Best Internet Providers in Mesa, Arizona - CNET
- Prices: $40 – $100 per month
- Speeds: 25 – 2,000Mbps
- 1.25TB monthly data allowance
- Prices: $30 – $70 per month
- Speeds: 200 – 940Mbps
- Unlimited data
- Prices: $50 per month
- Speeds: 72 – 245Mbps
- Unlimited data
High-speed fiber internet service is on its way to Mesa — but it isn’t widely available just yet. Until then, most residents have a choice between Cox and a slew of slower wireless providers.
Last year, AT&T Fiber announced it was coming to Mesa in 2023, but it’s still yet to go live. Though Google Fiber started delivering internet service to Mesa in late March, it isn’t yet widely available. Along with CenturyLink’s fiber service, that means Mesa will soon be home to the three highest rated internet providers in the American Customer Satisfaction Index‘s annual survey. For now, though, about 10% of Mesa households are wired up for fiber.
Our team considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Mesa across a variety of categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers’ terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data is variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different tiers of service, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider’s website.
Note that the prices, speeds and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider’s pricing and speeds across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs, while the text is specific to what’s available in Mesa. The prices referenced within this article’s text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month — a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might be available as well, for things like committing to a contract or bundling with a cellphone plan.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet providers in Mesa
There are three main internet providers in Mesa worth considering: Cox, CenturyLink Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet. We’ve also included an overview of some other internet providers serving the area, though most of them don’t measure up, or they come with significant drawbacks.
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Product details
For most Mesa residents, Cox’s cable internet provides the best combination of speed and price. It’s widely available in the area, and its download speeds go all the way up to 2,000 megabits per second — enough bandwidth to stream Netflix in HD on 400 TVs simultaneously. The major downside is common to all cable internet providers: Its upload speeds are much, much slower — somewhere between 5 and 100Mbps, depending on the plan. That could be limiting for households with multiple people videoconferencing or gaming online, which requires fast download and upload speeds.
According to mapping data on FCC.gov, Cox offers fiber internet, which is best for working from home and gaming online, in some parts of Mesa. But when we looked up specific addresses on Cox’s website, all the results displayed the slow upload speeds that are distinctive of a cable plan — a sign that Cox’s fiber-optic reach is limited.
Availability: At least one Cox plan is available almost everywhere in Mesa, with 96% of households eligible for service, according to the Federal Communications Commission.
Plans and pricing: In an industry known for confusing terms and contracts, Cox’s pricing is a characteristic morass: Its five internet plans start at $50 for 100Mbps download speed, $50 for 250Mbps (which increases to $70 after five years), $55 for 500Mbps ($90 after five years), $65 for 1,000Mbps ($120 after five years) and $100 for 2,000Mbps ($150 after five years). That noted, you may see different prices because Cox automatically applies a $30 monthly credit at some addresses due to a federal subsidy that only applies to low-income households (via the Affordable Connectivity Plan). If you don’t meet the income requirements and want to opt out, you’ll have to type “Live Agent” in Cox’s chat. If you agree to apply for the ACP benefit but you aren’t qualified, the $30 discount won’t appear on your bill.
Fees and service details: Cox offers customers free unlimited data for the first five years. After that, it charges $10 for each 50GB that you exceed the monthly 1.25TB data cap. Cox also provides customers with free installation and a powerful modem/router combo with most plans.
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Product details
CenturyLink’s Quantum Fiber service offers coverage in some parts of Mesa. One of the major advantages of fiber internet is symmetrical download and upload speeds. However, CenturyLink’s DSL service is more widely available than its fiber service in Mesa, and we would recommend it only as a last resort. If you put in your address into CenturyLink’s website and see a plan offering speeds up to 100Mbps, that’s a DSL plan, and we think you’d be better off with Cox or T-Mobile.
Availability: CenturyLink offers internet service to 56% of Mesa households, but most households are eligible only for a DSL plan. Fiber is most widely available on the east side of Mesa.
Plans and pricing: CenturyLink’s Quantum Fiber service offers two plans in Mesa: 200Mbps upload and download speed for $30 per month and 940Mbps for $70.
Fees and service details: Both plans feature free installation and a free modem, but a mesh router costs an extra $15 per month if you’re on the cheaper plan. (You also have the option of purchasing your own router.) Neither plan has a data cap or requires you to sign a contract.