At a Glance
- AT&T Fiber reaches roughly 86% of Los Angeles, per FCC data
- $30/month Starry 200 plan is the cheapest widely available option
- Sonic advertises 10,000 Mbps for $50/month but coverage is tiny
- Why it matters: Fast, affordable service is available in most neighborhoods if you know where to look
Los Angeles residents have a crowded field of broadband choices, but one provider stands out in News Of Losangeles‘s latest market review. AT&T Fiber combines city-wide reach, no-contract plans and free equipment, making it the top pick for most households.
Fiber vs. cable vs. fixed wireless
Fiber lines deliver symmetrical upload and download speeds and the highest reliability. AT&T’s footprint covers about 86% of the city, with plans from $45 to $155 per month for 100 to 5,000 Mbps. Frontier Fiber reaches only 11% of addresses yet offers six tiers, climbing to 7,000 Mbps for $110 in year one.
Cable still dominates overall. Spectrum serves most blocks with three price tiers: $30, $50 or $70 monthly for 100, 500 or 1,000 Mbps downloads. Uploads top out at 35 Mbps. Cox Communications is limited to the Palos Verdes Peninsula, selling 300 Mbps to 2,000 Mbps for $40 to $100 plus an optional $15 modem fee.
Fixed-wireless choices fill gaps. Starry beams 200-500 Mbps for $30-$55 with no data cap. T-Mobile and Verizon 5G Home Internet rely on cellular networks; average downloads sit between 133-250 Mbps and prices hover around $50-$75, discounted for mobile customers.
Cheapest plans you can actually get
Sticker prices can mislead. The review finds the true lowest-cost options available today:
| Provider | First-year price | Speed | Equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starry 200 | $30 | 200 Mbps | none |
| Spectrum Advantage | $30 | 100 Mbps | optional $10 router |
| Frontier 200 | $40 | 200 Mbps | none |
| Cox 300 | $40 | 300 Mbps | optional $15 |
Promotional rates rise after 12 months on several plans. Frontier’s 500 Mbps jumps from $30 to $55; its gigabit plan moves from $50 to $75. Cox’s 2-gig promo price climbs from $100 to $169 after a year.
Speed leaders and where to find them
Sonic advertises 10,000 Mbps symmetrical for $50-the fastest residential tier on paper-but availability is scarce outside pockets of Beverly Hills, Glendale, Inglewood, Pasadena and West Hollywood. Most Sonic connections in L.A. remain older DSL lines that lease AT&T fiber where possible.
Among widely available services, AT&T Fiber 5000 and Frontier’s 7-gig tier deliver the top consistent speeds. All fiber plans omit data caps. Cable alternatives still impose limits: Cox enforces a 1.25 TB monthly cap on every plan, while Spectrum and the fixed-wireless carriers do not cap usage.
Intro deals vs. long-term cost
Deals rotate quickly. Spectrum and Cox run limited-time promos that shave $10-$20 off monthly bills or bundle streaming vouchers. AT&T, Frontier and Verizon maintain standard pricing year-round, so published rates stay stable.
The average starting price city-wide is about $42 per month. Shoppers should weigh installation fees, router rentals and post-promo increases against headline numbers. Equipment is free with AT&T Fiber, Starry and the 5G home services, while Cox and Spectrum charge for optional Wi-Fi hardware.
What speed do you really need?
The FCC offers baseline guidance households can use as a starting point:
- 0-5 Mbps – email, web, low-quality video
- 5-40 Mbps – HD streaming, Zoom calls
- 40-100 Mbps – remote work, gaming for one user
- 100-500 Mbps – two simultaneous heavy users
- 500-1,000 Mbps – three or more heavy users
Most Angelenos will land between 200-500 Mbps for comfortable multi-device use.
How News Of Losangeles picked the winners
Amanda S. Bennett compared current pricing, availability maps and FCC coverage data. Staff verified addresses on every provider website and cross-checked American Customer Satisfaction Index scores and J.D. Power ratings. Final selections favored services that balance speed, value and customer satisfaction while keeping fees transparent.
Key takeaways
- AT&T Fiber leads on reach, price consistency and no-contract freedom
- Spectrum cable covers almost every block and starts at $30
- Starry’s $30 plan is the least expensive fiber-grade option
- Sonic’s $50 multi-gig tier wins on speed but only in scattered buildings
- Fiber penetration county-wide sits at 31%, so cable remains common for now
Fiber roll-outs from AT&T and Frontier are expanding, which should lift average speeds in coming years. Until then, residents can lock in reliable service by matching advertised speeds to actual household needs and double-checking post-promo pricing before signing up.
