What are the best internet providers in Gainesville?
Whether you’re searching for a better internet provider or signing up for the first time, these are the best CNET recommendations to help you find the best broadband options. For most families in Gainesville, CNET recommends Cox Communications As the first choice. With extensive coverage throughout the city and multiple speed tiers, Cox provides flexibility to suit different needs. If Cox has no choice on your address, please consider AT&T fiber or T-Mobile Home InternetBoth are great choices.
We also identified the best deals and fastest plans for Gainesville. If budget is your main issue, the T-Mobile Home Internet offers a huge value of $50 per month, delivering speeds up to 415Mbps. For those seeking top-notch performance, the AT&T fiber 5000 leads to the packaging at lightning symmetric speeds of up to 5Gbps. Whether you are pursuing affordability or raw speed, Gainesville has you there.
Best Internet in Gainesville in 2025
Gainesville Internet Provider Comparison
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price | Speed range | Monthly equipment cost | Data cap | contract | CNET Comment Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Internet Air Read the full review |
DSL | $60 | 20-100Mbps | Nothing | 1.5TB some plans | Nothing | 7.4 |
| AT&T fiber Read the full review |
fiber | $55- $245 | 300-5,000Mbps | Nothing | Nothing | Nothing | 7.4 |
| Cox Communications Read the full review |
Cable/Fiber | $30-$110 | 100-2,000Mbps | $15 (optional) | 1.25TB | Nothing | 6.2 |
| Wind dynamics | DSL/Fiber | $40-$100 | 300-2,000Mbps | Nothing | Nothing | Nothing | 6.7 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$55 with qualified mobile plans) | 87-415Mbps | Nothing | Nothing | Nothing | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G home internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $60-$80 ($35-$45 with qualified mobile plans) | 50-250Mbps | Nothing | Nothing | Nothing | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other Internet providers in Gainesville
- Wind dynamics: You won’t find it directly in the city, but the wind dynamics are available near Fairbanks, Orange Heights, Michaelopy and Alachua. Kinetic offers DSL and Fiber Internet – this provider is only considered if your home offers its fiber network.
- Satellite Internet: Satellite Internet Hughesnet,,,,, Viasat or Starlink No matter where you are, it is an option. But this shouldn’t be your first choice – high prices and slower, the available options are cheaper and faster.
- Verizon 5G home internet: Like the T-Mobile Home Internet, Verizon offers fixed wireless services with fixed prices. Customers can expect speeds of 50 to 250Mbps for $50 per month. So, why consider T-Mobile on Verizon? While the T-Mobile Home Internet accounts for 45% of Gainesville, Verizon accounts for only 24%. However, if your address is available, consider it a reliable broadband option.
Cheap Internet Options in Gainesville
While Windstream’s dynamics bring cakes to Gainesville’s cheapest internet plan, this may not be the best. Most of the coverage of dynamics in cities is through their DSL networks, so you may experience lag or delays more frequently than other connections. For the best overall value – although still relatively cheap – turn to the T-Mobile Home Internet. Its base price is the same as the Cox Essential and Verizon 5G home internet, but you can save more if the customer is a qualified mobile customer.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Gainesville?
| Provider | Starting price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cox essentials 100 Read the full review |
$30 | 100Mbps | $15 (optional) |
| Wind dynamics | $40 | 300Mbps | Nothing |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 for eligible mobile plans) | 318Mbps | Nothing |
| Verizon 5G home Read the full review |
$50 ($35 for eligible mobile plans) | 80Mbps | Nothing |
| AT&T fiber 300 Read the full review |
$55 | 300Mbps | Nothing |
| AT&T Internet Read the full review |
$60 | 100Mbps | Nothing |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Gainesville
The best internet deals and top promotions in Gainesville depend on the discounts available during this period. Most transactions are short-lived, but we often look for the latest quotes.
Some Gainesville internet providers, such as Cox Communications, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. However, many including AT&T fibers, T-Mobile and Verizon have the same standard pricing throughout the year.
For a wider list of promotions, check out our guide The best internet transactions.
How fast is Gainesville broadband?
Florida ranks third in 50 states Fastest broadband speedthe median download speed in the fourth quarter of 2023 was 238Mbps. The fastest provider in the state is AT&T fiber, with a median download speed of 287Mbps. So how do Gainesville stack? This small city in Florida is not far from there. Median speed is 262Mbps. That’s very soon.
There are many options for those looking for more speed than 221Mbps. The fastest you find in Gainesville is 5,000Mbps, and the price is $245 per month provided by AT&T fiber. Cox also offers a 2 Gigabit plan for $100 per month, which is a great option if you want to bundle the internet and TV service.
Gainesville’s fastest internet plan
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is good internet speed?
Most Internet connectivity programs can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you are looking for an internet plan that can accommodate video conferencing, streaming videos or games, you will get better experience and have a stronger connection. Here is an overview of the minimum download speeds recommended for various applications, According to FCC. Note that these are just guides – Internet speed, services and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
For more information, see our guide How much internet speed do you really need.
- 0 to 5Mbps allows you to solve the basics – browse the internet, send and receive emails, and stream low-quality video.
- 5 to 40Mbps provides you with higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
- 40 to 100Mbps should provide a user with enough bandwidth to meet the needs of modern remote office, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to perform high bandwidth activities for two users simultaneously, such as video conferencing, streaming and gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high bandwidth activities simultaneously.
How CNET chooses the best Internet provider in Gainesville
There are numerous and regional Internet service providers. Different from the latest smartphone,,,,, laptop,,,,, router or Kitchen toolsit is impractical to test each Internet service provider in a given city in person. So what is our method? For beginners, we leverage a proprietary database that leverages information from FCC.GOV’s Federal Communications Commission from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information.
But that’s not over. We visit the FCC’s website to check our data and make sure we consider all ISPs that provide services in a certain area. We also enter our local address on the provider website to find specific options for residents. We look at resources including the U.S. Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power to evaluate how satisfied ISP services have with customers. ISP plans and prices change frequently; all information provided is accurate as of publication.
Once this local information is obtained, we ask three main questions:
- Can providers access reasonable and fast internet speeds?
- Do customers get decent value for the money they pay?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
Although the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, the three we recommend are closest to the provider of “yes”. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the lowest monthly plan, although we also consider issues such as price increase, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We view the upload and download speeds on ads and consider them from such Ookla and FCC Report. (Ookla is owned by CNET and Ziff Davis.)
To explore our process more deeply, visit us How we test ISP Page.
What’s the last sentence of the Gainesville Internet provider?
Fiber optic connections are usually the best choice when it comes to home internet. However, AT&T fiber is not widely spread in Gainesville – your address may only get AT&T’s DSL service. Cox Communications is better, it covers the entire city and offers faster speeds than DSL. Plus, Cox offers its new fiber network to choose homes in Gainesville, which is why it ranks the number one ISP in the region.
Gainesville Internet Provider FAQ
What is the cheapest internet provider in Gainesville?
While Cox technically offers the cheapest plan in the city ($30 per month), customers with a qualified T-Mobile phone plan can enjoy a $15 discount on their T-Mobile Home Internet plan, boosting their monthly bills to $35 at better speeds.
Which internet provider in Gainesville offers the fastest plan?
Gainesville’s fastest internet plan is provided by AT&T fiber. At $245 per month, customers can reach speeds up to 5,000Mbps.
Is it possible to use fiber internet in Gainesville?
Yes. AT&T fiber is the largest fiber provider in the region, but Cox’s new fiber network can use SELECT addresses. Windstream’s dynamics also offer fiber optic services, but Gainesville’s availability is very little.
Which internet provider has the best coverage in Gainesville?
Cox Communications has the best coverage in cities – Almost 100% of Gainesville is available through Cox.
