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Best Internet Providers in Jacksonville, Florida – CNET [CNET]

July 17, 2023 Michelle Honeyager technology

AT&T’s fiber internet service is our choice for the best broadband in Jacksonville, but if it’s not at your address, try one of these other cheap ISPs.

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AT&T Fiber – Best overall among internet providers in Jacksonville

• Prices from $55 – $180 per month
• Speeds from 300 – 5,000Mbps
• Unlimited data

T-Mobile Home Internet – Best fixed wireless among internet providers in Jacksonville

• Prices from $50 per month
• Speeds from 72 – 245Mbps
• Unlimited data

Xfinity – Best cable internet provider in Jacksonville

• Prices from $20 – $300 per month
• Speeds from 75 – 6,000Mbps
• Data caps on some plans

Jacksonville is known for its gorgeous beaches, but it also has another distinction: it’s ranked in the top 20 among the 100 most populated US cities for the fastest internet speeds in the nation, according to Ookla.  

Jacksonville has a median download speed of over 226 megabits per second, with AT&T being the fastest provider in the city at over 243Mbps. AT&T offers fiber services in the area, which can account for some of those higher speed averages. 

As we’ve seen, time and again, throughout CNET’s analysis of internet service providers, individual ISPs will go above or below those median download speeds in real life. Therefore, it pays to look at how each compares in terms of pricing, connection type, speeds and availability to find the best internet in Jacksonville. CNET considers speed, customer service, pricing and overall value when recommending the best broadband in an area. 

Best internet providers in River City   

Our recommendations for the best internet providers are based on analyzing contract flexibility, speed, price, data caps and extra fees. All prices listed on this page reflect available discounts for setting up paperless billing. If you decide not to go with automatic monthly payments, your price will be higher.

Note: The prices, speeds and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed in the product detail cards, which represent providers’ national offerings. Your particular internet service options — including prices and speeds — depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.

AT&T Fiber

Best overall among internet providers in Jacksonville

Product details

Price range $55 – $180 per month Speed range 300 – 5,000Mbps Connection Fiber Highlights Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included

AT&T Fiber stood out from the other providers due to the range of its fiber internet offerings (which in some areas goes up to 5,000Mbps) and not requiring contracts or including data caps. That said, AT&T also offers DSL in the area, so make sure your address is serviceable for fiber internet.   

Availability: AT&T is available across the Jacksonville area. However, it’s important to check if it’s available at your home. Coverage is quite good, available to over 68% of residents, according to the FCC map. However, portions still don’t get AT&T, like areas near Biltmore, Brentwood, Hart Haven and Langmar.   

Plans and pricing: AT&T has three main fiber plans in the Jacksonville area: 300Mbps for $55 per month, 500Mbps for $65 a month and 1,000Mbps for $80 monthly. AT&T Fiber also has multigigabit tiers available in some areas, including a 2 gig plan at $110 per month and a 5 gig tier at $180 monthly.  

Fees and service details: AT&T Fiber features no annual contracts and unlimited data. The equipment rental charge is also included in the monthly fee. 

Read our AT&T home internet review.

T-Mobile Home Internet

Best fixed wireless among internet providers in Jacksonville

Product details

Price range $50 per month ($30 for eligible T-Mobile Magenta Max customers) Speed range 72 – 245Mbps Connection Fixed wireless Highlights Unlimited data, equipment included, no contracts, no additional fees

T-Mobile made our best list for its affordability, availability and no-fuss options like no contracts or data caps.   

Availability: T-Mobile Home Internet is a fairly recent addition to Jacksonville, with the expansion announcement dating to October 2020. The FCC says that T-Mobile covers just over 91% of Jacksonville, but areas like Hart Haven, Hyde Grove, Biltmore, Langmar and Miramar Terrace might see little coverage. Also, even if T-Mobile’s cellular coverage blankets your area, it’s still not a given that your particular address is serviceable for T-Mobile Home Internet. Make sure to plug your address into the T-Mobile Home Internet eligibility site.      

Plans and pricing: There’s only one T-Mobile Home Internet plan, which costs $50 per month. However, if you bundle it with a Go5G Plus or Magenta MAX phone line, you can get home internet service at a discounted rate of $30 monthly.   

Fees and service details: T-Mobile Home Internet doesn’t charge equipment fees, has no data caps, and you don’t have to sign a contract. There is a $35 activation fee, but there’s also a 15-day trial — if you return it before the first two weeks are over, you’ll get a full refund.

Read our T-Mobile Home Internet review.

Xfinity

Best cable internet provider in Jacksonville

Product details

Price range $20 – $300 per month Speed range 75 – 6,000Mbps Connection Cable Highlights Data caps on some plans, lots of plan options, solid customer satisfaction numbers

Comcast’s Xfinity home internet service offers speeds for multiple home internet needs, from 75 to 1,200 Mbps plans, with fairly affordable rates.  

Availability: The FCC’s map shows that Xfinity has comprehensive coverage in the area and is available to approximately 92% of residents. However, there are areas where coverage might not reach, like just north of Murray Hill or north of the Springfield area.     

Plans and pricing: You can find a variety of speed tiers, including 75, 200, 400, 800, 1,000 and 1,200Mbps. Prices range from $25 per month to $80 monthly.  

Fees and service details: Most plans have a 1.2TB data cap, but customers can sign up for unlimited data for an additional $30 monthly. Contracts run one to two years, depending on the plan, and an equipment fee is $15 per month.     

Read our Xfinity home internet review.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

All available Jacksonville residential internet providers  

Beyond the top providers we’ve listed, several other ISPs are available in Jacksonville, though some cover only small portions of the city.

• Kinetic by Windstream: This provider offers DSL in the Jacksonville area that goes up to 100Mbps. Kinetic also offers fiber service in surrounding cities like Bryceville. Fiber runs about $40 per month. DSL is $30 to 60 per month.
• Mediacom: Mediacom runs at $20 to $60 monthly for 100 to 1,000Mbps for speeds. It’s a cable provider available in small pockets of southern Jacksonville and offers up to 6TB in monthly data allowance.  
• NEFCOM Communications: NEFCOM offers 15 to 500Mbps plans with prices ranging from $80 to $150 monthly. In 2019, it started its Fiber to the Home Initiative in Baker County.    
• Satellite internet: You have a few options for satellite internet. Providers include HughesNet, Viasat and Starlink. Satellite providers can be more expensive for lower speeds, but HughesNet stands out for a $50 per month starting price. Viasat offers 12 to 150Mbps for $70 to $400. Starlink is a new offering from SpaceX that is still expanding. 
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon starts at $25 per month if you pair home internet with an eligible mobile line and autopay. The service features 85 to 300Mbps for average speeds and, in some areas, can reach up to 1,000Mbps. 

Pricing details on Jacksonville home internet service  

The average starting price for internet service in Jacksonville is approximately $46 per month. Of the major cities CNET has covered thus far, that figure puts it right in the middle, on par with cities like Atlanta, Houston and Phoenix.      

Cheap internet options in the Jacksonville metro area 

The cheapest price for internet service in Jacksonville is $25 per month. At that price point, you can get Xfinity’s Connect More plan, which features 200Mbps download speeds, or Verizon 5G Home Internet (with a max download speed of 300Mbps) if you use the bundle discount. You might also be able to get a $30-per-month discount on internet service through the government’s Affordable Connectivity Program.    

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

Fastest internet providers in Jacksonville  

The fastest internet speed providers in the Jacksonville area are AT&T and Xfinity. Each provider offers plans that hit 1 Gig or higher. If you want more details on optimizing speed, check out CNET’s guide on the best multi-gig plans.  

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

What’s the final word on internet providers in Jacksonville? 

Jacksonville is a large city with updated technology, so you have some decent options for internet service. You can get fast speeds up to 5,000Mbps from AT&T Fiber (in some locations) and prices as low as $25 per month from Xfinity. 

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Jacksonville

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions: 

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? 
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying? 
3. Are customers happy with their service? 

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. Within those recommendations, we also look for the cheapest and fastest ISPs from that region. To explore further, check out our How we test ISPs page.

Internet providers in Jacksonville FAQs