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Hallie SeltzerAssociate Writer
Hallie Seltzer is an associate writer with CNET’s broadband team, covering ISP reviews, provider comparisons and a little bit of everything related to home internet. She is a recent graduate from Rogers State University in Oklahoma with a degree in strategic communications. In her spare time, Hallie enjoys trying new restaurants, watching scary movies and snuggling with her two kitties.
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Our expert staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and evaluates our top picks. The order in which our top picks are presented may be impacted by partnerships, and we may get a commission if you buy through our links.How we test ISPs
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What is the best internet provider in Waco?
Spectrum is CNET’s pick for the best internet service provider in Waco. It offers unlimited data and decent first-year pricing, and it doesn’t require new customers to sign a contract. Other solid home internet providers in Waco include Nextlink and Astound Broadband.
To get the cheapest price in the area, look to Astound Broadband: For only $25 per month, it offers a 300 megabits per second plan that includes equipment. If you need speed, check out AT&T Fiber, which offers symmetrical speeds up to 5 gigabits per second. That’s the fastest plan in the area.
methodology page.
Best internet in Waco
Speed range
100 – 1,000Mbps
Price range
$30- $90 per month
Our take – Available to just over 92% of Waco households, Spectrum’s service offers speeds of up to 1,000Mbps, with no data caps, contracts or monthly modem fees.
Our take – If you’re looking to pay the lowest price for internet in Waco, Astound might be the perfect fit. For only $25 per month, customers can reach speeds of up to 300Mbps. Astound’s plans include unlimited data and equipment, but you’ll most likely see your bill increase after the second year.
$50 ($30 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max mobile customers)
72-245Mbps
None
None
None
7.4
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Waco?
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Waco
The best internet deals and top promotions in Waco depend on the discounts available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Waco internet providers, such as Nextlink and Astound Broadband, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including AT&T and T-Mobile, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Danny Lehman/Getty Images
Fastest internet plans in Waco
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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.
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 Waco
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 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:
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 it comes to 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 also 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.
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