Find San Antonio Internet Providers with the Best Deals

Love fast internet? So does your city, if you’re lucky enough to live here in San Antonio!

San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the United States, and one of the most digitally forward-looking. With ambition to become a “Gigabit community,” San Antonio has made an active effort to develop its fiber infrastructure for a number of years. Now, Alamo City residents are reaping the rewards. Over 76% of San Antonians currently have access to fiber internet.

So, if you live in Alamo City, you get more than a beautiful Riverwalk, a hip food scene, and a thriving economy. You also get the opportunity that comes from great internet choices.

To find the best internet providers in San Antonio, TX, you’ll want to compare prices, look up internet speeds, and learn what kind of internet coverage you can get in your neighborhood.

This guide to San Antonio internet providers will help you pick the best plan for your needs.

Types of Internet Services in San Antonio

San Antonio internet providers offer a number of different ways to get connected. Learn a few basics about what each technology provides, and you’ll be off to a great start on your internet search.

DSL Internet

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) internet sends signals through phone cables. DSL service is ten times faster than dial-up internet connections, but slower than cable and fiber. DSL may still be a good choice for some customers. If home internet providers in San Antonio have not yet laid cable or fiber optic lines to your home, DSL may be your best option.

Cable Internet

Cable internet gets its name because it passes through the same copper wires that also carry cable television. Advances in technology mean that cable internet can sometimes be as fast as fiber, depending on where you live. Internet providers offer cable coverage across most neighborhoods in the city.

Fiber Internet

Fiber is the fastest way to get your internet. Speeds for fiber internet can get up above 2 Gbps,  far exceeding speeds for cable. Fiber optic cables transmit data using light signals, which are much faster than cable signals that pass through copper.

One enormous advantage of fiber internet is that its upload and download speeds are the same, which makes a difference for quick-response activities such as real-time, multiplayer gaming.  If you are an online gamer, you will definitely want to check out fiber internet providers in San Antonio.

Satellite Internet

You may be in the small percentage of San Antonio residents with no wired connections available from internet providers. In that case, you might choose satellite service. Satellite service will allow you to reliably use email and browse the web, which will keep you connected in today’s digital world. Because satellite signals must travel so far from space, you will experience latency, which means a minor lag in how long it takes a signal to reach your device. Some high-data activities such as real-time gaming are not recommended for satellite connections due to latency. But new technology from HughesNet Fusion is now bringing low-latency satellite internet plans to many zip codes in San Antonio.

Top Internet Providers in San Antonio: Best of the Best

Overall Best Internet Provider in San Antonio

Two internet providers in San Antonio stand above the pack for their strengths. Spectrum provides fast internet speeds at an affordable price of $49.99/month for up to 200 Mbps, with coverage available across most of the city. Spectrum also provides its subscribers with free access to thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots. AT&T Fiber can provide very fast internet with its fiber optic lines at up to 5 Gbps for both downloads and uploads. AT&T Fiber also offers an affordable first-tier fiber plan for up to 300 Mbps at only $55/month..

Fastest Internet Provider in San Antonio

AT&T Fiber’s 5 Gbps maximum speed uses the fastest technology available in the industry. When you add the advantage of equal download and upload speeds, there’s no way to beat that kind of performance. If you want the fastest internet in San Antonio, AT&T Fiber is your best bet. But if you don’t live in their coverage area, you can also get good internet speed from Spectrum and Earthlink.

Most Affordable Internet Provider in San Antonio

Spectrum cable internet service is currently the most affordable of these San Antonio internet providers at $49.99/month.Some customers may qualify for federal assistance that will reduce internet costs by $30 per month. (see FAQs).

Internet Provider in San Antonio with the Most Coverage

Of these internet providers in San Antonio, TX, Spectrum offers the most coverage all across the city. Over 98% of San Antonio residents can get Spectrum service. So, whether you live Downtown or in Balcones Heights, Hollywood Park, Alamo Heights, Eastside Promise, Terrell HIlls or Kirby, Spectrum has a plan for you.

Internet Provider in San Antonio with Special Promotions

HughesNet satellite service is currently offering a $100 Prepaid Card with any order of a 30 GB, 50 GB, or 100 GB plan. Remember that satellite plans work differently from other kinds of internet service, so the “GB” label on each plan describes how much data you can use each month at full speed. Satellite service is great for people in hard-to-reach areas that may not have infrastructure for cable or fiber.

FAQs

How fast should my internet speed be?

To choose the best internet service provider, you will first need to know how much internet speed you want in your plan. The main activities that will require faster internet speed are video streaming and multiplayer games. Consider how many people are using the internet in your home at one time, and from how many devices. More devices online at the same time means you need more internet speed. Test your current internet speed here.

Video streaming is common now across countless platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Amazon and Netflix. You may have several devices consuming video. One teenager may be playing multiplayer games, another browsing YouTube. Meanwhile, one parent is working remotely while the other watches a movie on HD. For multiple devices streaming video, consider choosing a plan with a speed of at least 50 Mbps. If only one person streams at once in your house, 25 Mbps might work for you.

What internet speed do I need for remote work?

If you have 100 Mbps download speed and 10 Mbps upload speed, that will usually cover even the most data-intensive work activities such as file sharing or videoconferencing. 100 Mbps will ensure that multiple users in the same house can work online.  But not all remote jobs require large file uploads, so if you are working as a sales rep for audio calls, your needs may be much lower.

How fast should my internet be for multiplayer gaming?

When you’re gaming, you need your game to respond instantly to whatever you do with your controllers. That means your upload and download speed both need to be fast enough. Fiber internet is the perfect choice for gamers as the only technology with symmetrical upload and download speeds. (Most other services such as cable and DSL have much slower upload times than download times.) Gamers also need low latency, which is known as lag. Your latency should ideally be below 20 to 40 milliseconds. If you don’t get fiber at your home, don’t despair! Cable can often supply the necessary speeds, and even DSL can be appropriate depending on the latency.

What internet speed is best for streaming?

The most important question about internet speed for streaming video is always “how many people are streaming at once?” If only one person is streaming, 25 Mbps will probably be enough. But 50-100 Mbps is a better idea if your household will stream on several different devices at once. If you have a bunch of movie buffs all wanting their movies streamed in HD or UHD, you may require 100 Mbps or more.

Is there a national assistance program for internet in San Antonio?

Local leaders want to expand internet access in San Antonio so everyone can benefit from online opportunities. And a study from the University of Texas at San Antonio showed that money is often the barrier that prevents people from getting broadband.

In May 2022, the federal government announced a plan to expand high-speed internet access that includes San Antonio.The federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will reduce internet costs for millions of Americans. You can find out if you qualify for reduced-cost internet here.

Many ISPs such as Spectrum offer a first-tier internet service plan that is low in cost. If you qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Plan, you could receive relief of $30/month on your plan.