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Cox Communications – Best ISP overall among internet providers in Las Vegas
- Prices: $40 – $100 per month
- Speeds: 25 – 2,000Mbps
- Key Info: 1.25TB monthly data allowance, lots of plan options, unique gaming add-on
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CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber – Best fiber service among internet providers in Las Vegas
- Prices: $30 – $70 per month
- Speeds: 200 – 940Mbps
- Key Info: Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included with gigabit tier
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Verizon 5G Home Internet – Best 5G ISP among internet providers in Las Vegas
- Prices: $50 – $70 per month
- Speeds: 85 – 1,000Mbps
- Key Info: Unlimited data, no contracts, free equipment, 50% discount for qualifying Verizon mobile customers
How do your Las Vegas internet options compare, and which internet service provider is best for your home? You’ll find everything you need to know below to help you decide, including pricing, speeds, connection types and service terms.
Note: The prices, speeds and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed in the product detail cards, which represent providers’ national offerings. Your particular internet service options — including prices and speeds — depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.
Best Las Vegas internet provider overall
You’ve got options for home internet in Las Vegas, but CNET’s choice for the best internet provider overall in Las Vegas is Cox. CenturyLink is also a great choice, especially if you’re looking for a high-speed connection and fiber service is available at your address.
Those two wired broadband providers will be your primary options throughout Las Vegas. For more internet options, you’ll likely have to turn to wireless service, which is shaping up to be a viable alternative to traditional cable and DSL internet connections.
The rise of 5G and its home internet use has brought much-needed competition to the Nevada landscape. Verizon or T-Mobile may be the perfect alternative to a wired home internet connection.
Best Las Vegas internet providers for 2023
All prices listed on this page reflect available discounts for setting up paperless billing. If you decide not to go with automatic monthly payments, your price will be higher.
Cox Communications
Best ISP overall among internet providers in Las Vegas
Product details
Price range
$40 – $100 per month
Speed range
25 – 2,000Mbps
Connection
Mostly cable, some fiber
Key Info
1.25TB monthly data allowance, lots of plan options, unique gaming add-on
Cable internet wouldn’t be our first choice for home internet (that’d be fiber) and Cox probably wouldn’t be our first pick for cable internet service either. That said, the provider does have the best broadband coverage and plan selection in the Vegas area.
Availability: Cox is available south of Vegas from Enterprise and Henderson and to the north beyond Summerlin and North Las Vegas. All households are eligible for speeds ranging from 25Mbps to 940Mbps and three or four speed tiers in between.
Most homes will be on Cox’s cable network, which means slower upload speeds and possible speed degradation due to network congestion. Still, all in all, cable internet is fairly fast and reliable. Cox does have a small fiber presence in Vegas, particularly to the south in select Paradise, Winchester and Whitney neighborhoods, which will deliver faster upload speeds and better reliability (at no extra cost).
Plans and pricing: Cox has the best plan selection of any Las Vegas ISP, but you may find that the four or five available speed tiers priced a bit higher than other internet providers. Gig service, for example, starts around $100 per month whereas CenturyLink’s Quantum Fiber offers it for around $30 cheaper.
Fees and service details: You may have to sign a one-year contract to get the lowest introductory rate. Cox comes with a monthly data allowance of 1.25TB, an exclusive online gaming add-on option and lots of bundling possibilities.
CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber
Best fiber service among internet providers in Las Vegas
Product details
Price range
$30 – $70 per month
Speed range
200 – 940Mbps
Connection
Fiber
Key Info
Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included with gigabit tier
CenturyLink, er, Quantum Fiber is the other top contender for internet service in Las Vegas. If you’re wondering what Quantum Fiber is and what it has to do with CenturyLink, it’s just the new brand name for CenturyLink’s fiber internet service in select areas.
Availability: Areas where Quantum Fiber serviceability is greatest include Twin Lakes, Bonanza Village, Five Points, Paradise and Winchester. Those in areas unserviceable for Quantum Fiber can likely still get internet from CenturyLink, but it’ll be on a much slower and less reliable DSL network.
Plans and pricing: Other than the name change, service is the same with two plan options: 200Mbps starting at $30 per month or gig service starting at $70 per month. Both plans are a better value compared to similar plans from Cox and promise better upload speed and reliability potential than a cable internet connection.
Fees and service details: There is no data cap or contract like what you’d have with Cox, and there are no equipment fees with gig service, a $15 monthly value.
Verizon 5G Home Internet
Best 5G ISP among internet providers in Las Vegas
Product details
Price range
$50 – $70 per month (50% off for eligible 5G mobile customers)
Speed range
85 – 1,000Mbps
Connection
Fixed wireless
Key Info
Unlimited data, no contracts, free equipment, 50% discount for qualifying Verizon mobile customers
5G is adding some much needed competition to the home broadband space, but it’s probably not ready to replace your cable or fiber internet connection just yet. That said, Verizon’s speed potential and low pricing, particularly for qualifying Verizon mobile customers, make it worth giving it a try.
Availability: According to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband map, service is available everywhere in Las Vegas except around the airport.
Plans and pricing: Actual speeds will vary by location, but Verizon advertises a range of 85Mbps to 1,000Mbps, which is as fast as you’ll find from just about any provider for $50-$70 a month. Currently, qualifying Verizon mobile customers can get 50% off the base price for Verizon 5G home internet service.
Fees and service details: There are no contract requirements or other special obligations to signing up with Verizon 5G, so it may be worthwhile to try it out and see what speeds and overall service quality you can get.
All internet providers in Las Vegas
The three providers listed above may not be the only ISPs you come across in the Vegas area, but they’re just the ones we’d recommend most. You’ll find more details below on all broadband options available in the area to help you compare and decide which is best for your home.
Top Las Vegas internet providers by availability
Provider | Starting monthly price | Download speed range (Mbps) | Equipment cost | Approximate availability | CNET review score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CenturyLink | $50 | 5-140 | $15 (optional) | 91% | 6.7 |
Cox | $40-$150 | 25-1000 | $13 (optional) | 98% | 6.2 |
LV.net | $65-$150 | 25-90 | $20 | 87% | N/A |
Quantum Fiber | $30-$70 | 200-940 | $15 (optional) | 32% | 6.7 |
Rise Broadband | $25-$65 | 25-250 | Up to $16 (varies) | 66% | 6.2 |
T-Mobile Home Internet | $50 | 72-245 | None | 45% | 7.4 |
Valley Communications Association | $55-$150 | 40-1,000 | Varies | 5% | N/A |
Verizon 5G Home Internet | $50-$70 | 85-1,000 | None | 95% | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Las Vegas ISP honorable mentions
These internet providers also serve the Las Vegas area but lack the availability, speed or overall value to be included among the area’s best ISPs. If any of the internet providers below are available at your address, they’re worth a look, but we’d recommend considering Cox, Quantum Fiber or Verizon 5G first.
CenturyLink
As a DSL internet provider, CenturyLink is better than most, with max speeds above 100Mbps starting at $50 per month. Speeds will vary widely with a DSL connection, however, and speeds around 60Mbps or below are much more likely with CenturyLink in Las Vegas. In that case, your dollar will go farther with Cox versus CenturyLink.
LV.net
A local fixed wireless provider, LV.net broadcasts broadband signals throughout much of the city. While the availability is convenient and the name nod to Las Vegas is nice, prices are too high and speeds are too slow for the provider to be considered a viable alternative to Cox, Quantum Fiber, Verizon 5G or even CenturyLink’s DSL service.
Rise Broadband
Another fixed wireless provider, Rise Broadband is an excellent choice for internet in rural areas. But if you’re in Las Vegas, the 26th largest city in the US, you aren’t exactly in a rural area. Considering the speeds you get for the price, there are better ISPs in the Vegas vicinity than Rise. On the other hand, if you’re just outside the city limits and on the edge of rural desert territory, Rise Broadband is definitely worth checking out.
T-Mobile Home Internet
T-Mobile has the advantage over Verizon regarding nationwide 5G home internet availability, but not in Las Vegas. Not only does T-Mobile have less availability than Verizon 5G in the Vegas area, but speeds are slightly slower (72 to 245Mbps compared to 85 to 300Mbps) for roughly the same starting price.
Valley Communications Association
This regional provider offers fixed wireless and fiber connections in parts of Las Vegas and surrounding communities. Plans on either side of the service are priced a bit higher than comparable plans from competing providers like Cox, Quantum Fiber and Verizon 5G, so I recommend going with them over Valley Communications Association.
Satellite internet
In an honest effort to cover all your internet options in Las Vegas, we have to include satellite internet from HughesNet and Viasat. Yes, it’s probably available. No, you don’t want it, at least not when Cox, CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber, and others are available.
Las Vegas broadband at a glance
Nearly all Las Vegas households will have access to broadband internet from at least one provider, while most will have two high-speed ISPs to choose from. Cable internet, largely provided by Cox, is the most prevalent connection type. Fiber internet is available to a small but growing portion of Las Vegas.
Internet pricing in Las Vegas
What can you expect to pay for internet in Las Vegas? Taxes and equipment fees aside, anticipate your broadband connection to cost at least $40 per month. Cheaper plans and promotional rates may be available depending on the provider, your address and the time of year. Still, other than Cox and Rise Broadband (and their cheapest plans), service from all other providers in the Las Vegas area starts at $50 per month or higher.
If you’re looking for cheap internet, start by seeing if you’re eligible for Verizon’s 50% discount for qualifying mobile customers, putting your monthly internet bill around $25 to $35 per month before taxes. Otherwise, check out the list of cheap internet plans in Las Vegas below.
Cheapest internet plans in Las Vegas
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Low-income internet options in Las Vegas
There aren’t any internet discount programs available specifically to Las Vegas residents, but the nationwide Affordable Connectivity Program could grant you up to $30 per month to go toward your home internet bill.
As for discount programs from Las Vegas ISPs, Cox offers a low-income internet plan, Connect2Compete, which starts at just $10 per month for speeds up to 100Mbps. Visit the official Cox Connect2Compete page for more information on applying. CenturyLink does not have a similar discounted internet plan, but the provider does participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program, meaning you could get CenturyLink (or Quantum Fiber) home internet for a net cost of $20 per month after the $30 ACP credit.
Cox also offers a decent prepaid internet plan to all customers regardless of economic status or qualifications. The plan comes with speeds up to 100Mbps, starting at $50 per month. No credit check, deposit, modem rental fee or contracts are required.
How fast is Las Vegas broadband?
Average tested internet speeds are on par with the rest of Nevada and the US. If you’d like faster-than-average speeds for your home, Cox, Quantum Fiber and Verizon 5G Home Internet offer download speeds up to 940Mbps or higher.
If you’re looking for high-speed internet in Las Vegas, Cox will probably be your best option. It’s the only provider that offers gig speeds throughout the entire region, and some neighborhoods may be eligible for fiber service, which can deliver equally fast upload speeds.
Quantum Fiber is also a decent choice for gig internet, and it’s less expensive than what you’ll get from Cox, but it has far less coverage than Cox in Las Vegas, available to only around a third of households in the area. And while Verizon 5G covers much of Las Vegas with speeds of 85 to 1,000Mbps, that’s a wide range and not all households will be eligible for the max.
Fastest internet plans in Las Vegas
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data
Contracts and data caps
No major Las Vegas ISP requires a service contract, but you may have to sign a one-year agreement with Cox to get the lowest introductory pricing. The contract is no big deal if you plan on staying in the area and keeping your service for a year or longer. But, if you may move or cancel service before the contract is up, Cox may hit you with a costly early termination fee. For truly contract-free internet service, consider CenturyLink (and Quantum Fiber), Verizon 5G, T-Mobile 5G or Rise Broadband.
Cox is also the only provider with a hard data cap and monthly fees — up to $100 — for going over. Rise Broadband has a data cap of 250GB with select plans, but you can upgrade to unlimited data for an additional $10 per month. CenturyLink and 5G home internet from Verizon or T-Mobile comes with no data cap.
Internet in Las Vegas recap
Cox, Quantum Fiber and Verizon 5G will be your three best bets for high-speed internet in Las Vegas. Cox boasts the greatest coverage in the area and the best plan selection around, but all plans come with a data cap and possibly a one-year contract.
Quantum Fiber doesn’t have contracts or data caps, but plan selection is a bit more limited and service is only available to around a third of Vegas residents.
Verizon’s 5G Home Internet could be a suitable alternative to cable or fiber connections, but 5G technology is still relatively new and the speeds and service quality you experience could vary widely depending on your address. The pricing is fair, however, especially if you qualify for the 50% discount.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Las Vegas
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’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for 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 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.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our How We Test ISPs page.
Internet providers in Las Vegas FAQs
Does Las Vegas have fiber internet?
Is Cox or CenturyLink better?
Can I get free Wi-Fi in Las Vegas?
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