If you’re a cord-cutter, gamer, or a fan of P2P file sharing, chances are that you’re going to want the most possible bandwidth for your online activities. While gigabit internet connections (1000 Mbps) used to be extremely uncommon even 5 years ago, today, there are many companies that offer gigabit internet services.
In this article, we’ll take a look at all of the currently existing gigabit ISPs in America, to help you figure out if you can get gigabit service in your area. Let’s get started!
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XFINITY from Comcast
It may not surprise you to find that Comcast has one of the largest gigabit internet networks in America. While Comcast typically ranks among the bottom of the barrel when it comes to customer service, they do offer gigabit internet in many different areas of the United States.
The price of XFINITY gigabit internet will vary based on your geographic location. But, if it’s available in your area, you should be able to get it for around $90 per months for the first 12 months. The price will jump to about $105 per month after this promo period.
Altice (Suddenlink)
Altice owns both Suddenlink and Optimum Online. However, only the former service offers gigabit internet speeds.
Currently, Suddenlink only offers gigabit internet speeds to a select number of communities in a few dozen states. Check out the full list here. Gigabit service starts at about $90/month for 12 months, and there is no long-term contract, or data caps – unlike many other SuddenLink plans.
AT&T
Again, no surprise here. If you are looking for gigabit internet, chances are that AT&T offers it in your area. The company has extensive reach in just about every US state. However, gigabit internet is still not yet available in most places AT&T serves. You can check to see if you get gigabit internet at your address with this website.
Gigabit service will cost you $80 per month when you bundle with another AT&T service, or $90/month for standalone service.
Charter Communications (Spectrum and Bright House Networks)
Charter Communications rolled Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks into Spectrum. Spectrum now offers a “Spectrum Internet Gig” service (which actually has a max speed of 940Mbps). This service is now available to an estimated 27 million homes nationwide. It costs $105 per month, though some customers may be eligible for bundles and other introductory offers.
CenturyLink
CenturyLink has been investing heavily in gigabit internet. Their service is available in about a dozen major cities spread across America. It costs about $115 per month, as well as an installation, equipment, and setup fee. You can sign up on their website to see when the service will be available in your area.
Verizon FiOS
Verizon is one of the biggest internet providers in the United States, with wide-reaching coverage. Recently, they introduced a 100% fiber-optic gigabit network that is now available in many different communities.
Verizon FiOS Gigabit Internet will cost you just $80 per month if you bundle it with TV and phone. Verizon’s Gigabit also maxes out at 940 Mbps down, and the $80 per month price is a 2-year introductory rate. You’ll pay $90 per month after. You will also have to pay fees for equipment rental and installation.
Frontier Communications
Frontier Communications is the fourth-largest ISP in the United States, and has begun offering ultra-high-speed gigabit connections to customers in select service areas. However, their gigabit connections are not available to the vast majority of customers. Currently, it’s only available in Durham, NC, New Haven, CT, and Beaverton, OR.
We really can’t recommend the service based on its price. If you don’t do any bundling or have a special promotional rate, the cost is a staggering $220 per month – if you have any other ISP in your area offering gigabit speeds, they’re a better pick than Frontier Communications.
MediaCom
MediaCom is one of the larger regional ISPs in the Midwest and Southern United States, and has begun offering gigabit plans in certain areas. You can visit this page to see if it is available near you.
Gigabit internet service costs $140 per month, but with some promotions and bundles, you may be able to lower this price to under $100 per month, depending on your eligibility. While that’s expensive, it’s not unreasonable.
TDS Telecom
TDS Telecom is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, and it primarily serves customers in rural and suburban communities in about 27 states, mostly in the Midwest and the South. You can see a full list of service areas on their website. The company has introduced fiber-optic technology, and now offers a fully-featured gigabit internet plan.
It costs about $100 when bundled with TDS TV products, but you will have to pay fees for modem rental and equipment installation. In addition, some rural areas of TDS Telecom have data limits and overage charges, so be wary of these additional costs.
Windstream
Windstream is a partner with Dish Network, and it’s a medium-sized ISP that has been expanding rapidly in the last decade or so. Primarily, it serves customers in rural areas, and it currently operates in all 50 states.
Recently, it introduced “Kinetic Gig by Windstream”, a 1 Gbps internet connection that is currently available in 16 states, across 150 communities. A few of these include Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky, as well as most states in the American South and several others in the Midwest.
If it’s available in your area, Kinetic Gig is surprisingly affordable. You can get free installation and activation, and new customers will pay just $55 per month for 1 year. The price goes to a still-reasonable $75/month after this promotional period.
Atlantic Broadband
Atlantic Broadband is the 9th-largest cable operator in the United States, so it’s one of the largest ISPs, as well. It’s headquartered in Massachusetts, and operates primarily in five geographic regions:
- Western Pennsylvania
- Miami Beach
- Maryland and Delaware
- Aiken, South Carolina
- Eastern Connecticut
The company recently acquired MetroCast, so it appears to be poised to keep growing.
Atlantic Broadband gigabit service is not yet available in all of their service areas. Currently, it can be purchased in Miami, as well as in some areas of South Carolina, including Aiken and surrounding communities like Graniteville, Jackson, Wagener, and Warrenville. Depending on your area, Atlantic Broadband gigabit internet is available for about $80-$90 per month with promotional pricing.
South Slope
South Slope Cooperative Communications is a smaller, regional ISP operating in the “Corridor” of Iowa between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. Despite their small size, they have made significant investments in gigabit internet. All of their plans feature unlimited data, and can be purchased without any other services such as phone and television.
However, if you are interested in gigabit internet from South Slope and don’t want to bundle, you’ll pay quite a bit of money. It’ll cost you nearly $200 per month, and while you do get a 1000 Mbps download speed, you will only get 100 Mbps uploading. This is quite far from the standard of 1000 Mbps down/400 Mbps up provided by larger ISPs like AT&T.
Still, the price is reasonable if you cannot get any other gigabit internet service in your area, and there are no data caps or usage restrictions, which is a nice bonus.
Google Fiber
Google Fiber made headlines nearly a decade ago in 2010, when it became one of the first gigabit ISPs ever.
It began rolling out to Kansas City, and then expanded to other communities in America like Austin (TX), Provo (UT), and numerous other cities like Salt Lake City, Nashville, and The Research Triangle in North Carolina.
Hundreds of smaller cities put in bids for Google Fiber expansion – and for a brief time, it seemed that Google Fiber was poised to disrupt the archaic ISP system in the United States.
However, expansion of Google Fiber halted in 2016, after Google reorganized into Alphabet, Inc. There are no current plans to continue expanding service, though Google Fiber continues to deliver to existing customers and service areas.
The cost of Google Fiber depends on your area, but it’s still generally the cheapest option for a gigabit connection. In most areas, you’ll pay between $60-$70 for a 1000 Mbps downlink and uplink, though this price may increase in the future.
Simply put, if Google Fiber is in your area, it’s going to be the best ISP for you if you want a gigabit connection – full stop.
WOW!
WOW!, which is short for Wide Open West, is the sixth-largest cable operator in the United States, and was founded in Denver, Colorado. It serves a total of 11 states, primarily in the Midwest and the American South.
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Alabama
- Illinois
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Georgia
- Tennessee
The WOW! gigabit service, known as “Gigtopia”, is not yet available in all cities and areas where the company operates. Currently, you can get 1 gigabit internet in:
- Auburn, AL
- Augusta, GA
- Charleston, SC
- Chicago City, IL
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbus, OH
- Detroit, MI
- Evansville, IN
- Huntsville, AL
- Knoxville, TN
- Panama City, FL
- Pinellas, FL
- Valley, AL
The service will soon be expanding to Montgomery, Al, and Columbus, GA.
With a 2-year agreement, the cost of 1 gigabit internet is only $79.99 per month with a promotional rate, making it a reasonable deal for most cord-cutters and those interested in a high-speed connection.
Cincinnati Bell
As the name may suggest, Cincinnati Bell is a major ISP in Cincinnati, Ohio, nearby suburbs, and even in Northern Kentucky and Dayton, Ohio. In late 2009, Cincinnati Bell became an early adopter of high-speed internet, laying down miles of fiber-optic cable under the brand name “FiOptics”. In August 2014, they launched their first gigabit internet packages.
Gigabit internet from Cincinnati Bell currently costs about $130 per month. For your money, you get 1 Gbps download speeds, and 250 Mbps upload speeds. However, customers may be able to save money by bundling their internet service with television and telephone services.
Ting
Ting, which primarily operates as a cell phone service provider, recently expanded their business strategy to include home internet, and gigabit internet in certain cities.
Currently, Ting gigabit internet is available in Charlottesville, VA, Westminster, MD, Holly Springs, NC, and Sandpoint, ID, and it will soon be available in Centennial, CO, as well as Fuquay-Varina, NC.
Home gigabit internet starts at $90/month, and will give you a full 1000 Mbps download and upload speed, which is a great deal.
Midco
Midco is a regional cable provider and ISP in North Dakota and South Dakota, and select areas of adjacent states Kansas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
They offer a “Midco Gig” service in some of these regions. Currently, it is available to about 80% of all of the customers served by the company.
RCN
RCN is a regional cable provider and ISP operating in the DC Metro and other East Coast cities in the US, including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Lehigh Valley, as well as Chicago.
Pricing for gigabit internet starts at just $70 per month, and you can check if it’s available in your area at their website. For your money, you’ll be getting a full 1 Gbps of download speed. However, you only get a measly 20-50 Mbps upload speed, which falls quite short of most other gigabit internet providers.
Sonic
Sonic is a regional, Santa Rosa-based ISP serving California, primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and the Los Angeles Metro areas. Currently, the company offers gigabit fiber to Northern California service areas. You can check service eligibility at this page.
Like other top services like Google Fiber, Sonic gigabit internet is symmetric, so you get both 1000 Mbps downloads, and 1000 Mbps uploads. In most service areas, service is an affordable $70 per month. While the service has been slow to expand, it steadily adding gigabit fiber connection access to more and more homes in California.
Eric Liston is a content writer based in Columbus, Ohio. Since 2015, he’s been writing about technology, cord-cutting, and helping everyday people save money. He also has expertise writing about medicine, dentistry, insurance, and a variety of other industries. No matter what he’s writing, his focus is always on simplifying complex concepts and making them approachable for everyone. When he’s not slamming away on his keyboard at his home office, you’ll find Eric reading sci-fi novels, improving his disc golf game (he just hit his first 400-foot drive) and playing video games on his gaming PC.
