What is the best internet provider in Carlsbad, California?
Spectrum is the best internet service provider in Carlsbad. It’s the only wired connection available for most homes in the city. Spectrum’s plans offer great value for the first year or two, but after that, prices increase significantly.
It’s available only to around one in 10 homes in the city, but AT&T Fiber is the fastest internet provider in Carlsbad. It’s the only fiber provider in the area, getting you to upload and download speeds up to 5,000Mbps. AT&T also has the highest customer satisfaction scores of any provider in the country.
Wireless internet is another good option in the area, particularly for smaller households that don’t need ultra-fast speeds. Verizon and T-Mobile have 5G home internet service in Carlsbad, and if you’re a cellphone subscriber with either, you can get significant savings on home internet.
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad. 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 Carlsbad, California
300 – 1,000 Mbps
$50 – $80 per month
Our take – Spectrum will be the default option for most people in Carlsbad. It’s the only wired connection (cable or fiber) that’s widely available and has the cheapest starting prices in the city. But after a year or two, all plans increase by $30 to $35 monthly. That’s the main reason why Spectrum has below-average customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power and the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
300 – 1,000 Mbps
$50 – $80 per month
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per month
Our take – If you’re one of the lucky few who can get AT&T Fiber in Carlsbad, this is an easy pick. It’s the only fiber provider in the city, which means it’s the only one with symmetrical upload and download speeds — ideal for online gaming and videoconferencing. AT&T Fiber’s prices are also very reasonable, and there are no extra fees for equipment.
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per month
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Our take – If you can’t get AT&T Fiber and don’t want to deal with Spectrum’s price increases, wireless internet is your best backup option. T-Mobile and Verizon both have 5G home internet services in Carlsbad. If you have a cellphone plan with either, you can save by bundling it with home internet. Speeds won’t be as fast as Spectrum’s or AT&T Fiber’s, but it’s plenty for basic activities like streaming video and scrolling social media.
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Carlsbad internet providers compared
| 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-$225 | 300-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
AT&T Internet Read full review |
DSL | $55 | Up to 140Mbps | None | 1.5TB on some plans | None | 7.4 |
|
Spectrum Read full review |
Cable | $30-$80 | 100-1,000Mbps | $7 (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
|
Starlink Read full review |
Satellite | $120 | 25-220Mbps | $599 upfront | None | None | 6.5 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $60 ($40-$50 with mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 50-300Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
Show more (1 item)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Carlsbad?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Spectrum Internet 100 Read full review |
$30 | 100Mbps | $7 (optional) |
|
Spectrum Internet Read full review |
$50 | 300Mbps | $7 (optional) |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 100Mbps | None |
|
AT&T Fiber 300 Read full review |
$55 | 300Mbps | None |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$60 ($40 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Carlsbad
The best internet deals and top promotions in Carlsbad depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Carlsbad internet providers, such as Spectrum and Verizon 5G Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including AT&T 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 Carlsbad
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Internet 5000 Read full review |
$225 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
AT&T Internet 2000 Read full review |
$125 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
AT&T Internet 1000 Read full review |
$80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review |
$80 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
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 Carlsbad
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 Carlsbad FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Carlsbad?
Spectrum is the best internet service provider in Carlsbad, offering the city’s cheapest starting prices and broadest coverage.
Is fiber internet available in Carlsbad?
Yes, fiber internet is available to 12% of Carlsbad households, according to FCC data. AT&T Fiber is the only fiber provider in the city.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Carlsbad?
Spectrum is the cheapest internet provider in Carlsbad, offering plans starting at just $30 monthly.
Which internet provider in Carlsbad offers the fastest plan?
AT&T Fiber offers the fastest internet plan in Carlsbad, with upload and download speeds up to 5,000Mbps.
