What’s the best internet overall in Georgia?
AT&T Fiber is the best internet service provider in Georgia due to its speed, reliability and pricing. However, availability will depend on where you live. AT&T Fiber is fairly limited within the state, and worse yet, there are only a handful of ISP options even within Georgia’s urban areas — mainly 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, mainly boiling down to Kinetic by Windstream, Mediacom and Sparklight, depending on the area. Statewide, 5G home internet from both 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 Peach State.
Best internet options in Georgia
Rural internet options in Georgia
| Provider | Connection type | Price range | Speed range | Data cap | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hargray | Copper/cable/fiber | $45-$115 | 200-1,000Mbps | No | Fort Valley, Warner Robbins, Hawkinsville, Reidsville, Pooler, Statesboro |
| Hughesnet Read full review |
Satellite | $50-$80 | 50-100Mbps | 100-200GB | Entire state |
| Kinetic by Windstream | Copper/cable/fiber | $25-$100 | 100-2,000Mbps | No | North, Central, South |
| Mediacom Read full review |
Cable/fixed wireless | $20-$130 | 100-1,000Mbps | 200-6,000GB | Atlanta area, southwest, Savannah area |
| Starlink Read full review |
Satellite | $120 | 40 to 220Mbps | 1TB | Various spots across state |
| Viasat Read full review |
Satellite | $100 | 25-150Mbps | 850GB | Entire state outside Atlanta area |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Internet access in rural Georgia isn’t too hard to come by. Various ISPs, including Hargray, Kinetic by Windstream and Mediacom, provide wired connections in various parts of the state. Still, it’s worthwhile to compare these providers to the 5G home internet options from T-Mobile and Verizon, which have availability throughout Georgia. If your options are still severely limited, there are three choices for satellite internet, although Viasat and Starlink have limitations within the state.
Internet breakdown by city in Georgia
It’s hard to cover the broadband options of an entire state and give individual cities the attention they deserve. That’s why we also compile lists of the best internet providers in cities across the U.S., including those in Georgia. We tackle details such as internet connection types, maximum speeds and cheapest providers. Check back later if you don’t find the location you’re looking for below. We’re working to add more cities every week.
Georgia internet details at a glance
No surprise, but Georgia’s cities fare much better in terms of ISP choices than the rest of the state. Still, only 36% of Georgians have access to fiber-based internet. Everyone in the Peach State can get online 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 by Windstream, median download speeds in Georgia sit at about 187Mbps, according to Ookla, positioning the state at 29th among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., in terms of download speeds. Interestingly, Ookla doesn’t hail one of the fiber providers as the fastest in Georgia. That distinction goes to Spectrum, with median download speeds of about 243Mbps. On the city side, in Ookla’s rankings of the 100 most populous U.S. cities, Atlanta fared poorly, coming in at the bottom at 100th place, with median download speeds of about 94Mbps. Google Fiber is the fastest carrier there, with median speeds of approximately 300Mbps.
Internet pricing in Georgia
What you’ll pay for internet in Georgia will come down to where you live and what providers service your area, but a good expectation for the monthly cost of connecting online in the Peach State is about $40. The cheapest plans available are Xfinity’s 150Mbps plan for $35 per month, the 300Mbps plan for $45 a month, and Mediacom’s 100Mbps plan for the starting price of $20 monthly.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Georgia
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. What’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database 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?
The answers to those questions are often layered and complex, but the providers that 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, 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 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 how we test ISPs page.
The future of broadband in Georgia
Georgia is set to receive $1.3 billion in federal funds from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, the Georgia Recorderreports. BEAD aims to “build thousands of miles of fiber-optic cables and provide a $30 monthly discount on internet bills for economically disadvantaged families.” This is the latest funding the state 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 management company, announced plans to expand fiber access in Grady County using federal funds. Windstream has also announced plans to expand access in Georgia’s southern and northern parts.
Internet providers in Georgia FAQs
Does Georgia have good internet?
It’ll depend on where you live, but most Georgians have fair to good internet access, with about 89% of households able to connect with speeds of at least 100Mbps, according to the FCC. Still, Georgia sits 31st out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia regarding median download speeds. At the same time, Atlanta placed a pitiful 99th place among the 100 most populous cities for median broadband speeds. Options are limited outside of Georgia’s big cities, but 5G home internet and satellite internet are options for those lacking access to wired connections.
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Is there fiber internet in Georgia?
Yes, but only 36% of Georgia households have access to this option. As you might expect, fiber is more prevalent in the Peach State’s cities, primarily Atlanta, which can get online through AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber. Even folks in more rural parts of the state can access fiber internet, thanks to Kinetic by Windstream.
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Is AT&T or Xfinity better for connecting to the internet in Georgia?
Aside from satellite internet or T-Mobile’s 5G home internet service (which is not available to every address), the most prevalent ISPs in Georgia are AT&T and Xfinity. If you have a choice between these two large players, which should you choose? If AT&T Fiber is available, that’s the clear winner. If it isn’t, we recommend you read CNET’s breakdown of AT&T vs. Xfinity to get the lowdown on some nuances between the two.
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