What is the best internet provider in Fort Collins, Colorado?
Fort Collins Connexion is the best internet service provider in Fort Collins. The municipally owned fiber provider offers plans starting at $70 per month for upload and download speeds up to 1,000Mbps. That’s more than most households need, but equipment is included in every plan, making it a reasonably affordable option.
If you want the lowest prices, Xfinity is the cheapest internet provider in Fort Collins. Plans start at $20 per month — as cheap as you’ll find anywhere in the country — and you can get 200Mbps for as little as $25 monthly. Xfinity’s prices increase after one or two years, but they’re still a decent value even after that kicks in.
T-Mobile Home Internet is the best fixed wireless internet provider in Fort Collins. It doesn’t reach the same top speeds as Xfinity or Fort Collins Connexion, but it’s enough for smaller households, and T-Mobile cellphone customers can save $10 to $20 monthly by bundling with internet.
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Fort Collins across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers’ terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider’s website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider’s pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs, while the text is specific to what’s available in Fort Collins. The prices referenced within this article’s text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month — a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might also be available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Fort Collins, Colorado
1,000 – 10,000 Mbps
Our take – The city of Fort Collins owns its own fiber-optic broadband network, offering internet plans starting at $70 per month for 1,000Mbps. That’s more speed than most people need, but equipment is included in the price, and your bill won’t go up automatically after a year or two. As a fiber provider, Fort Collins Connexion also offers upload speeds equally as fast as download speeds — ideal for online gamers and remote workers.
1,000 – 10,000 Mbps
75 – 2,000 Mbps
$20 – $120 per month
Our take – Xfinity is available almost everywhere in Fort Collins, and its plans start at just $20 per month. That’s an incredible value, but most Xfinity plans increase prices significantly after a year or two. That said, equipment is included on most plans, and you’ll get a free subscription to Peacock Premium on its gig-speed plans.
75 – 2,000 Mbps
$20 – $120 per month
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Our take – T-Mobile Home Internet is an excellent choice if you don’t need a lot of speed. One plan is available for $60 per month, with download speeds topping out at 245Mbps. Wireless internet is inherently less reliable than wired options like cable or fiber, but that hasn’t been an issue for most T-Mobile subscribers: It has the highest score of any ISP in the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s most recent survey.
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Fort Collins internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CenturyLink Read full review |
DSL | $55 | Up to 100Mbps | $15 (optional) | None | None | 6.7 |
| Fort Collins Connexion | Fiber | $70-$200 | 1,000-10,000Mbps | None | None | None | N/A |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | $50-$75 | 500-940Mbps | None | None | None | 6.7 |
|
Rise Broadband Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $55 | 25-50Mbps | None | None | None | 6.2 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $60 ($40-$50 with mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Vistabeam Internet | Fixed wireless | $50-$80 | 100-500Mbps | $8 (optional) | None | None | N/A |
|
Xfinity Read full review |
Cable | $20-$120 | 75-2,000Mbps | $15 (included in most plans) | 1.2TB | Optional | 7 |
Show more (3 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Fort Collins?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Xfinity Connect Read full review |
$20 | 75Mbps | $15 (optional) |
|
Xfinity Connect More Read full review |
$35 | 200Mbps | None |
|
Xfinity Fast Read full review |
$50 | 400Mbps | None |
| Quantum Fiber | $50 | 500Mbps | None |
| Vistabeam Internet | $50 | 100Mbps | $8 (optional) |
Show more (1 item)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Fort Collins
The best internet deals and top promotions in Fort Collins depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Fort Collins internet providers, such as Xfinity and T-Mobile Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including Fort Collins Connexion 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.
Fastest internet plans in Fort Collins
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins Connexion 10 Gbps | $200 | 10,000Mbps | 10,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Fort Collins Connexion 2 Gbps | $100 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Xfinity Gigabit X2 Read full review |
$120 | 2,000Mbps | 200Mbps | 1.2TB | Cable |
| Fort Collins Connexion 1 Gbps | $70 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review |
$80 | 1,200Mbps | 35Mbps | 1.2TB | Cable |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Read full review |
$75 | 1,000Mbps | 20Mbps | 1.2TB | Cable |
| Quantum Fiber | $75 | 940Mbps | 940Mbps | None | Fiber |
Show more (3 items)
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 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 Fort Collins
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:
- 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 answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When 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 consider 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 Fort Collins, Colorado, FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Fort Collins?
Fort Collins Connexion is the best internet service provider in Fort Collins. It offers symmetrical upload and download speeds up to 10,000Mbps, with prices starting at $70 per month.
Is fiber internet available in Fort Collins?
Yes, fiber internet is available at 59% of Fort Collins addresses, according to FCC data. Fort Collins Connexion and Quantum Fiber both offer services in the city.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Fort Collins?
Xfinity is the cheapest internet provider in Fort Collins, with prices starting at $20 per month.
Which internet provider in Fort Collins offers the fastest plan?
Fort Collins Connexion offers the fastest internet in Fort Collins, with upload and download speeds up to 10,000Mbps.
