What is the best internet provider in Nevada?
Cox is Nevada’s best internet service provider thanks to its fast speeds and broad coverage throughout Las Vegas and the surrounding communities. As the main cable internet provider in the Vegas area, Cox offers a variety of internet plans with speeds up to 1,000 megabits per second to nearly two-thirds of the state’s households.
Cox doesn’t have the fastest internet plan in Nevada – AT&T Fiber offers maximum speeds up to 5,000Mbps in Reno – but it is among the cheapest. Cox internet starts at $40 per month, whereas other Nevada ISPs (AT&T, CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber and Spectrum included) start at $50 or higher.
Depending on the internet providers in your area, paying a bit more than you would with Cox can be well worth the extra cost. Quantum Fiber’s cheapest internet plan, for example, offers speeds up to 500Mbps, five times the maximum download speeds that come with the cheapest plan from Cox.
You’ll want to consider factors like these when choosing the best internet provider for your home. Here’s what you need to know about Nevada’s top internet service providers.
Best internet in Nevada
Nevada internet providers compared
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other available internet providers in Nevada
- AT&T Internet: AT&T’s copper-based (DSL) service also covers much of the Reno area and parts of Winnemucca, Ely, Pahrump, Lovelock and Battle Mountain. Speeds are much slower than AT&T Fiber, topping out at 100Mbps, and there is a monthly data cap of 1.5TB, but service is worth considering if no other wired connections are available.
- CenturyLink: The DSL side of Lumen Technologies (Quantum Fiber is the fiber service), CenturyLink is available to much of the Las Vegas area. Like with AT&T Internet, speeds are slower than cable and fiber internet.
- LV.net: One of the original fixed wireless internet service providers in Las Vegas, LV.net offers download speeds ranging from 25 to 90Mbps, starting at $65 to $150 per month. The local touch is nice, but faster fixed wireless speeds are available from T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet.
- Rise Broadband: A practical choice for internet in rural areas, Rise Broadband is available to the south and west of Las Vegas along with much of Elko, West Wendover and Baker. Unlimited data plans start at $45 to $55 for maximum download speeds of 25 to 50Mbps.
- Spectrum: Like AT&T Fiber, Spectrum would be higher on the list of top Nevada ISPs if it had better coverage in the state. Service, with speeds of 300 to 1,000Mbps starting at $50 to $90 per month, is mostly limited to Reno.
- T-Mobile Home Internet: Available to more than half of Nevada’s households, T-Mobile Home Internet offers 72 to 245Mbps for the monthly rate of $50. There are no equipment fees, data caps or contracts, and eligible T-Mobile Magenta Max customers can get $20 off the cost of home internet.
- Satellite internet: Aside from HughesNet, Viasat is a popular option for satellite internet (here’s how HughesNet and Viasat compare). If you’d rather pass on the slow speeds and limited data those two offer, check to see if Starlink is available at your address.
Internet breakdown by city in Nevada
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 US, including those in Nevada. 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.
- Best internet providers in Henderson
- Best internet providers in Las Vegas
- Best internet providers in Reno
Cheap internet options in Nevada
Unless you qualify for the mobile discount on home internet from T-Mobile or Verizon, Cox and Rise Broadband are the only major internet providers in Nevada to offer service starting at less than $50 per month.
When shopping for cheap internet in Nevada, be aware of equipment fees, data caps and other service terms that can add to the monthly cost of internet. Consider the speeds you get for the price, as well. Although Cox internet service can be cheaper than Quantum Fiber, you’ll get up to five times the speed for just $10 more per month with Quantum Fiber.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Nevada?
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Nevada
Nevada’s best internet deals and top promotions depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Nevada internet providers, such as Cox, may offer lower introductory pricing or special perks for a limited time. Many providers, including AT&T Fiber, Spectrum and Quantum Fiber, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
How fast is Nevada broadband?
Nevada is in the top five among US states and Washington, DC, when it comes to median download speeds, according to recent Ookla speed test data. Statewide speed tests in Q3 2023 averaged a median download speed of 227Mbps.
Cox had the fastest median download speeds in Nevada at 275Mbps and the fastest nationwide speed at 260Mbps. Still, Cox doesn’t offer the fastest speed tier in Nevada. Here’s a look at the fastest plans available from the top ISPs in Nevada.
Fastest internet plans in Nevada
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 and 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 like 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 Nevada
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. 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.
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 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. When it comes to 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 account for real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Nevada?
Cox is the largest internet provider in the Las Vegas area, effectively making it the largest wired internet provider in the state. While a decent choice for home internet, Las Vegas residents should also consider Quantum Fiber and Verizon 5G Home Internet.
Outside of Las Vegas, AT&T Fiber and Spectrum are key contributors to broadband internet in Nevada, particularly in the Reno area. Other cities and towns across the Nevada landscape can rely on T-Mobile Home Internet, Rise Broadband, CenturyLink, or – as a last resort – satellite internet.