Quantum Fiber is the best option for most Phoenix households, due to the fast, symmetrical speeds, free equipment rental and unlimited data. That said, Cox stands out for its availability, and Verizon 5G or other providers may also suit your needs.
Verizon 5G Home Internet is the cheapest option, offering a compelling promotional deal of $35 per month for up to 300 megabits per second download speed for qualifying Verizon mobile customers. Three providers — Cox, Quantum Fiber and Verizon 5G Home Internet — offer the fastest internet speeds in Phoenix, with gigabit speeds available to many homes.
methodology page.
Best internet in Phoenix
Speed range
200 – 8,000Mbps
Price range
$30 – $165 per month
Our take – Many Phoenix locals may remember it as CenturyLink Fiber, but with the company’s rebranding under Lumen Technologies came a name change for the fiber-optic side of the business to Quantum Fiber.
Our take – Cox is your go-to cable internet provider in Phoenix. You’ll have more plan options with Cox compared to CenturyLink, but, other than availability, that’s about the only advantage Cox has.
Our take – Verizon 5G Home Internet is available to over 38% of households in Phoenix. It’s a decent deal, depending on the speeds you can get, but it’s potentially an even better deal for Verizon mobile customers. Currently, Verizon offers 5G Home at the discounted rate of $35 per month and 5G Home Plus at $45 to qualifying Verizon mobile customers.
$50-$70 ($35-$45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans)
50-1,000Mbps
None
None
None
7.2
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other available internet providers in Phoenix
CenturyLink: Lumen Technologies’ DSL service is available to nearly every household in the Phoenix area not eligible for Quantum Fiber. Speeds are largely impressive for DSL service, ranging from 60, 80 or 100Mbps in many neighborhoods. As such, CenturyLink is a solid choice for a basic, low-hassle connection, but if you want faster speeds, you’ll have to turn to Cox or Verizon.
T-Mobile Home Internet: While Verizon’s 5G home internet network caters primarily to larger cities, such as Phoenix, T-Mobile focuses more on suburban and rural areas. At $50 per month for speeds ranging from 72 to 245Mbps, T-Mobile is an ideal choice for those living outside the city where satellite or DSL is the only connection available. However, if you’re within Phoenix, you’ll find faster speeds for roughly the same price from other providers.
Triad Wireless: Local fixed wireless provider Triad Wireless beams internet signals all over the Phoenix area for business, education and residential internet service. Max residential internet speeds can reach 300Mbps, which is impressive for a fixed wireless network. Since fixed wireless requires a direct line of sight to a nearby transmitter, you’ll need to have a serviceability check before being able to sign up. Call 602-426-0542 or visit the Triad Wireless residential internet page to inquire about serviceability and pricing at your address.
Satellite internet: HughesNet and Viasat are always options for home internet, so long as you have a clear view of the southern sky. But satellite is often a last resort for internet, and with Cox, CenturyLink, 5G internet and other choices in Phoenix, the high pricing, high latency and low data allowances of satellite internet are easy to pass on.
Cheap internet options in Phoenix
For a cheap, basic internet connection in Phoenix, consider Verizon 5G Home Internet or T-Mobile Home Internet — both plans start at $50 per month. Plus, if you’re a Verizon or a T-Mobile mobile customer, you’ll also want to see if you can get a discounted rate of $30-$35 per month.
Most of the providers we’ve mentioned also participate in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which gives eligible low-income households a $30 monthly discount (or up to $75 for households on tribal lands) for high-speed internet. You can use the ACP toward any internet plan — not just the cheapest ones — from participating providers.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Phoenix?
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Phoenix
The best internet deals and top promotions in Phoenix depend on the discounts available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Phoenix internet providers, such as Cox Communications, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including Quantum Fiber, Verizon and T-Mobile, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Photo by Getty Images
Getty Images
How fast is Phoenix broadband?
Speed test averages indicate that home internet in Phoenix is slower than the rest of Arizona and below the national average. Don’t let that discourage you; faster max speeds, up to 940Mbps, are available throughout much of the Phoenix area.
Multi-gig speeds are sparse in Phoenix, so Cox’s 2,000Mbps plan is the fastest in the area. However, due to availability, most residents will be limited to a single gig of speed from Quantum Fiber, Cox or Verizon 5G. While perhaps not as exciting as multi-gig service, that’s still plenty of speed for a virtually unlimited number of connected devices.
Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics: browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Phoenix
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. So what’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
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 publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
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. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Phoenix?
Quantum Fiber, Cox and Verizon 5G Home Internet are likely your best internet options in terms of speed and overall value. Quantum Fiber would be my first recommendation due to a fiber connection’s reliability and symmetrical download/upload speed capabilities, not to mention its favorable service terms. Cox is also a solid choice for cable internet, especially if you plan to bundle internet and TV, but pricing is a bit high compared to other providers, and you’ll have to deal with contracts and a data cap. As for Verizon 5G Home Internet, the value comes down to what speeds are available at your address, but the service is worth checking out if you’re looking for an alternative to CenturyLink or Cox.
Internet providers in Phoenix FAQs
Affordable Connectivity Program assistance, which may make your internet cost-free.
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