Indianapolis is home to one of, if not the most famous motorsports competition in the world, the Indy 500, with drivers screeching around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at speeds exceeding 160 miles per hour (the fastest single-lap speed is a blazing 236.103 mph). We know the cars go fast in Indy, but at CNET, we’re more interested in a different type of speed: How fast is the city’s internet?
With median download speeds of about 200Mbps, according to Ookla’s list of internet speeds in the nation’s 100 most populous cities, Indy sits in the middle of the pack, ranking at 59th. Fortunately for residents of Hoosier City, there are many broadband choices when it comes to connecting to the internet. Major internet service providers like AT&T, Xfinity, Spectrum, T-Mobile and Verizon all operate in the city, although they won’t all be available to every neighborhood.
Best internet providers in Indy
With many internet options available in Indianapolis, who gets to drink the milk? Based on its availability within the city, fast speeds and decent value, our pick for the best internet provider in Indianapolis goes to AT&T.
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. Your particular internet service options — including prices and speeds — depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per month
Our take – AT&T’s fiber internet offering packs a lot of value for the price. With an average cost per Mbps at just 10 cents, it’s no wonder our best fiber providers page called it a terrific value “hard to pass up.”
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per month
100 – 1,000 Mbps
$30- $90 per month
Our take – Spectrum excels where it matters: It offers clear pricing and terms. If you like simplicity, Spectrum is worth considering.
100 – 1,000 Mbps
$30- $90 per month
Fixed wireless
85 – 1,000 Mbps
$50 – $70 per month
Our take – If you’re an existing Verizon mobile customer, getting your internet through the company can be a heck of a deal if it’s available to you.
Fixed wireless
85 – 1,000 Mbps
$50 – $70 per month
Internet providers in Indianapolis overview
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | DSL/fiber | $55-$180 | 10-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Hoosier Broadband | Fixed wireless/Fiber | $50-$150 | 10-50Mbps | None | None | 2 years | N/A |
| HughesNet | Satellite | $50-$175 | 25Mbps | $15 or $350 one-time purchase | 15-200GB | 2 years | 5.7 |
| Spectrum | Cable | $20-$70 | 30-940Mbps | Free modem; $5 router | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 for eligible mobile customers) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | Fixed Wireless | $50-$70 ($25 to $35 for eligible mobile customers) | 85-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
| Viasat | Satellite | $50-$300 | 25-100Mbps | $15 or $300 one-time purchase | 40-300GB | 2 years | 6.1 |
| Xfinity | Cable | $25-$80 | 75-1,200Mbps | $15 (optional) | 1.2TB | None | 7 |
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All available Indianapolis residential internet providers
Many in the city will have access to AT&T’s fiber internet, while some neighborhoods can get cable internet through Spectrum or Xfinity, or 5G internet from T-Mobile or Verizon. Here are the other options in the city not listed above:
- Earthlink: With the largest customer reach of any wired ISP, Earthlink piggybacks off other networks to connect its customers. It offers a good variety of speeds, starting at 100Mbps and going up to a whopping 5,000Mbps, with prices ranging from $60 to $190.
- Hoosier Broadband: This regional carrier services some areas of Indianapolis (city center and north) and its surrounding regions. It offers fixed wireless and fiber, based on the customer’s address.
- HughesNet: The many internet options in Indianapolis likely negate the need for satellite internet (SpaceX’s Starlink will soon be available as well). HughesNet offers speeds of 25Mbps with prices starting at $50 with a two-year contract and equipment fees.
- T-Mobile Home Internet: Some Indy residents (mostly in the north and east of the city) may have access to 5G internet from T-Mobile. T-Mobile’s home internet service is available for $50 (with autopay) and offers speeds up to 245Mbps.
- Viasat: Viasat’s monthly prices start at $50 and go up to $300, with speeds ranging from 25 to 100Mbps based on the plan.
- Xfinity: The biggest name in cable only services a small section of Indianapolis around the city’s center and surrounding regions. The company offers speeds ranging from 75 to 1,200Mbps, with prices topping at $80. Just mind the 1.2TB data cap.
Pricing details on Indianapolis home internet service
Indy residents can expect to pay around $50 for baseline internet service (not including the more expensive satellite options). This is around the same starting price as fellow midwest city Cincinnati.
Cheap internet options in the Indianapolis metro area
If you want to get the most affordable internet plan in Indianapolis and live in their service areas, Spectrum has a 30Mbps plan for $20 a month (though you must meet specific low-income requirements), or you can opt for 200Mbps from Xfinity for just $5 more. Xfinity’s pricing lasts for the first 24 months of service, and there’s an optional $15 charge for equipment. ISPs also offer discounts to those eligible for the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Indianapolis?
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Fastest internet providers in Indianapolis
Ready to zoom around the (internet) speedway? AT&T has the fastest hookup with its 5,000Mbps plan. If you don’t need to go that fast, you can opt for plans from multiple providers that offer gigabit download speeds.
What are the fastest internet plans in Indianapolis?
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What’s the final word on internet providers in Indianapolis?
With decent availability and high value in terms of speed for the price, most of Indianapolis is well served by AT&T’s hard-to-beat fiber internet. For residents of certain parts of the city, other choices include cable, 5G and satellite.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Indianapolis
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.
Which is the best internet service provider in Indianapolis?
Given its low cost per Mbps — CNET calls it a “terrific value” — and its wide availability in the city, we’re giving the nod to AT&T’s fiber internet offering. The company gets high marks on customer satisfaction surveys and offers a variety of options in terms of price and speed.
Is fiber internet available in Indianapolis?
Yes. AT&T and Earthlink (using AT&T’s network) offer fiber internet in Indy. There’s decent availability, too — nearly half of all residents should be able to access those plans.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Indianapolis?
Spectrum offers a 30Mbps plan for $20 a month if you’re in an eligible, low-income household. For all others, Xfinity offers a 200Mbps plan at $25 a month for the first 24 months, making them the cheapest way to connect to the internet by far. If you want to save even more money, bring your own equipment: Xfinity charges $15 monthly to rent its gateway device.
Which internet provider in Indianapolis offers the fastest plan?
AT&T (and Earthlink, piggybacking on AT&T’s network) offers 2,000 and 5,000Mbps plans in Indianapolis. AT&T charges $110 and $180 a month for these high-speed plans, respectively, while Earthlink charges $130 and $190.
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