Best Internet Providers in Boulder, Colorado – CNET
Best Internet Providers in Boulder, Colorado - CNET
I grew up just north of Boulder, Colorado, so I’m biased, but I believe it to be one of the country’s most unique, beautiful cities. Some might know it as the home of the Colorado Buffaloes college football team, but it can also brag about the speed of its internet connections relative to the rest of the state.
If you live in Boulder (or plan to move there), you have a handful of options, but the two most widely available internet service providers are Xfinity and CenturyLink. CNET’s pick for the best overall internet service provider in Boulder is Xfinity due to its extensive coverage across the city and wide selection of plans. Other options include CenturyLink, which is also widely available but offers only slower DSL plans, fiber plans from Quantum Fiber and 5G home internet offerings from T-Mobile (and, to a lesser degree, Verizon).
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Our methodology
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Boulder across several 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.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, 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.
Also, the prices, speed 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 speed 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 Boulder. 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 signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Boulder in 2023
Boulder residents can expect median download speeds of approximately 236 megabits per second, according to Ookla Speedtest data — considerably faster than Colorado‘s statewide median (180Mbps) and the national median (210Mbps). Not too shabby.
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Xfinity
Best internet provider in Boulder
Product details
Xfinity is a reliable cable internet provider offering fast download speeds and extensive service across most of the city. Its cable broadband generally scores above-average marks in customer satisfaction surveys, including the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index report, and finished above average in three of four regions in the J.D. Power study for 2022. The one area where it didn’t? The East region, where Xfinity fell short of the average by one point but still placed second ahead of Cox, Frontier, Optimum and Spectrum.
Availability: Xfinity is available to nearly 99% of Boulder households, according to the Federal Communications Commission.
Plans and pricing: Xfinity offers six competitively priced cable plans. The cheapest is $20 per month and features download speeds up to 75Mbps (though it comes with some limitations and additional requirements, covered below). The fastest plan offered is Gigabit Extra, with max download speeds of 1,200Mbps for $70 monthly. Between the two, you can get 200Mbps for $35 per month, 400Mbps for $50 monthly and, curiously, both 800Mbps and 1,000Mbps for $60 per month. Xfinity also offers Peacock Premium with the 1,000 and 1,200Mbps plans.
Fees and service details: Signing up for the cheapest plan requires signing a one-year contract; all other tiers have no term agreements. The two cheapest plans have a monthly data cap of 1.2 terabytes, but the other tiers offer unlimited data. Finally, Wi-Fi equipment is included in all plans except the cheapest one.
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Quantum Fiber
Best fiber provider in Boulder
Product details
Lumen Technologies is the parent company of CenturyLink and Quantum Fiber, two broadband services available in Boulder. CenturyLink offers DSL connections to more than three-quarters of households in the area. At the same time, Quantum Fiber is a 100% fiber-optic service that offers much faster (and symmetrical) download and upload speeds. As noted in our CNET ISP reviews, fiber internet trumps cable connections, which best DSL services.
Availability: Nearly nine out of 10 Boulder households are eligible for one of Lumen’s service plans, according to the FCC, but most of those will be for CenturyLink service. Residents in East Aurora, Martin Acres and Washington Village have a better shot at getting Quantum Fiber.
Plans and pricing: Quantum Fiber offers two fiber internet plans in Boulder. The cheapest is $50 per month for download speeds up to 500Mbps. The fastest tier, featuring download speeds up to 940Mbps, is $75 monthly.
Fees and service details: Quantum Fiber’s plans have no data caps or term agreements. Wi-Fi equipment is included in both plans, and the top tier also includes free installation (worth $129).
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T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless provider in Boulder
Product details
T-Mobile’s cellular network won’t deliver speeds that match Xfinity or Quantum Fiber, but it should be adequate for households with three or fewer people. It also received the highest approval rating of any non-fiber provider in the US, according to the 2023 American Customer Satisfaction Index survey.
Availability: T-Mobile Home Internet is available to just over 60% of Boulder residents, per the FCC. However, you must plug in your address on the T-Mobile site to see if your neighborhood is covered. Be aware: Some areas covered by T-Mobile’s 5G mobile service may not be eligible for T-Mobile Home Internet.
Plans and pricing: T-Mobile’s home internet service is straightforward: there’s one plan, and it costs $50 per month. It features download speeds ranging from 72 to 245Mbps and upload speeds from 15 to 31Mbps.
Fees and service details: There are no equipment fees, data caps or contracts with T-Mobile Home Internet. You can save an additional $20 monthly by bundling with a Go5G Next, Go5G Plus or Magenta Max cellphone plan. Your price is guaranteed for as long as you remain a customer. You can also try the service for free for 15 days.
Boulder internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink | DSL | $55 | 3-100Mbps | $15 (optional) | None | None | 6.7 |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | $50-$75 | 500-940Mbps | None | None | None | N/A |
| Rise Broadband | Fixed wireless | $45 | 25-50Mbps | $10 modem; $5-$15 router (optional) | 250GB or unlimited | None, but required for some promotions | 6.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 with eligible phone plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible phone plans | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
| Xfinity | Cable | $20-$70 | 75-1,200Mbps | $15 (optional) | 1.2TB on some plans | 1 year for cheapest plan; none for others | 7 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Other available internet providers in Boulder
Though we think Xfinity, Quantum Fiber and T-Mobile are the best providers in the area, Boulder has other ISP options to consider.
- Live Wire Networks: This Colorado-based fixed wireless provider serves nearly 90% of the Boulder region. Plans range from 35Mbps (for $25 per month) to 150Mbps for $120 monthly. Equipment rental is included, and there are no data caps or contracts required.
- Rise Broadband: This fixed wireless provider serves approximately 8% of the Boulder area. There’s a pocket of availability just north of Washington Village, but it’s mainly an option for rural areas beyond city limits. You can get speeds up to 50Mbps with unlimited data.
- Satellite internet: CNET recommends avoiding satellite internet in cities with cheaper and faster options. That noted, if you live in a rural area where cable and fiber connections aren’t available, HughesNet and Viasat are the viable satellite providers in the Boulder area. Services require a two-year contract. Elon Musk’s Starlink features higher download speeds but is available to only 2% of the area, according to FCC data.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Similar to T-Mobile, Verizon uses its cellular network to provide fixed wireless home broadband. Though it may offer higher max download speeds than T-Mobile (the 5G Home Plus plan features “typical download speeds of 300-1,000Mbps” to T-Mobile’s max of 245Mbps), it’s available to less than 15% of households in Boulder.
Pricing info on Boulder home internet service
The average starting price for internet in Boulder is just under $42 per month — less expensive than the national average but just a few dollars more per month than its bigger sibling to the south, Denver, which comes in at $39.
Cheap internet options in Boulder
The cheapest internet plan in Boulder is Xfinity’s Connect plan, which features max download speeds of 75Mbps for $20 per month. There are plenty of caveats, however: That promotional price lasts for only one year and doesn’t include an optional $15-per-month charge for equipment rental (which you can waive if you have your own modem and router).
T-Mobile Home Internet, which starts at $50 monthly, drops to $30 per month when you bundle an eligible cellphone plan, such as Go5G Plus and Magenta Max.
It’s worth noting that you might get a discount on any of the plans. The federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program provides low-income households a $30 monthly discount on high-speed internet. Qualifying households will find that money fully covers some of the plans we list below.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Boulder?
| Provider | Starting monthly price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity Connect | $20 | 75Mbps | $15 (optional) | 1 year |
| Xfinity Connect More | $35 | 200Mbps | None | None |
| Rise Broadband | $45 | 25Mbps | $10 modem; $5-$15 router (optional) | None, but required for some promotions |
| Quantum Fiber | $50 | 500Mbps | None | None |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | $50 ($30 with eligible phone plans) | 245Mbps | None | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | $50 ($35 with eligible phone plans) | 300Mbps | None | None |
| Xfinity Fast | $50 | 400Mbps | None | None |
| CenturyLink | $55 | 100Mbps | $15 (optional) | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Boulder broadband speeds
Just about all Boulder households have access to broadband internet speeds of 250Mbps down and 25Mbps upload. As we mentioned earlier, Boulder residents see much higher median download speeds than the rest of the state.
What are the fastest internet plans in Boulder?
| Provider | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Starting monthly price | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity Gigabit Extra | 1,200Mbps | 35Mbps | $70 | None | None |
| Xfinity Gigabit | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | $60 | None | None |
| Quantum Fiber | 940Mbps | 880Mbps | $75 | None | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Boulder
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? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
This guide leverages an in-house artificial intelligence tool called RAMP, which is trained on our own writing and uses our database to generate content about specific internet service providers that our writers can use in determining and presenting our picks for a given guide. Check CNET’s AI policy for more information about how our teams use (and don’t use) AI tools.
Because our database isn’t exhaustive, we go to the FCC’s website to check the primary data for ourselves and make sure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we input local addresses on provider websites to find the specific options available to residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of our prepublication fact-check.
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.
What’s the bottom line on internet providers in Boulder?
Xfinity covers nearly every address in the city and features the widest array of plan choices of any provider in the area. That’s why it gets our nod for the best ISP in the city. However, Boulder households have other viable options, including fiber plans from Quantum Fiber and a fixed wireless connection from T-Mobile Home Internet.
Internet providers in Boulder: FAQs
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Which is the best internet service provider in Boulder?
CNET’s pick for the best ISP in Boulder is Xfinity. It covers almost the whole area, gives customers a wide variety of plans from which to pick and also features the fastest download speed in the city. Quantum Fiber offers only two plans, but its strength is it’s the only provider in the area offering symmetrical download and upload speeds.
