Internet providers in Tampa, FL

What is the best internet provider in Tampa?

• Spectrum - No data caps
• Xfinity - High speeds widely available
• Frontier - No-contract plans available
• HughesNet - Perfect for rural areas
• Viasat - Widely available
• Summit Broadband - No data caps or contracts

Tampa residents have multiple options for internet providers, but only four are serious contenders: EarthLink, Spectrum, Xfinity, and Frontier. While Viasat and HughesNet provide satellite internet services, they’re both significantly more expensive and slower than the competition. They’re really worth considering only if satellite internet is the only option in your area.

That said, even the most isolated customers in the Tampa area should be able to get internet coverage from Spectrum or Frontier for less.

Xfinity

Xfinity has the most flexible plan options—from 75 Mbps to 1,200 Mbps. Xfinity also generally has great prices, ranging from cheap internet options to deluxe Wi-Fi packages and bundle deals. But it also has the most limited coverage, mostly covering areas in East Tampa and suburbs further east.

EarthLink

EarthLink has widespread coverage across Tampa and has an excellent track record for prices and performance. It was the lead in our annual customer satisfaction survey, getting the top ranking for overall satisfaction and in the price and customer service categories.

Spectrum

Spectrum has broad availability in the Tampa area. It provides cable Internet with a wide range of speeds and pricing options. Some of its plans are more pricey than you’d get from other providers, but you don’t have to sign up for any contracts and you get unlimited data.

Frontier

Frontier is another provider with very wide availability in Tampa. But unlike Spectrum and Xfinity, Frontier provides fiber internet with symmetrical speeds up to 5,000 Mbps, making it one of the fastest providers in the area. Frontier also offers DSL internet if you can’t get fiber where you live.

Highest-rated internet providers in Tampa

We’ve seen what each of the main competitors in Tampa have to offer, but how do they stack up side by side? EarthLink took top nationwide rankings in our annual ISP customer satisfaction survey.

EarthLink

EarthLink is the highest-ranked nationwide provider available in Tampa, taking first place nationally for overall customer satisfaction. EarthLink scored particularly well in the categories of customer service and price, so even though there are cheaper providers out there, EarthLink customers certainly feel like they’re getting their money’s worth.

T-Mobile

Although T-Mobile is still a bit of a newcomer to the realm of home internet, it actually earned a higher overall customer satisfaction score than the bigger nationwide providers with its 5G home internet.

Xfinity

Xfinity took fifth place, putting it just behind the leaders. Xfinity got especially high ratings in the categories of speed, where it took first place, and reliability, where it came in just behind Verizon. Xfinity did better than average in every category, making it a solid choice for your average internet user.

Spectrum

Spectrum was the third-highest nationwide provider in our survey, scoring in the top three for overall satisfaction, speed, and reliability. It was especially highly rated for speed, with 81% of customers saying that Spectrum was usually or always as fast as promised. Spectrum also received the highest score out of cable providers.

Frontier

Frontier ranked 11th out of the 13 nationwide brands we surveyed. However, Frontier’s fiber customers rated their service higher than DSL customers.

Fastest internet service providers in Tampa

Tampa’s fastest internet provider is Frontier, which narrowly edges out the competition with its new 2 Gbps internet plan. Xfinity, EarthLink, and Spectrum are close behind with their 1 Gbps plans, which still provide more speed than most households use, even on the busiest days.

Cheapest internet service providers in Tampa

The cheapest internet service in Tampa is Xfinity, which blows away the competition by offering plans starting at less than half the price of other providers’ cheapest options. Most other providers start around $50, though the speeds offered by these budget plans can vary dramatically. With a lot of plans at a similar price point, make sure you choose the provider with the best value for your dollar.

Internet Deals and Promotions in Tampa, FL

Fiber internet in Tampa

Although there’s fierce competition for the fastest internet in Tampa, there are actually very few fiber providers—the most widely available are Frontier and EarthLink. You can get gigabit speeds over other types of connection, but fiber also offers other advantages such as reliability, low latency, and symmetrical upload speeds. Fast, reliable internet like this really comes in handy when you live with a lot of people and everyone is shares the same Wi-Fi. Even with 10 people in your house, with fiber you can still stream, download, play games, and hop on video chats without major slowdowns or constant buffering. The following providers offer fiber connections in Tampa:

• Frontier
• EarthLink
• Hotwire Communications
• Summit Broadband

Tampa residential internet coverage

Residents in the general metro area can choose from Spectrum and Frontier, with plans offering download speeds from 25 Mbps to 5 Gbps. Those in the Brandon area will have even more plan variety from Xfinity’s many options. EarthLink is also widely available across Tampa. No matter where you live, you’ll have the option of fiber connections with Frontier and EarthLink or cable connections from Xfinity and Spectrum.

For satellite users outside of conventional hardline coverage, Viasat and HughesNet provide low-use access. Just don’t expect to watch a lot of high-definition videos on a satellite internet connection—satellite has high latency and low data caps, with drops in speed when you go over.