,000Mbps 8,000Mbps $300 None None
Quantum Fiber 3 Gig 3,000Mbps 3,000Mbps $150 None None
Xfinity Gigabit Extra 1,200Mbps 35Mbps $80 1.2TB if using own equipment); None if renting with Xfinity None
Quantum Fiber 1 Gig 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps $70 None None
Cox Communications 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps $120 1.25TB None
Verizon 5G Home Plus 1,000Mbps 50Mbps $70 None None
Xfinity Gigabit 1,000Mbps 20Mbps $75 1.2TB if using own equipment; None if renting with Xfinity None
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data

What’s the final word on internet providers in Tucson?

Though we rate Xfinity as the best bet in Tucson, the address at which you reside will truly dictate which ISP is best for you. The speeds and providers vary throughout the city and the surrounding areas, so you’ll have to plug in your location to find your best options.

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites 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’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. To evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service, we look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time 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? 

While 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. 

To explore our process in more depth, visit our How We Test ISPs page.

Internet providers in Tucson FAQs

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Is fiber internet available in Tucson?&nbsp;

Fiber internet is available with CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber in Tucson. Quantum Fiber prices range from $30 to $300 monthly, and speeds range from 200Mbps to 8,000Mbps. 

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Who is the cheapest internet provider in Tucson?

Xfinity offers the cheapest internet in Tucson with its Connect plan. For $20 per month, customers can get 75Mbps download speeds.

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Is CenturyLink or Xfinity better?

CenturyLink and Xfinity are both really solid options for your internet service. In Tucson, CenturyLink runs DSL and fiber while Xfinity runs cable. Typically we’d rate CenturyLink over Xfinity, but that’s only when you can get CenturyLink’s fiber plans. If you can’t get fiber service from CenturyLink (or its other brand, Quantum Fiber), we’d pick Xfinity over CenturyLink for Tucson residents.

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