The best internet providers in Georgia

What is the best overall internet in Georgia?

AT&T Fiber is the best internet service provider in Georgia because of speed, reliability and price. However, availability will depend on where you live. AT&T Fiber is pretty limited within the state, and worse, there are only a handful of ISP options even within Georgia’s urban areas — mostly Xfinity, Spectrum, and Google Fiber. AT&T also offers copper-based internet in Georgia, but we don’t recommend it.

In rural areas, there are even fewer choices, mostly ranging from Kinetic by Windstream, Mediacom, and Sparklight, depending on the area. Nationwide, 5G home internet from T-Mobile and Verizon is available based on individual addresses, as well as satellite internet from Hughesnet, Viasat and SpaceX, whose Starlink satellite internet service is available in certain pockets of the state Peach.

The best internet options in Georgia

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

Internet access in rural Georgia is not too difficult to come by. Various ISPs, including Hargray, Kinetic by Windstream and Mediacom, provide wireline connections in different parts of the state. However, it’s worth comparing these providers to the 5G home internet options from T-Mobile and Verizon, which are available throughout Georgia. If your options are still too limited, there are three choices for satellite internet, although Viasat and Starlink have in-state restrictions.

Internet distribution by cities in Georgia

It’s difficult to cover an entire state’s broadband options and give individual cities the attention they deserve. That’s why we also compile lists of the best internet providers in cities across the US, including those in Georgia. We cover details such as types of internet connections, maximum speeds and cheapest providers. Check back later if you don’t find the location you’re looking for below. We are working to add more cities every week.

Georgia internet details at a glance

Unsurprisingly, Georgia cities fare much better in terms of ISP choices than the rest of the state. However, only 36% of Georgians have fiber-based Internet access. Everyone in the Peach State can access the Internet at decent speeds, even if it’s through a rural or satellite carrier.

Likely due to the availability of fiber Internet from AT&T, Google and Kinetic from Windstream, the average download speed in Georgia is about 187 Mbps, according to Ookla, ranking the state 29th among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., for in terms of download speed. . Interestingly, Ookla does not hail one of the fiber providers as the fastest in Georgia. That distinction goes to the Spectrum, with an average download speed of around 243 Mbps. On the city side, in Ookla’s ranking of the 100 most populous US cities, Atlanta fared poorly, ranking in the bottom 100th place, with average download speeds of around 94 Mbps. Google Fiber is the fastest carrier out there, with average speeds of roughly 300 Mbps.

Internet prices in Georgia

What you’ll pay for internet in Georgia will depend on where you live and the service providers in your area, but a good estimate for the monthly cost of internet in the Peach State is around $40. The cheapest plans available are Xfinity’s 150 Mbps plan for $35 per month, 300 Mbps plan for $45 per month, and Mediacom’s 100 Mbps plan for the starting price of $20 per month.

How CNET picked the best Internet providers in Georgia

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen appliance, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What is our approach? For starters, we use a proprietary pricing, availability, and speed database that’s based on our historical ISP data, partner data, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

It doesn’t stop there: We go to the FCC website to check our records and make sure we account for every ISP that provides service in an area. We also enter local addresses into provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look to sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to gauge how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent change; all information provided is correct as of publication.

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

• Does the provider provide access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
• Are customers getting good value for what they are paying for?
• Are customers satisfied with their service?

The answers to these questions are often layered and complex, but the providers that come closest to “yes” to all three are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also consider things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit our page on how we test ISPs.

The future of broadband in Georgia

Georgia to receive $1.3 billion in federal funds from Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, Georgia Recorderreports. BEAD aims to “build thousands of miles of fiber optic cable and provide a $30 monthly discount on internet bills to economically disadvantaged households.” This is the latest funding the state has received to expand Internet access. Earlier this year, Governor Brian Kemp announced $234 million in funding to improve connectivity for 28 Georgia counties. Smaller projects are already taking shape. Conexon Connect, an ISP formed by the rural fiber optic network design and construction company, announced plans to expand fiber access in Grady County using federal funds. Windstream has also announced plans to expand access to southern and northern Georgia.