Best Internet Providers in Boulder, Colorado

I grew up just north of Boulder, Colorado, so I may be biased, but I consider it one of the country's most unique and beautiful cities. Boulder has much to offer, from its exciting college football team, the Colorado Buffaloes, to its gorgeous trails and mountains. Beyond the sights and sports, it also stands out for the speed of its internet connections relative to the rest of the state.

Boulder residents can expect median download speeds of approximately 319 megabits per second, according to Ookla Speedtest data -- just a tick above the Colorado statewide median of 316Mbps and the national median of 291Mbps. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Not too shabby.

If you live in Boulder (or plan to move there), you have a few options, but the two most widely available internet service providers are Xfinity and CenturyLink. Our pick for the best overall internet service provider in Boulder is Xfinitybecause of its extensive coverage across the city and wide selection of plans. Other options include CenturyLink, which is widely available but limited to slower DSL plans, along with fiber from Quantum Fiber and 5G home internet from T-Mobile -- and to a lesser extent, Verizon.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Though we think Xfinity, Quantum Fiber and T-Mobile are the best providers in the area, Boulder has other ISP options to consider.

The average starting price for internet in Boulder is just under $42 per month -- less expensive than the national average but just a few dollars more per month than its bigger sibling to the south, Denver, which comes in at $39. 

The cheapest internet plan in Boulder is Rise Broadband's 25Mbps or 50Mbps plan for $35 per month. There are plenty of caveats, however. That promotional price lasts for only one year and these speeds are pretty low if you plan to have heavy internet usage.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, which starts at $40 monthly, drops to $35 per month when you bundle an eligible cellphone plan, such as Go5G Plus and Magenta Max.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Per the FCC, all Boulder households have access to broadband internet speeds of 250Mbps down and 25Mbps upload and 94% have access to 1,000Mbps down and 100Mbps upload.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

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? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov. 

This guide leverages an in-house artificial intelligence tool called RAMP, which is trained on our own writing and uses our database to generate content about specific internet service providers that our writers can use in determining and presenting our picks for a given guide. Check CNET’s AI policy for more information about how our teams use (and don’t use) AI tools.

Because our database isn't exhaustive, we go to the FCC’s website to check the primary data for ourselves and make sure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we input local addresses on provider websites to find the specific options available to 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 our prepublication fact-check.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions: 

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.

Xfinity covers nearly every address in the city and features the widest array of plan choices of any provider in the area. That’s why it gets our nod for the best ISP in the city. However, Boulder households have other viable options, including fiber plans from Quantum Fiber and a fixed wireless connection from T-Mobile Home Internet.

Which is the best internet service provider in Boulder?

CNET's pick for the best ISP in Boulder is Xfinity. It covers almost the whole area, gives customers a wide variety of plans from which to pick and also features the fastest download speed in the city. Quantum Fiber offers only three plans, but its strength is it's the only provider in the area offering symmetrical download and upload speeds. 

Is fiber internet available in Boulder? 

Yes. Quantum Fiber offers three plans: the lowest at 500Mbps for $50 per month and the highest at 2,000Mbps for $95 monthly. 

Which is the cheapest internet provider in Boulder? 

The provider with the cheapest plan in Boulder is Rise Broadband, whose 20 and 50Mbps start at $35 per month. However, that plan isn't very fast for households with heavy internet use. You would be better off going with Quantum Fiber's 500Mbps plan for $50 per month, including equipment rental. That may not be the cheaper plan on sticker price, but it’s a far better value. 

Which Boulder internet provider offers the fastest plan? 

Xfinity offers the fastest plan in Boulder with its 2,100Mbps plan. However, many addresses max out at 1,300Mbps through Xfinity, so the fastest option available will depend on where you live. Quantum Fiber offers a 2-gig plan for $95 per month, which is a close second and may be available at addresses that can't access Xfinity's fastest speeds.