How To Get Fast Internet Without Cable Or Phone Line

Editor’s Note: This story is from CableTV.com.

Wondering how to get wireless internet without a cable or phone line? Are you not allowed to use the cable line in your house or your closet?

Look no further.

We’ve rounded up the best local internet providers that offer internet-only plans, and our experienced editors have set them up to our strict standards.

Can you connect to the Internet without cable?

Yes, and fiber-optic Internet is your best bet.

Fiber Internet is faster and more reliable than cable or DSL Internet, and you won’t have to worry about problems like frequent outages or unexpected service. Also, fiber is the only type of internet that supports equal download and upload speeds. Its one drawback, however, is spot coverage – your neighbor may qualify for fiber, but you may not.

We recommend Google Fiber as our best overall fiber internet choice, followed by Verizon Fios for its speed, Quantum Fiber for its high customer satisfaction, and AT&T for its flexibility.

All four of these providers received high scores in our annual customer satisfaction survey, and if you can find them in your area, we recommend you snag them.

If you’re lucky enough to have more than one fiber provider in your area, we think Google Fiber is the best. But you can’t go wrong with any of them for reliability and excellent performance (and no cable or phone lines required).

What is the cheapest way to get Wi-Fi and wireless Internet service in your home?

We say wireless internet is the best option.

Many US cities have fixed wireless transmitters. Think of them as little cell towers beaming Wi-Fi signals in all directions.

Some transmitters are internet service providers that you may not see, but the signals are even better than 4G – as long as you are in direct line of sight, there are no mountains or tall buildings between you and the transmitter.

IT-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T have introduced fixed wireless services that use their 5G networks to bring Internet service to your home.

Our favorite of the bunch is T-Mobile 5G Home Internet ($35-$70/month, download speeds 170-498 Mbps), which we ranked as the best value ISP.

Even with uneven download and upload speeds and a large number of outages compared to fiber providers, we think T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is still the best deal.

And even though 5G Home Internet uses mobile data networks, you don’t need a phone line.

Cable Internet without cable TV can include good speed at a low price

Apply! Aren’t we trying to avoid the ic-word? Yes. But there is cable TV, and then there is cable internet service.

Cable Internet is a strong option because it is faster and more reliable than DSL or satellite and is available without a phone connection or cable TV service.

When it comes to cable internet, we recommend our top providers: Astound Broadband for its fast speeds and Spectrum for its flexible no-contract plans.

Be aware, however, that many cable providers (including Spectrum) have steep price increases after a year. That’s one of the many reasons why cable ISPs fall on customer satisfaction survey lists, while fiber providers (generally without price gouging or tricky fees) top the charts.

DSL Internet will get the job done if it’s your only option

DSL (digital subscriber line) connections are slower and less reliable than fiber, fixed wireless, and cable Internet, but they are widely available. You don’t need a landline with DSL Internet phone service, but you will need to use a home phone jack.

If DSL is the only option in your area, be sure to check what download speeds your potential provider offers to your home – most DSL plans top out at 100 Mbps, but some rural areas can’t get more than 10 Mbps.

It’s hard to recommend DSL plans because of their less-than-impressive speeds and reliability, but CenturyLink’s Simply Unlimited Internet plans and Windstream’s Kinetic Internet will do just fine.

Both providers’ DSL plans start at $50–$55 per month and come with unlimited data, which we can’t answer.

Satellite Internet is a last resort

Satellite Internet is the slowest and least reliable Internet service, but it may be the only option for people living in rural areas.

There have been two major satellite Internet providers in the past: Hughesnet and Viasat. Hughesnet tends to be cheaper, but Viasat offers a plan with speeds up to 150 Mbps.

Recently, Starlink entered the competition and has high marks in our customer survey to boot. Starlink has speeds of up to 220 Mbps, which is impressive, but spotty availability and high prices are its downsides.

Check out our guide to the best satellite internet providers for more information.

Why should you trust us

To find the best wireless Internet providers, we spent thousands of hours analyzing each ISP’s plans based on factors including price, reliability, and features like free devices. We also relied on our review database to determine which internet provider offers the best free internet service.

We also used feedback from our annual Internet customer satisfaction survey to find out how current customers feel about their ISPs. Not only that but we did a full test of our home internet to compile our ratings of the selected providers.

For more information about our approach, see our How We Work page.