Best Internet Providers in Fresno, California - CNET
- Prices: $55 – $180 per month
- Speeds: 300 – 5,000Mbps
- Key Info: Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included
- Prices: $20 – $300 per month
- Speeds: 75 – 6,000Mbps
- Key Info: Data caps on some plans, lots of plan options, solid customer satisfaction numbers
- Prices: $50 per month
- Speeds: 72 – 245Mbps
- Key Info: Unlimited data, equipment included, no contracts, no additional fees
There’s a clear hierarchy when it comes to choosing an internet provider in Fresno, California. If you live at one of the addresses that can get AT&T Fiber, you can stop your search now — CNET’s pick for the best internet provider nationwide serves up fast, reliable internet for a reasonable monthly price. The only downside is that a significant share of Fresno residents aren’t able to get it.
If you can’t get AT&T Fiber, Xfinity offers some of the cheapest internet plans in the country, but you’ll have to be vigilant about price increases and fees. T-Mobile is another decent backup option, but its speeds are best for households with only one or two people.
Our team considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Fresno 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 are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, 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. At the same time, the text is specific to what’s available in Fresno. 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 also be available 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.
Top internet providers in Fresno
No matter where you live in Fresno, you’ll likely have access to some good internet options. AT&T Fiber is available to about a quarter of Fresno residents and offers the fastest speeds at fair prices. Those who can’t get AT&T Fiber have a good backup in Xfinity, which is available almost everywhere in the city.
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AT&T Fiber
Best overall Fresno internet provider
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better all-around internet provider than AT&T Fiber anywhere in the country. It gets you fast, reliable speeds at reasonable prices, and it doesn’t come with the complicated contracts and price hikes that plague much of the broadband industry. That’s why AT&T Fiber earned the top ranking of any ISP from both the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power in Fresno’s region.
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Speed 7 / 10
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Value 7.5 / 10
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Customer Care 7.5 / 10
- No contracts required to receive the lowest available price
- No data caps for any fiber plans
- Valuable perks and promotional offers
- Much slower DSL plans are more prevalent than fiber options
- Data caps enforced on all non-fiber plans
Availability AT&T Fiber is available to around a quarter of Fresno residents, according to FCC mapping data. Others will only have access to AT&T’s DSL or fixed wireless service. We wouldn’t recommend either — both offer much slower speeds for comparable prices to AT&T Fiber.
Plans and pricing AT&T Fiber plans start at $55 per month for 300Mbps download and upload speeds and go all the way up to 5,000/5,000Mbps for $180.
Fees and service details There are no hidden fees with AT&T Fiber. You’ll get unlimited data, free equipment and a $100 or $150 reward card when you sign up, depending on the plan.
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Xfinity
Cheapest internet plans in Fresno
After fiber internet, cable connections, like the ones utilized by Xfinity, are as good as it gets in the internet world. Xfinity offers the cheapest internet plans you’ll find anywhere, but they come with confusing price increases and slower upload speeds — between 10 and 35Mbps, depending on the plan. If you do a lot of online gaming or videoconferencing, that could be a dealbreaker.
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Speed 7.5 / 10
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Value 6.5 / 10
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Customer Care 7 / 10
- Good variety of plans
- Some of the fastest residential plans available
- Above average scores in almost all customer satisfaction metrics
- Data caps for some plans
- Contracts often required to get the lowest price
- Steep jump from promo price to regular rates
Availability 97% of Fresno households are able to get internet service through Xfinity.
Plans and pricing Xfinity’s plans are confusing even by ISP standards. There are six plans available in Fresno, ranging from $20 a month for 75/10Mbps speeds to $70 for 1,200/35Mbps. The $20 plan increases by $15 in year two, then another $16 in year three. On every other plan, the price is locked in for the first two years; after that, it goes up by $23 to $33 each month.
Fees and service details On the $20 plan, renting equipment through Xfinity will add another $15 to your bill. On every other plan, equipment is included for the first two years; after that, it’ll cost $15 or $25, depending on your plan. You always have the option of using your own equipment, too. All Xfinity plans come with a 1.2TB data cap, but unlimited data is included for the first two years on the four fastest plans. The only plan that requires a one-year contract is the cheapest 75Mbps plan. Xfinity also includes a Peacock Premium subscription with its two fastest plans.