Texas is the United State's second largest state in area and population. With over 28 million residents and a vast landscape, it shouldn't be a surprise that Texas doesn't offer a "one internet provider fits all" solution for Texans. 

For the 3 million rural residents, satellite internet is likely their "go to" connection type because it works best in sparsely populated areas where an installed dish can get a clear view of the sky. In more densely populated areas, wired connection types work best because most use the existing cable and telephone infrastructures to deliver digital data into homes. Whereas, suburban residents can often utilize all of the broadband technologies listed above due to the combination of its lower population density and well-built infrastructure.  

No matter what part of the state you're from or which category you fit into, WhistleOut will help you find the best internet providers in Texas. To start searching, all you have to do is type your address into our search engine and start comparing. If you want to learn more, this guide will give you all the details you need about connection types, broadband speeds, and coverage to make shopping for the perfect plan as easy as possible for you. 

The Best Internet Providers in Texas

Residents have a good selection of internet providers in Texas. In fact, Texans have access to some of the industry's top household names like Viasat, Windstream and AT&T –but which one is best for you?

In this section, you'll find an overview of the best internet providers in Texas. If you'd like to see what's available at your location, simply type your address into our search engine to find out.

How Much Speed Do You Need?

Before you go right for the biggest data plan, take a moment to calculate the amount of speed that you'll actually need in your home. We've created a chart of common browsing activities and the bandwidth you'll need to perform those tasks to help you save some money. 

Internet Speeds in Texas

Your broadband speeds rely heavily upon the type of connection that you're using, which varies between internet providers in Texas. This is because each connection type allows the digital data to travel to your devices at a different rate. If you want to know more, check out our Guide to Home Internet. Otherwise, we've included a quick overview on connection types and their top speeds below, along with a short-list of their respective plans.

Cable

The cable infrastructure has been around for quite some time, which is why it makes sense that internet providers decided to utilize existing cable wires to deliver broadband into homes. This not only ensured that cable internet could become widely available, but that made it reliable too. 

Overall cable speeds can reach bandwidth speeds up to 1Gbps, but it is subject to slowing in times of network congestion. If you want to ensure that you're not impacted too heavily by network congestion, then sign up for a plan that's slightly faster than what you actually need. 

DSL

DSL, which is short for Digital Subscriber Line, utilizes existing telephone wires to deliver broadband into homes. Like cable, the DSL infrastructure is already well-established. However, it's not as widely available as cable because the quality of the service decreases as you move away from source lines. It's also subject to outages during storms. 

Overall, DSL can offer customers quality high speed internet. Just take note that it's usually slightly more expensive than fiber or cable, and its bandwidth usually taps out around 25Mbps–though it can sometimes go up to 100Mbps at locations near source lines. 

Fiber 

Fiber optics are a ground-breaking technology that harnesses the speed of light to deliver your digital data into your home. The only downside to fiber is that new ground needs to be broken in order to make it available to you, a lot of new ground. Even though the expansion of the fiber optic infrastructure has seen a lot of growth over the past few years, it's still not as widely available as the other connection types.

Satellite

The main benefit of satellite internet is that it works nearly anywhere, which is why it's ideal for rural residents. However, it's important to note that it requires professional installation that can be expensive if you're not looking out for promotions that offer free installation. More, the monthly rates tend to be on the higher side and satellite internet speeds are often slower than the other connection types. While many companies advertise speeds of up to 100Mbps, you'll end up paying a lot more for those speeds than you would with any other connection type. 

Satellite Internet Coverage in Texas 

The main reason to look at satellite internet plans in Texas is that it has the best coverage and can reach even the most rural or remote areas of the state. Though keep in mind that even though most regions of Texas will be able to get internet access through satellite internet, the speeds you will experience will differ depending on where you live. Here's an example of some of the different internet speeds offered by Viasat in different Texas locations:

• Austin: 12Mbps
• Dallas: 100Mbps
• Corpus Christi: 30Mbps
• Paris: 50Mbps
• San Antonio: 100Mbps

It's important to note that in order to get the best satellite internet service, your satellite dish will need a clear view of the sky. So, if you live in a Texas city that has a lot of high rises, satellite internet might not be your best option. The good news here is that metropolitan areas usually offer ample cable, DSL, and fiber services— to view your options, simply connect to our search engine to see what's available at your address. 

The State of Broadband in Texas

Even though Texas ranks 23rd amongst the most "connected" states in the U.S. it's surprising that over 30% of residents still don't have an internet subscription in their homes. The reason that number should be troubling to you is that existing broadband availability, affordability, and reliability rely on subscription rates within each region. 

A large number of active subscriptions in a given area means that existing providers are able to distribute costs amongst more people, therefore prices are far more apt to go down. It also means that other providers will see that the service is in high demand and they'll begin offering services in those areas. 

The great news is that the number of subscriptions in every state increase each year. So if you don't have access to your desired internet connection type or provider right now, that doesn't mean that it won't be available to you in a few months, you'll just have to keep checking back with WhistleOut. More, using our internet search engine will help you find the best possible plans at the best possible prices right now, too.