What is the best internet provider in Oklahoma?
AT&T is CNET’s pick for the best internet provider for most Oklahoma households. It’s our top recommendation thanks to its widespread coverage in the OKC, Norman and Tulsa areas, and its fast multigig speeds. In areas where its fiber network isn’t available, AT&T also has a decent copper-based network that covers much of the state. In addition to its excellent availability, AT&T boasts great speeds, pricing and service terms.
But AT&T isn’t your only option for internet in Oklahoma. Residents have access to dozens of internet providers. Some are major national brands, while others are so localized you might not hear of them outside Perry or Stillwater.
The best internet providers in Oklahoma
Ultimately, the best internet provider in Oklahoma for your needs will depend on what’s available in your area. I can’t tell you which ones those are, but our proprietary, in-house search tool at the top of the page can. Once you discover the providers available at your address, look to the info below for help determine which is the best fit for your needs.
Note: The prices, speeds and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed in the product detail cards, which represent providers’ national offerings. Plus, your particular internet service options — including prices and speeds — depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.
Top internet providers in Oklahoma
You’ll find a quick comparison of Oklahoma ISPs below, followed by a closer look at potential rural internet options. And if you’re curious, check out the general information about internet pricing and speeds in Oklahoma along with commonly asked questions further down the page.
Internet providers in Oklahoma
| Provider | Connection type | Monthly price range | Speed range (Mbps) | Monthly data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Read full review |
Fiber/copper | $55-$245 fiber, $60 copper | 300-5,000 fiber, 10-100 copper | None fiber, 1.5TB copper | None |
| BluePeak | Fiber | $55-$100 | 1,000-5,000 | None | None |
| Cox Read full review |
Cable | $30-$150 | 100-2,000 | 1.25TB | 1 year or none |
| EarthLink Read full review |
Fiber/copper | $60-$190 | 100-5,000 fiber, 10-100 copper | None | 1 year |
| HughesNet Read full review |
Satellite | $80-$125 | 50-100Mbps | 100GB-200GB priority data (No hard data cap) | 2 years |
| Kinetic | Fiber/copper | $50-$125 | 500-1,000 fiber, 12-100 copper | None | None |
| Optimum Read full review |
Cable | $40-$60 | 300-1,000 | None | None |
| PTCI | Fiber | $60-$160 | 100-2,000 | None | 1 year or none |
| Rise Broadband Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $45-$55 | 25-50 | 250GB or unlimited | None |
| Sparklight Read full review |
Cable | $55-$95 | 100-1,000 | 5TB | None |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
5G fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($40-$50 with mobile plan) | 75-245Mbps | None | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
5G fixed wireless | $60-$80 ($35-$45 with mobile plan) | 85-1,000Mbps | None | None |
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Rural internet options in Oklahoma
Available internet providers will vary from city to city in Oklahoma, and rural internet providers such as HughesNet, Rise Broadband and Viasat serve to fill the broadband voids in between. Here’s a closer look at potential providers and why they may be worth considering.
HughesNet: Best for broadband speeds anywhere. You’ll find the same HughesNet speed tier, 50Mbps down, 5Mbps up, throughout all of Oklahoma. Pricing is a bit lower than rival satellite provider Viasat, and all plans come with added 50GB of data monthly to use between the hours of 2 a.m. and 8 a.m.
Kinetic: Best for high speeds in rural areas. Kinetic by Windstream is popular in suburban and rural areas just outside the big cities where cable and big fiber internet providers often thrive. The ISP largely uses a DSL network, but speeds are relatively fast for the somewhat outdated connection type. Kinetic also has a fairly large fiber presence in Oklahoma, particularly to the southeast of Oklahoma City and to the southeast and northwest of Tulsa, and in the Mountain View area.
Rise Broadband: Best alternative to satellite internet. Before committing to the hassle and high prices of satellite internet, check to see if Rise Broadband is available. You won’t get speeds much faster than with satellite, but you’ll definitely pay less. Plus, service comes with 250GB of data per month with unlimited options available, and you won’t have the excessively high latency of satellite internet.
Starlink: Fastest satellite internet west of OKC. Starlink is rolling out service across the US, but its fastest speeds in Oklahoma, those over 100Mbps, are thus far reserved for the western part of the state. The improvements Starlink brings to the satellite internet space are impressive, but be prepared for sky-high costs: $600 or more for equipment and $120 per month for service.
Viasat: Fastest satellite internet south and east of OKC. If the 50Mbps you get with HughesNet isn’t enough speed for your home, Viasat may be the solution. Speeds of 50Mbps or higher are available in many parts of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma broadband at a glance
Thanks to satellite internet service, multiple broadband options — those that can deliver speeds up to 25Mbps download and 3Mbps upload — are technically available throughout the state. That’s not to say high-speed, quality connections can be found everywhere, however. Aside from PTCI in the panhandle, the best selection of internet connection types, providers and plans is limited to the Oklahoma City, Norman and Tulsa areas.
Internet pricing in Oklahoma
What you pay for internet each month will depend on the available providers in your area and the plan you choose. Aside from Rise Broadband, you can expect starting prices from Oklahoma ISPs to range from $40 to $60 per month.
Equipment rental can add to the monthly cost, though there are providers such as AT&T and Optimum that may include your router for free. Additionally, you’ll want to be mindful of a provider’s data cap and potential overage fees or penalties like throttled speeds.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Oklahoma?
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cox ConnectAssist Read full review |
$30 | 100Mbps | None |
| Kinetic Internet (fiber) | $40 ($70 after one year) | 300Mbps | None |
| Optimum 300Mbps Internet Read full review |
$45 | 300Mbps | None |
| Sparklight Connect Internet 100 Read full review |
$55 | 100Mbps | $12 |
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How fast is broadband in Oklahoma?
Speed test averages reported by Ookla recently placed Oklahoma 37th in the US with median download speeds of 188Mbps, approximately 55Mbps lower than the national average. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Upload speeds, however, were slightly higher than the national average at around 40.
Fiber-optic internet will be your best bet for high-speed internet in Oklahoma, with providers such as AT&T, BluePeak and Kinetic offering speed tiers of 1Gbps or higher. That said, cable internet provider Cox actually had the fastest tested speed average in Oklahoma in March, at a median download speed of 212Mbps.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Oklahoma
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’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. To evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service, we look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power. 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.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our How We Test ISPs page.
Oklahoma internet FAQs
Is internet in Oklahoma any good?
Ookla ranks Oklahoma 37th among US states for median download speeds at 188Mbps. That’s well above speeds considered to be “broadband,” but its ranking indicates there is still room for improvement.
The speed and quality of internet service in Oklahoma will depend on where you live. Residents of Oklahoma City, Norman, Tulsa and other larger cities, for example, will have the best access to high-speed internet from providers such as AT&T, Cox, Optimum and Verizon 5G.
Outside city limits, Oklahoma residents can rely on rural providers like T-Mobile, Kinetic, HughesNet, Viasat and others for broadband service. Depending on the provider and connection type, expect max speeds of around 100Mbps, though some areas may only have access to speeds of 25Mbps or lower.
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Does Oklahoma have fiber internet?
AT&T, BluePeak, Kinetic, PTCI and other regional providers offer fiber-optic service throughout the state. Serviceability is greatest in Oklahoma City, Norman, Tulsa and Stillwater, though PTCI covers much of the panhandle with fiber-to-the-home service.
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Is Xfinity available in Oklahoma?
Xfinity does not offer internet service in Oklahoma. The largest cable internet providers in Oklahoma are Cox and Optimum. Spectrum also does not offer internet service in Oklahoma.
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AT&T is our choice for best internet provider in Oklahoma overall, but the quality of service may depend on which connection type is available at your home. If your address is eligible for fiber, you’ll likely find the plans and service terms to be more favorable than Cox.
On the other hand, if your address is only serviceable for AT&T Internet, the copper-based service, speeds and reliability are likely to be slower than Cox.
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How do I get rural internet in Oklahoma?
In rural areas, it’s generally safe to assume satellite internet from HughesNet and Viasat is available. Both providers offer broadband speeds, or higher in the case of Viasat, in many areas, but the high cost and latency, not to mention equipment fees and contract requirements, make satellite internet a last resort for internet.
Start by checking to see what’s available in your area. It’s possible a DSL provider such as Kinetic or AT&T (though AT&T refers to their network as “copper-based,” not DSL) offers service at your address with speeds close to or faster than satellite internet.
5G home internet is also proving to be a practical alternative for internet in rural areas. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is available throughout much of Oklahoma and is capable of delivering download speeds ranging from 72-245Mbps.
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Source: CNET
