Fiber has the best internet speeds and these 8 cities already have coverage

Most of the time, fiber internet is your best bet for a fast and reliable internet connection. According to Ookla's latest Connectivity Report, customers are more satisfied with fiber providers AT&T and Verizon, followed by cable providers. While most ISPs (internet service providers) rely on fiber at some point in their network, fiber internet to the residence can deliver some of the best speeds and lowest latency of any connection type.

While the benefits are obvious, installing fiber is labor-intensive. Even if your local ISP is working on it, it can take months or years to complete. Big fiber providers like AT&T, Frontier, Metronet, and GFiber (Google Fiber) have been expanding for the past few years, and some cities are almost covered by fiber. Verizon even decided to buy Frontier, while T-Mobile is buying Metronet to expand its fiber presence. There are also local fiber options, often a part of a cooperative providing fast internet speeds to small towns and rural customers.

Some cities are almost completely covered by fiber

A few key questions need to be answered before fiber is installed, starting with who has permission to use the towers. Some cities work with fiber providers to help cut through the red tape and speed up approval processes. Still, others may help the provider by funding some of the upgrade to give its citizens better connectivity.

According to sources like Ookla's Q1 2024 Connectivity Report and the FCC National Broadband Map, these cities offer the best internet speeds in the country. Some only have one fiber provider, and others have multiple options. These maps take some time to update, so your area may have new options. Also, installing fiber has many physical challenges, and some areas in these cities may not have a fiber option.

Related

Fiber is on the rise and expanding, but where is GFiber (AKA Google Fiber)?

Speeds up to 8Gbps

8 Raleigh, North Carolina

Speeds up to 8Gbps with Google

Raleigh, North Carolina, is one of the best cities in the country for fast residential internet. This is one of GFiber's fastest cities, with its full 8Gbps speeds in some areas. In addition to that, AT&T Fiber offers fast speeds in this city of up to 5Gbps. With this level of competition, there's a good chance you can upgrade to fiber right away with either AT&T or GFiber. According to Ookla's results, GFiber is the fastest provider in the city, but AT&T also offers plenty of speed for anyone, so shop around for home internet and pick the best value.

7 Austin, Texas

Fast fiber from both AT&T and GFiber

Austin, Texas, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country and has several tech companies. It makes sense that it's a popular place to build if you're a fiber ISP. While not every house and neighborhood has the same options, there's a chance you'll have at least one. Austin gets GFiber speeds up to 8Gbps and AT&T Fiber speeds up to 5Gbps across much of the city. There's also a smaller provider called Astound Broadband that offers speeds up to 1.5Gbps.

6 Kansas City, Missouri

Excellent speeds, plus a free regional option

Kansas City is another top performer, even if customers only have one or two fiber options. GFiber has solid coverage around the city with speeds up to 8Gbps in some areas. AT&T Fiber is also available to some with speeds up to 5Gbps. If you live in North Kansas City, just to the north of the Missouri River, you might be able to get your internet from KC Fiber provided by LiNKCity. This provider offers gigabit speeds to residential customers for free after an installation fee, with paid upgrades and paid business internet.

5 San Antonio, Texas

Another fast Texas city

Another Texas city, San Antonio, is a solid city for those looking for multi-gig fiber speeds. GFiber and AT&T Fiber serve San Antonio with speeds up to 8Gbps on the former and up to 5Gbps on the latter. Either option offers plenty of speed for most people, but it's nice that some have a choice. GFiber mainly focuses on locations north of downtown but is expanding its service around the city. If you live in San Antonio, it's worth checking if you can sign up.

4 Charlotte, North Carolina

Google and AT&T Fiber compete

Charlotte isn't as impressive as Raleigh, another North Carolina city with gaps in coverage. However, in the areas of the city where most people live, GFiber and AT&T Fiber have solid availability. GFiber offers speeds up to 8Gbps, though some areas may not get access to this full speed. AT&T Fiber is also available with speeds up to 5Gbps. Another option you may have is Kinetic high-speed internet from Windstream. Kinetic offers speeds up to 2Gbps, so multi-gig fiber service is generally available around the city.

3 Lincoln, Nebraska

Google and AT&T aren't the only options

Most of the time, there isn't much to say about Lincoln, Nebraska, but when it comes to fiber, provider Allo has done a good job blanketing the city with gigabit fiber speeds. Allo isn't the largest provider, but it offers service in multiple cities across Nebraska, Arizona, and Colorado. While its top speeds don't appear to be widely available in Lincoln, the gigabit speeds it offers are symmetrical. Allo is pricey at around $100 for gigabit internet. However, a cheaper 500Mbps option should work fine for just about anyone.

2 Fort Worth, Texas

Fast speeds for the metroplex

Texas cities continue to be well-covered, with Fort Worth offering high average data speeds and solid fiber coverage thanks to AT&T Fiber. AT&T confirmed it is the largest fiber provider in the country, with over 8.8 million customers and 28 million locations served across the country. It makes sense that Fort Worth and much of Dallas are covered with AT&T Fiber, with gigabit speeds in many areas and some 5Gbps coverage available.

1 Wichita, Kansas

Fast cable is almost as good

Another AT&T-dominant city, Wichita, Kansas, has strong AT&T Fiber coverage with speeds up to 5Gbps down and up. Some neighborhoods are left out of the fiber party dotted throughout the suburbs, but Cox fills in the gaps with solid cable speeds up to 2Gbps down and 100Mbps up. Cox has a fiber backhaul but uses coaxial cable to connect to the premises. Installing new fiber connections takes a lot of time, so fiber could come your way. Check your options before your limited-time cable promotions expire.

Check your area for local providers and cooperative fiber

Even if the big ISPs aren't in your area, you may still be able to switch to fiber, thanks to a local provider. If you live in a smaller community or have a city that takes matters into its own hands, like KC Fiber, you could have a fast and affordable local fiber option. Many utility cooperatives, for example, have expanded fiber coverage relatively quickly in rural areas, which likely wouldn't provide a good return on investment for a provider like GFiber or AT&T.

My local cooperative provides my fiber connection, which has been fast and reliable for the past two years. If you haven't checked your options in a while, it may be worth checking out the FCC's map of fixed broadband providers. You can filter your results by speed and technology type, though the data can be outdated.

Last but not least, don't worry about speed too much. Having multi-gig internet speeds is a blast. Still, a standard gigabit connection is fast enough for an entire family if you use your internet primarily for browsing, streaming, and gaming. Make sure you get hardware that can keep up, like one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers or one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers, if you're considering speeds over 1Gbps.