You can choose from DSL, cable, satellite, and fiber options for your service, depending on where you live and how you use the internet. We’ve selected the best options for each type of connection to help you choose from a range of service plans.
Price: $40-$70, plus equipment and installation feesSpeed and Data: download speed 25 -1000Mbps – 1TB dataPlans/Packages: add TV for a total cost of $39.99 - $54.99 for one yearContract Options: one-year commitment
The company also stands out with its loose contract requirements: price guarantee and no contract. Even better, if you’re stuck in a contract with another ISP, it will supply up to $500 to help you get out of it. The only issue we could find was some mediocre rankings for customer service. J.D. Power ranks Spectrum near the bottom of its list, and ACSI gives it 59 points, below the industry average of 62.
Price: $45Speed and Data: download speed 100 - 940Mbps – no data capPlans/Packages: Bundle internet with 125+ TV channels and unlimited nationwide calling for $99.97/month for 12 months Contract Options: no contract, but prices are good for one year
Viasat’s four monthly plans are not priced as competitively as AT&T or Spectrum, but the company offers reliable internet with top speeds comparable to DSL and cable. Viasat plans should be more than enough speed and data for most internet users. You can also find TV and phone bundling options.
Price: $50 - $200/monthSpeed and Data: 12 - 100Mbps; after reaching monthly data allowance, you will experience slowdownsPlans/Packages: Add DIRECTV for $35/monthp & phone for $19.99/monthContract Options: 24 months, unless you choose a no-contract option, which requires a $300 non-refundable payment
Coverage: All our winning choices offer nearly universal coverage in the El Paso region, except for AT&T’s fiber network. Although only a quarter of El Paso’s homes are currently wired for fiber, you can have comparable speeds with extensive coverage with non-fiber options. Our top choices offer coverage that extends well into the El Paso suburbs and beyond.Value: In considering value, there are several things to keep in mind: range of speeds, package perks, contract lengths, and data caps. AT&T has a slight edge over the competition for value in our ranking, especially if you bundle additional services with your internet. It’s worth noting, however, those tempting introductory prices usually go away after the first year, and probably don’t provide a complete picture of what you’ll be paying when you factor in taxes, equipment rentals, and installation fees.Customer Satisfaction: The ISP industry historically has not excelled in customer satisfaction reporting. Consumer Reports, in its Customer Service rankings of 22 leading industries, placed internet providers fourth from the bottom. We looked at customer satisfaction ratings from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), J.D. Power, and assessed our choices against industry averages.
If you’re worried about serviceability and left without options due to where you live, satellite offers the ability to connect even if you’re in a rural area or out of the reach of most networks.
