Best Internet Providers in Fayetteville, Arkansas

What is the best internet provider in Fayetteville?

Fiber internet is often the top choice for internet. However, there are two fiber providers in the area, so it can be hard to rank one over the other. That said, AT&T Fiber is the best internet service provider in Fayetteville. You get the fastest speeds (up to 5,000 megabits per second), unlimited data, free equipment rental and no contract requirements with AT&T Fiber.

Local fiber provider OzarksGo also offers multigigabit speeds and unlimited data, but equipment rental will add $5 to your monthly bill, and a one-year contract is required. However, the fiber-optic service is likely preferable to other top internet options in Fayetteville, including Cox and T-Mobile Home Internet.

Starting at $50 a month, Cox ties OzarksGo for the cheapest internet plan in Fayetteville, though you’ll get faster download speeds with Cox (250Mbps compared to 100Mbps with OzarksGo). Other Cox plans, up to gig service, are competitively priced as well, but a $13 monthly fee may apply if you choose to rent equipment, and all plans come with a data cap.

T-Mobile Home Internet skips the equipment fees, data caps and contracts altogether, but max speeds are slower than other Fayetteville internet providers at 72 to 245Mbps. Still, the simple pricing, not to mention a possible mobile bundle discount that can knock $10 to $20 off the home internet rate, makes T-Mobile Home Internet an option worth considering.

Best internet in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Fayetteville

The best internet deals and top promotions in Fayetteville depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Fayetteville internet providers, such as AT&T Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet, may offer free gift cards or other promotions for a limited time. Others, including Cox and OzarksGo, run the same standard offers year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

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 person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Fayetteville, Arkansas

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:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. 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, though 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 also take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Internet providers in Fayetteville, Arkansas, FAQs