Best Internet Providers in Chattanooga, Tennessee

What is the best internet provider in Chattanooga?

EPB is the best internet provider overall for most households in Chattanooga because of wide availability, simple plan terms and blazing-fast speeds. That being said, Xfinity or AT&T Fiber are also solid picks, depending on what’s available in your area. 

We've also found the top options if you're hunting for the lowest prices or the fastest speeds. The cheapest internet in Chattanooga is Xfinity's offering of 300 megabits per second for $35 a month. The fastest available internet speed in Chattanooga comes from hometown hero EPB, with speeds up to 25 gigabits per second. That's 25,000Mbps. No, that's not a typo. 

Best internet in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Chattanooga

• AT&T Internet: AT&T’s legacy DSL network is available across much of Chattanooga, but don’t be tempted unless you can’t get a faster connection. There’s one plan for $55 per month for whatever speed is available at your address, up to 100Mbps. It could be much slower, depending on your location. There are no equipment fees or contracts, but some speed tiers come with a 1.5TB data cap.

• Satellite internet: If you live in Chattanooga, you’ll likely pick a wired broadband option over a satellite provider like Starlink, Viasat or HughesNet. However, rural residents with few options may need to check into satellite as one of the only ways to get online. Speeds can be variable and prices high, so check into wired options first.

Cheap internet options in Chattanooga

EPB may dominate the local broadband scene, but it’s not the cheapest provider around. That honor goes to Xfinity’s $20-per-month 75Mbps plan. There are some compromises with that plan. The pricing is only good for a year, and equipment is not included, so you’ll need to bring your own gear or rent a gateway for $15 monthly.

Another way to save on Chattanooga internet is to sign up with Verizon or T-Mobile’s 5G home internet service and bundle an eligible phone plan. That can lower your Verizon home internet price to as low as $35 per month or your T-Mobile home plan to as low as $30 monthly. Even if you’re shopping for bargains, keep value in mind. Heavy internet users may be better off with a $55-$60 per month 300Mbps fiber plan from EPB or AT&T for equally fast uploads and downloads. 

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

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How to find internet deals and promotions in Chattanooga

The best internet deals and top promotions in Chattanooga depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we frequently look for the latest offers. 

Chattanooga internet providers, such as Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including EPB, T-Mobile Home Internet and AT&T Fiber, tend to run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide on the best internet deals. 

How fast is Chattanooga broadband?

Chattanooga has adopted the unofficial nickname “Gig City” for its city-wide fiber network. Recent Ookla speed test data shows Chattanooga logging a median fixed internet download speed of 241Mbps, with EPB as the fastest provider. That tops Tennessee’s overall median download speed of nearly 225Mbps. EPB offers some of the fastest residential broadband in the nation, but not everyone needs 25,000Mbps service. Most residents will do just fine at the 300Mbps or gig levels, which have the bonus of being much more affordable. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

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 Chattanooga

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. So what's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data 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.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Chattanooga

The final word on Chattanooga internet providers is best expressed by three letters: EPB. EPB’s city-wide fiber network has face-melting speeds and affordable options for people who don’t need 25-gig or 10-gig plans. If budget is a big factor, then you might consider bargain-priced plans from Xfinity starting at $20 per month, but you won’t get the symmetrical speeds of EPB fiber. AT&T Fiber is a decent competitor but isn’t as widely available as EPB. As long as you live in Gig City, you might as well get your gigs from fiber.

Internet providers in Chattanooga FAQs