Best Internet Providers in Lafayette, Louisiana
What is the best internet provider in Lafayette?
Although AT&T Fiber and local public utility service LUS Fiber both offer super-fast fiber internet service in Lafayette, AT&T Fiber is CNET's pick for Lafayette's best internet provider. It wins out thanks to its lower pricing and high customer satisfaction.
Although LUS Fiber is great if you're interested in multigigabit internet, AT&T Fiber is the better cheap internet provider. Though it has solid value for the money, AT&T Fiber doesn?t have the cheapest plan in the area, as Cox and T-Mobile Home Internet start at $50 per month, with some households eligible for a cheaper $30 100Mbps plan from Cox. Cox also has a unique prepaid internet plan, an option unavailable from many ISPs.
LUS Fiber is the clear winner if you want the fastest internet plan in Lafayette, with speeds up to 10,000 megabits per second (10 gigabits per second), starting at $296 per month. That?s the most expensive internet plan in Lafayette, but it?s still a better value than AT&T Fiber?s 5Gbps plan, which starts at $245 monthly.
So, which is better for your home, the slightly cheaper, national brands or the potentially faster, local utility service? We?ve listed details on the best internet providers in Lafayette below to help you decide.
Best internet in Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette internet providers compared Provider Internet technology Monthly price range Speed range Monthly equipment costs Data cap Contract CNET review score AT&T
Read full review DSL, fiber $55 DSL, $55-$245 fiber 10-100Mbps DSL, 300-5,000Mbps fiber None None None 7.4 Cox Communications
Read full review Cable $30-$110 100-2,000Mbps $15 (optional) 1.25TB None required 6.2 LUS Fiber Fiber $60-$296 350-10,000Mbps None None None N/A T-Mobile Home Internet
Read full review Fixed wireless $50 ($30 with eligible 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) 50-1,000Mbps None None None 7.2 Show more (1 item) Shop providers at my address
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What's the cheapest internet plan in Lafayette? Plan Starting price Max download speed Monthly equipment fee Cox ConnectAssist (select households)
Read full review $30 100Mbps $15 (optional) T-Mobile Home Internet
Read full review $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) 72-245Mbps None Verizon 5G Home Internet
Read full review $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) 50-300Mbps None Cox Go Fast
Read full review $50 250Mbps $15 (optional) AT&T Fiber 300
Read full review $55 300Mbps None Show more (1 item) Shop providers at my address
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Getty Images
How to find internet deals and promotions in Lafayette
The best internet deals and top promotions in Lafayette depend on the discounts available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Take our quiz Get Started Progress Step 1 of 4 How many members of your household use the internet? 1-2 people
3-5 people
6-9 people
10+ people Next
Lafayette internet providers, such as Cox, may offer lower introductory pricing or extra perks for a limited time. Many, however, including AT&T and LUS 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 Lafayette Plan Starting price Max download speed Max upload speed Data cap Connection type LUS Fiber 10 Gig $296 10,000Mbps 10,000Mbps None Fiber AT&T Internet 5000
Read full review $245 5,000Mbps 5,000Mbps None Fiber AT&T Internet 2000
Read full review $145 2,000Mbps 2,000Mbps None Fiber AT&T Internet 1000
Read full review $80 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps None Fiber LUS Fiber 1 Gig $85 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps None Fiber Cox Go Super Fast
Read full review $70 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps 1.25TB Cable Cox Beyond Fast
Read full review $110 2,000Mbps 2,000Mbps 1.25TB Cable Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet
Read full review $70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) 85-1,000Mbps 50-75Mbps None Fixed wireless Show more (4 items) Shop providers at my address
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 Lafayette
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 answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who 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. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in Lafayette FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Lafayette, Lousiana? AT&T Fiber is the best internet provider in Lafayette due to its extensive fiber network, customer-friendly service terms and, most notably, its low pricing. Compared with local fiber provider LUS Fiber, AT&T Fiber has lower pricing on its 300Mbps and gig speed tiers.
Is fiber internet available in Lafayette? Lafayette is one of the most fiber-connected cities in Louisiana, thanks to AT&T Fiber and local utility company LUS Fiber. Approximately 70% of Lafayette households are eligible for fiber internet, according to recent FCC data. Coverage is greatest around the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and in the Larabee, Rivers Bend Estates and Audobon Trace communities, but fiber service is available throughout much of Lafayette.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Lafayette? Cox and T-Mobile Home Internet have the lowest starting price in Lafayette at $50 monthly. T-Mobile Home Internet is the outright cheapest, though: T-Mobile includes equipment for free (Cox?s rental fee is $13) and unlimited data, whereas Cox internet service has a 1.25TB data cap and fees for going over.
