Best Internet Providers in Tampa, Florida for 2026
Compare the Best Internet Service Providers in Tampa, FL
Not all plans are available in all areas. Provider plan, availability, and speed tier data provided by BroadbandNow.com. Speedtest real-world data is only present where sample size has reached significance within a region. Additionally, averages may include aggregated tests across multiple Internet Types (Fiber, DSL, Cable, etc.).
Speedtest cuts through the noise and shows you the truth about your internet. Every test delivers a clear snapshot of how your connection is actually performing (and you won’t need to figure out tech jargon). But we don’t just stop at one test. Each result contributes to an ever-evolving map of internet performance worldwide. Our mission is to make internet speeds transparent, empower people to choose what works best for them, and drive the entire industry toward faster, more reliable service that benefits everyone.
Speedtest measures three things that really affect your internet experience: download speed (how fast data comes to you), upload speed (how quickly you can send things out), and latency (the little delay before your connection reacts). Every test gives you an instant snapshot of how your ISP is performing right now. By collecting data from real people around the world, we cut through the marketing hype and show you exactly what your provider is delivering: clear, honest, and easy to understand.
Not every connection is built to keep up with high-bandwidth needs. Wired options like fiber and cable deliver blazing-fast speeds, rock-solid stability, and minimal delays. DSL is slower and older, but still useful in areas where newer tech isn’t available. On the wireless side, satellite keeps remote and rural areas online, even if it can’t match the speed or reliability of fiber and cable.
Your internet speed should keep up with your lifestyle in Tampa, not slow you down. 100 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload are enough for most homes to stream Netflix, catch Lightning highlights, or stay connected on Zoom. But if households play weekly multi-player games, host 4K streaming parties, or upload drone videos from a sunny day at Clearwater Beach or the Tampa Riverwalk, you’ll want 500 Mbps or more to keep everything running smoothly.
Internet needs in Tampa can be as diverse as the city itself. What keeps a busy family in Westchase happy might be overkill for a solo streamer in Hyde Park. Here’s what different speeds can handle in Tampa.

How Much Speed Do I Need?
Download speeds of at least 100 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 10 Mbps are widely considered fast enough to handle nearly any online activity. A quick guide to what speeds you need for different online activities is below, and you can read our full guide to internet speeds and performance for more information. Keep in mind that the numbers below are the bare minimum for one device at a time. If you’re trying to use multiple devices on a network at the same time, you’ll want higher speeds.
0–5 Mbps (Slow)
- Stream SD video
- Connect on Slack
- Use Microsoft Teams
- Write and read email
- Scroll social media
- General web browsing
5–20 Mbps (Better)
- Stream HD video at 1080p
20–40 Mbps (Solid)
- Stream 4K video
- Play games online
40–100 Mbps (Good)
- Stream HD games
100+ Mbps (Fast)
- Engage in multi-player gaming
- Download huge files
1+ Gbps (Very fast)
- Do anything you want on multiple devices
ISP Speeds in Tampa, FL
Life in The Big Guava moves fast, and your internet should keep pace. Whether you’re streaming highlights after a Bucs win, coordinating a Gasparilla weekend with friends, or FaceTiming family from your home in New Suburb Beautiful, a strong connection keeps you in the loop. Tampa residents can choose between two fiber providers for their internet service: Frontier or Earthlink. Frontier offers speeds up to 7 Gbps, which is more than even the most high-bandwidth use households would need. The provider has symmetrical 2 Gbps or 1 Gbps plans that would be a better option when gigabit speeds are required. For households that don’t have a need for higher speeds, they also offer plans at 500 Mbps or 200 Mbps.
Earthlink’s fiber plans go up to 2 Gbps in Tampa, and residents can choose lower-tiered options at 1 Gbps, 500 Mbps, 300 Mbps, or a modest 100 Mbps. Tampa residents also have two solid cable internet options. Spectrum delivers cable internet with plans up to 2 Gbps, but customers can also choose from 1 Gbps, 500 Mbps, or 100 Mbps plans. WOW! is another cable option in Cigar City, with 1.2 Gbps, 1 Gbps, 600 Mbps, and 300 Mbps internet plans.
For the average Tampa household, speeds between 100 and 300 Mbps are plenty for streaming the latest Hulu documentary or following along to a live cooking show on YouTube from your kitchen in Seminole Heights. Homes buzzing with roommates gaming online, work calls happening from a home office in Ybor City, or smart home devices keeping you ahead on your calendar, bumping up to 500 Mbps or more can make life smoother. Online entrepreneurs uploading replays from their latest talk at the Tampa Convention Center or content creators sharing vlogs from their day in Downtown Tampa may want gigabit speeds to keep everything moving fast, especially during peak hours.
Tampa Fixed Speeds
Download Mbps
Median download speed
Upload Mbps
Median upload speed
Latency ms
Median latency
To be added to this list for mobile or fixed broadband, 75% of a city's monthly unique user totals over a 13-month period must have a minimum of 200 monthly unique user results. To be updated for mobile or fixed broadband, 75% of a city's monthly unique user totals over a 13-month period must have a minimum of 100 monthly unique user results.
An operator or ISP must account for 3% or more of total test samples in the market to be on this list. We display data if at least two operators or ISPs meet this threshold in a designated region or city.
Internet Providers in Nearby Cities
Florida
Kentucky
Louisiana
Tennessee
Home Internet in Tampa
The Lightning Capital of the World can rely on three providers for extensive coverage throughout the city. Spectrum delivers a cable connection to 94% of residents, spanning as far west as the Tampa International Airport and as far east to the border of Brandon. There’s also plenty of coverage up north near Temple Terrance and down south to Port Tampa. Frontier and Earthlink both deliver fiber service to 86% of Tampa households. It’s hard to beat Spectrum’s wide availability, and neither fiber provider offers service in the few areas where Spectrum isn’t accessible.
Frontier is available to customers in Sulphur Springs, Holley Heights, Allerton Park, Wellswood, and plenty of other communities in Tampa. Residents with high-bandwidth needs looking for symmetrical speeds on a fiber connection would likely opt for Frontier or Earthlink over Spectrum. WOW!’s cable service is only available to 33% of the city’s residents, with coverage limited to the western part of Tampa. For any households outside the coverage area of either fiber or cable provider, wireless options like satellite internet from Starlink or Hughesnet step in with 100% availability. Households do need to have the space and means to invest in satellite equipment to stay connected. While speeds won’t come close to those provided by fiber or cable, it’s a solid option to access the internet when availability is limited.
The average monthly starting price for internet service in Tampa is $46. Wired internet providers feature an average starting price of $33 per month, and wireless providers start at an average of $54 per month. Monthly starting prices only cover the lowest-tiered internet option by the provider. For example, Spectrum’s lowest-priced internet plan starts at $30 but only delivers speeds up to 100 Mbps. Frontier, on the other hand, features an attractive starting price of $30 per month for either 200 Mbps or 500 Mbps plans. To access higher speed plans from Spectrum, the cable provider has 500 Mbps, 1 Gbps, and 2 Gbps plans starting at $50, $70, and $90 per month, respectively. For gigabit speed plans from Frontier, customers can choose the 1 Gbps or 2 Gbps plans for $65 or $90 per month, respectively. To access Earthlink’s fiber service, the provider has 100 Mbps, 300 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 1 Gbps, and 2 Gbps plans with monthly rates starting at $40, $55, $80, $100, and $130, respectively. These monthly prices, while accurate at the time of this writing, are subject to change. Always check in with your chosen ISP to get the most up-to-date pricing in Tampa.
How we test the speed of ISPs
Speedtest is the definitive way to test the performance and quality of an internet connection. Millions of users like you use Speedtest.net and our Android and iOS apps every day to test internet performance (including bandwidth, latency, coverage, video metrics, and more) in real world situations. We then use rigorous scientific approaches to aggregate and anonymize those results to empower people like you with content like this so you can understand and optimize your internet experience.

The data found within has not been subjected to the rigorous Speedtest marketing claims and data methodology, and therefore cannot be used in commercial applications. Additionally, promised speeds and plans offered are always subject to change.
How to test your internet speed
Speedtest can help you test the speed and overall performance of your internet for free from any device. Click here to open a new page and take a Speedtest. You can then compare your results with what you’ve learned about internet performance near you. If you aren’t getting the results you expect, you can either use this guide to use your Speedtest results to talk to your internet provider or you can shop for a new provider.








