Best Internet Providers in Topeka, Kansas

CNET recommends AT&T Fiber as the best internet provider in Topeka, Kansas. It offers fast, symmetrical upload and download speeds. This is a capability unmatched by competitors like Cox or T-Mobile Home Internet and the standout performance has also earned AT&T Fiber recognition as the top internet provider nationwide.

To determine the best internet service in Topeka, CNET evaluated speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value, drawing from a proprietary database built through years of research. This data was cross-checked with provider details, local availability and terms and conditions. When necessary, our team verified details directly with ISPs to ensure accuracy.

To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.

Top internet providers in Topeka

Topeka residents have several good options for internet in the area. Fiber connections from AT&T are available to about half of the city, while nearly everyone has access to Cox’s cable internet. According to FCC data, an impressive 99.9% of residents have access to 250Mbps download and 25Mbps upload speeds — well above the 87% figure for the country as a whole. 

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

What other internet options are there in Topeka?

There are a few other internet providers with service in Topeka, but they all come with significant drawbacks:

• KwiKom: KwiKom offers fixed wireless internet to 19% of Topeka, but you’ll pay a lot for slower speeds. Plans start at $55 per month for download speeds of 10Mbps — AT&T Fiber offers 300Mbps for the same price — and go up to $105 for 60Mbps. We recommend only going with KwiKom if your other options are satellite or a slower DSL plan. 
• Mercury Broadband: Mercury Broadband also offers fixed wireless internet in Topeka, but its plans are much more appealing than KwiKom’s. You can get 30Mbps for $50 a month, 75Mbps for $65 or 150Mbps for $99. That can’t compete with wired connections like AT&T Fiber and Cox, but it’s still a significant step up from satellite or DSL.
• Satellite internet: It can be accessed almost anywhere in the country, but it’s slow and expensive. HughesNet and Viasat are the traditional satellite options; both come with two-year contracts, slow speeds, low data caps and high latency. Starlink from SpaceX delivers faster speeds and lower latency for $120 a month.

Pricing info on Topeka home internet service

Internet prices in Topeka are on the high side. No plans are available for less than $50 per month (unless you bundle T-Mobile Home Internet with an eligible cellphone plan). On average, the starting price for internet in Topeka is $52 per month — higher than Tulsa ($49) but lower than Kansas City ($53) and Wichita ($54). 

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

How fast is Topeka broadband?

According to Ookla and FCC data, 45% of Topeka residents have access to gig speeds — over 1,000Mbps download — and 99.9% can get at least 250Mbps. That’s well above the national average of 33% for gig speeds and 87% for 250Mbps. In Topeka, AT&T Fiber and Cox offer gig speed plans, with AT&T going up to 5,000Mbps in some parts of the city. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

What’s the final word on internet providers in Topeka?

There’s a clear No. 1 when it comes to internet in Topeka: AT&T Fiber offers the best combination of fast speeds and affordable prices. If you can’t get AT&T Fiber at your address, Cox and T-Mobile Home Internet are both worthy backups, but they both come with some significant drawbacks. Cox has complicated pricing and data caps on most plans, while T-Mobile’s speeds are more unpredictable and could slow down during peak hours. 

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Topeka

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 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. 

Because our database is not 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. 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 our pre-publication fact-check.

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

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? 
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying? 
3. 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, you can visit our How we test ISPs page.

Topeka internet FAQs