What is the best internet provider in Wichita?
Searching for fast internet in Wichita? AT&T Fiber is CNET's top pick of the best internet service provider in Wichita, Kansas. AT&T Fiber stands out as the top choice for Wichita residents because of its impressive symmetrical speeds up to 5,000Mbps in addition to wide coverage throughout the area. According to latest Ookla data, Wichita has a healthy median internet speed of 325Mbps, which means there's a decent presence of high-speed internet options throughout the city. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
If AT&T Fiber isn't available at your address or doesn't quite match what you're looking for, there are multiple other solid options worth considering. Cox Communications offers competitive plans with speeds going up to 2,000Mbps at reasonable prices. In addition, both T-Mobile and Verizon offer reliable 5G internet services with discounts when bundled with their wireless plans. Check out our top picks below to find the perfect internet provider for your Wichita home.
Best internet options in Wichita
Wichita residents have good choices for internet service, whether they want fast gig speeds or affordable options. AT&T Fiber is the best choice for most people, while Cox and T-Mobile are also reliable alternatives.
Overview of Wichita internet providers
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber Read full review | Fiber | $55-$245 | 300-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Cox Read full review | Cable | $30-$110 | 100-2,000Mbps | None | 1.25TB | Not required, but needed for the lowest promo rate | 6.2 |
| KwiKom | Fixed wireless/Fiber | $55-$135 | 10-60Mbps (Fixed wireless)1,000-5,000Mbps (Fiber) | None | None | None | N/A |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$55 with eligible phone plan) | 87-415Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible phone plan) | 100-300Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
What other internet options are there in Wichita?
Though we think the three picks highlighted above are the best internet providers in Wichita, you do have a few other options.
- KwiKom: A local provider of internet, telephone and television services, KwiKom offers plans that are available to roughly 9% of Wichita residents. The company offers fixed wireless and fiber internet service, but you'll have to fill out a request form to order fiber service, and there's a hefty $95 installation fee. Monthly prices range from $55 to $135.
- Nextlink: Nextlink is another local provider that offers fixed wireless internet in Wichita. For most households, T-Mobile Home Internet is the faster and more affordable fixed wireless option.
- Satellite internet: Available almost everywhere in the country, satellite internet is usually what you get when you can't get anything else. HughesNet offers slightly faster speeds than its main rival, Viasat, which offers higher monthly data caps. One intriguing satellite option is Starlink from SpaceX, which offers a respectable 67Mbps but requires a $349 upfront payment for equipment.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Although it's available to only 25% of Wichita households, Verizon's 5G Home Internet is a solid deal featuring unlimited data, no contracts, free equipment and a discount for eligible Verizon Wireless customers. There are two plans available in most areas: $50 per month for download speeds up to 85Mbps and $70 for up to 250Mbps.
Wichita internet pricing
Residents of Wichita have a range of internet options for various budgets. The average starting price for internet in the city is $54 monthly, which is slightly higher than other cities CNET has analyzed thus far. T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet both have plans for $50 per month, but you can get a significant discount with both if you have an eligible cellular plan.
Cheapest internet plans in Wichita
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cox ConnectAssist Read full review | $30 | 100Mbps | None | Not required, but needed for the lowest promo rate |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($35 for eligible mobile customers) | 318Mbps | None | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($35 with eligible phone plan) | 85Mbps | None | None |
| Cox Go Faster Read full review | $50 | 250Mbps | None | Not required, but needed for the lowest promo rate |
| AT&T Fiber 300 Read full review | $55 | 300Mbps | None | None |
| KwiKom | $55 | 10Mbps | None | None |
| Cox Go Even Faster Read full review | $60 | 500Mbps | None | Not required, but needed for the lowest promo rate |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Wichita internet speeds
Residents of Wichita can access several multigigabit plans, which aren't common across the country. Cox Communications offers cable internet speeds up to 2,000Mbps, while AT&T Fiber offers speeds up to 5,000Mbps in some city areas.
Fastest internet plans in Wichita
| Provider | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Starting price | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber 5000 Read full review | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $245 | None | None |
| KwiKom Elite | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $135 | None | None |
| AT&T Fiber 2000 Read full review | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $145 | None | None |
| KwiKom Pro | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $105 | None | None |
| Cox Fiber 2 Gig Read full review | 2,000Mbps | 100Mbps | $110 | 1.25TB | Not required, but needed for the lowest promo rate |
| AT&T Fiber 1000 Read full review | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $80 | None | None |
| KwiKom Essential | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $75 | None | None |
| Cox Fiber 1 Gig Read full review | 1,000Mbps | 100Mbps | $70 | 1.25TB | Not required, but needed for the lowest promo rate |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
What's the final word on internet providers in Wichita?
Overall, Wichita residents have some excellent options to choose from for internet service. If you can get it, AT&T Fiber is the best provider in the area. Cox offers comparable download speeds, but its upload speeds are much lower, and you could be looking at dramatic price hikes after the promotional rate expires. T-Mobile Home Internet is another solid option at $50 per month if you don't need particularly high speeds.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Wichita
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike with the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
This guide leverages an in-house artificial intelligence tool called RAMP, which is trained on our own writing and uses our database to generate content about specific internet service providers that our writers can use in determining and presenting our picks for a given guide. Check CNET's AI policy for more information about how our teams use (and don't use) AI tools.
Because our database isn't exhaustive, we go to the FCC's website to check the primary data for ourselves and make sure we're considering every ISP that provides service in an area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we input local addresses on provider websites to find the specific options available to 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 our prepublication fact-check.
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?
The answers to those questions are often layered and complex, but the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet providers, 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 consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
Wichita internet FAQs
Which is the best internet service provider in Wichita?
The best internet service provider in Wichita is AT&T, according to CNET's analysis of pricing, availability and speed. AT&T Fiber offers speeds up to 5,000Mbps at competitive prices. KwiKom also has a 5,000Mbps plan at affordable prices but is not available in most of Wichita. Cox's cable internet has speeds of up to 2,000Mbps, but prices might go up significantly after the promotional period ends. T-Mobile's 5G home internet service is another solid option, with a price-lock guarantee for as long as you stay a customer.
Is fiber internet available in Wichita?
Yes, fiber internet is available in Wichita. AT&T offers fiber internet with symmetrical speeds ranging from 300Mbps to 5,000Mbps. KwiKom also offers fiber internet, with speeds up to 5,000Mbps in some areas.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Wichita?
T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home offer the cheapest internet plans in Wichita, with starting monthly prices of $50.
Which internet provider in Wichita offers the fastest plan?
AT&T Fiber offers the fastest internet plan in Wichita, with download and upload speeds of up to 5,000Mbps, but only about half of the households in the city have access.