Best Internet Providers in McKinney, Texas
Our Experts
What is the best internet provider in McKinney?
While it all comes down to what’s available at your address, CNET recommends Spectrum as McKinney’s best internet service provider. In addition to providing service to almost 88% of the city’s population, according to the FCC, Spectrum offers some of the cheapest and fastest plans residents can find. However, if Spectrum isn’t an option at your address, AT&T Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet are worth checking out for broadband.
We've also compared providers based on speed and cost in McKinney. If you're shopping for the fastest service, AT&T Fiber's 5-gigabit plan costs $225 monthly and includes unlimited data.
Providers like T-Mobile and Verizon will be your best bet if you want to pay the lowest amount possible for home internet. While those fixed wireless ISPs offer base plans at $50, similar to Spectrum and AT&T Fiber, eligible T-Mobile and Verizon mobile customers can receive a $15 to $20 monthly discount.
Our methodology
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in McKinney across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider's website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what's available in McKinney. The prices referenced within this article's text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month -- a standard industry offering. Discounts and promotions might also be available for signing a term contract or bundling multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in McKinney, Texas, in 2024
Spectrum
Best internet provider in McKinney, TX
Our take - Although we typically recommend fiber connectivity over cable, which explains why AT&T Fiber is one of our top picks, Spectrum’s wide availability in McKinney can’t be beaten. Spectrum also offers speeds up to a gigabit with no data caps or required contracts.
AT&T Fiber
Best fiber internet in McKinney, TX
Our take - If AT&T Fiber is an option at your address, its speedy plans make it worth considering. So why didn’t this ISP rank as McKinney’s top provider? While the FCC reports that over 76% of McKinney can get AT&T service, that figure includes its fiber and DSL networks. Fiber coverage will be much lower.
T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless internet in McKinney, TX
Our take - This fixed wireless provider keeps broadband simple and affordable. For $50 per month, customers can reach download speeds up to 245Mbps. Plus, T-Mobile Home Internet provides unlimited data, free equipment and a price-lock guarantee for as long as you remain a customer.
McKinney internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Home Internet Read full review | DSL | $55 | 10-100Mbps | None | 1.5TB | None | 7.4 |
|
AT&T Fiber Read full review | Fiber | $55-$225 | 300-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Rise Broadband Read full review | Fixed wireless | $55-$75 | 25-100Mbps | $10 modem; $5-$15 router (optional) | 250GB or unlimited | None, but required for some promotions | 6.2 |
|
Spectrum Read full review | Cable | $50-$90 | 300-1,000Mbps | Free modem; $5 router (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
| Speed of Light | Fixed wireless | $50-$130 | 10-50Mbps | Varies | None | Varies | N/A |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max mobile customers) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in McKinney?
| Provider | Starting monthly price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Spectrum Internet Read full review | $50 | 300Mbps | $5 (optional) |
| Speed of Light | $50 | 10Mbps | Varies |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plan) | 245Mbps | None |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plan) | 300Mbps | None |
|
AT&T Home Internet Read full review | $55 | 100Mbps | None |
|
AT&T Fiber 300 Read full review | $55 | 300Mbps | None |
|
Rise Broadband 50Mbps Read full review | $55 | 50Mbps | $5-$15 (optional) |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in McKinney
The best internet deals and top promotions in McKinney depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
McKinney internet providers such as Spectrum may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Photo by Mint Images/Getty Images
Fastest internet plans in McKinney
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Fiber 5000 Read full review | $225 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
AT&T Fiber 2000 Read full review | $125 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
AT&T Fiber 1000 Read full review | $80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review | $90 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
|
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review | $70 ($45 with eligible mobile plan) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
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 FCC. 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, 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 such as 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 McKinney
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 the Federal Communications Commission at 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 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 selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things such as 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 such as Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in McKinney FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in McKinney?
Spectrum’s wide coverage map, reasonable prices and speedy plans make it McKinney’s best internet provider. This cable ISP also ranks as CNET’s best cable provider for 2024, so it’s a reliable option for McKinney residents.
Is fiber internet available in McKinney?
AT&T Fiber is McKinney’s largest fiber provider, but select households may be able to access fiber connectivity through Point Broadband.
What is the cheapest internet provider in McKinney?
Four providers tie for the cheapest service in McKinney: Spectrum, Speed of Light, T-Mobile and Verizon all offer base plans costing $50. However, eligible T-Mobile and Verizon mobile customers can receive a $15-$20 discount, meaning their internet may only cost $30-$35 monthly.
Which internet provider in McKinney offers the fastest plan?
McKinney’s fastest internet provider is AT&T Fiber, which offers 2,000Mbps and 5,000Mbps plans for $125 and $225 per month, respectively.
Home Internet Guides
- Sometimes a provider is available in your Zip code, but not at your exact address
- See what exact plans are available at your home
