Best Internet Providers in Sandy Springs, Georgia [CNET]

If you’re in Sandy Springs, you should have access to most of Atlanta’s top broadband, including AT&T Fiber and Xfinity.

What is the best internet provider in Sandy Springs?

AT&T Fiber is CNET’s pick for the best internet service provider in Sandy Springs because the fiber internet provider offers a variety of competitively priced plans. These come with speeds ranging from 300 megabits per second to 5,000Mbps, the fastest available in Sandy Springs. Moreover, all of these plans include free equipment rental, unlimited data and no contract requirements; benefits that helped AT&T Fiber earn high marks for customer satisfaction.

Fiber internet, like AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber, is a great choice for speed and reliability, but if you’re looking for cheap internet, Xfinity offers the lowest introductory rates in Sandy Springs. Xfinity offers three plans priced at or below the cheapest plan from AT&T Fiber. Its cheapest plan, Xfinity Connect, offers speeds up to 150Mbps starting at $20 a month, the cheapest in the area.

Aside from AT&T and Xfinity, fixed wireless providers Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet are top options for broadband in Sandy Springs. T-Mobile has better local coverage, but Verizon has the faster speed potential while both offer unlimited data, free equipment and a mobile bundle discount.

Best internet in Sandy Springs, Georgia

Sandy Springs, Georgia, internet providers compared

Provider	Internet technology	Monthly price range	Speed range	Monthly equipment costs	Data cap	Contract	CNET review score
AT&T Fiber Read full review	Fiber	$55-$245	300-5,000Mbps	None	None	None	7.4
Google Fiber Read full review	Fiber	$70-$100	1,000-2,000Mbps	None	None	None	7.5
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review	Fixed wireless	$55-$75 ($40-$50 with eligible mobile plans)	72-245Mbps	None	None	None	7.4
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review	Fixed wireless	$50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible mobile plans)	50-1,000Mbps	None	None	None	7.2
Xfinity Read full review	Cable	$20-$100	150-2,000Mbps	$15 (included in most plans)	1.2TB or none	1-2 years (optional)	7

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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What is the cheapest internet plan in Sandy Springs?

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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Sandy Springs

The best internet deals and the top promotions in Sandy Springs depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Sandy Springs internet providers, such as Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or other perks, including free equipment rental, for a limited time. Many, including AT&T Fiber, Google Fiber and Verizon 5G Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

Fastest internet plans in Sandy Springs

Plan	Starting price	Max download speed	Max upload speed	Data cap	Connection type
AT&T Internet 5000 Read full review	$245	5,000Mbps	5,000Mbps	None	Fiber
AT&T Internet 2000 Read full review	$145	2,000Mbps	2,000Mbps	None	Fiber
Google Fiber 2 Gig Read full review	$100	2,000Mbps	1,000Mbps	None	Fiber
Xfinity Gigabit x2 Read full review	$100	2,000Mbps	200Mbps	None	Cable
Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review	$85	1,200Mbps	35Mbps	1.2TB	Cable
AT&T Internet 1000 Read full review	$80	1,000Mbps	1,000Mbps	None	Fiber
Google Fiber 1 Gig Read full review	$70	1,000Mbps	1,000Mbps	None	Fiber
Xfinity Gigabit Read full review	$65	1,000Mbps	20Mbps	1.2TB	Cable
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review	$70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans)	1,000Mbps	75Mbps	None	Fixed wireless

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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

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 Federal Communications Commission. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

• 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics: browsing the internet, sending and receiving email and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give one person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Sandy Springs, Georgia

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. 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.

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. When it comes to selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although 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 also take into account 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.

Internet providers in Sandy Springs, Georgia, FAQs