Key takeaways
- Chico has two fiber internet providers, Race Communications and AT&T Fiber, plus Xfinity cable and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. None of the four covers the whole city yet.
- Advertised starting prices for the lowest widely available plan run from about $35 to $50/mo across these four providers, before promotions or any required add-on fees.
- Fiber is the only technology here with symmetrical upload and download speeds. Cable and 5G fixed wireless both have much slower uploads than downloads.
- Race, AT&T Fiber, Xfinity, and T-Mobile Home Internet all currently sell their standard internet plans with no annual contract.
- Coverage changes address by address, sometimes block by block. The fastest way to know what’s actually available at your home is to check it directly, not rely on a general “yes” for Chico as a whole.
Chico has four main home internet options worth comparing: Race Communications fiber internet, AT&T Fiber, Xfinity cable, and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet.
A few fixed wireless and satellite providers also serve addresses outside those networks. This guide lays out real, current pricing and plan details for each, side by side, so you can compare before you choose your ISP.
Disclamer: Every price below is each provider’s currently advertised starting price for new customers, as of August 2026. Prices don’t include optional add-ons, like enhanced Wi-Fi coverage or extra mesh units, unless we say so directly. Current promotions are covered separately, later in this guide, since each provider structures promotional pricing differently. Plans, prices, and fees change over time, so confirm current details directly with each provider before you sign up.
Chico internet providers at a glance
| Feature |
|
Xfinity | AT&T Fiber |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technology | 100% Fiber (FTTH) | Cable (HFC) | Fiber (FTTH) | 5G fixed wireless |
| Symmetrical upload/download | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Fastest plan in Chico | 10 Gbps | 1.2 Gbps | 5 Gbps | ~498 Mbps* |
| Starting price | $34.95/mo + $9.95/mo TechAssure fee (required) | $40/mo | $50/mo | $50/mo |
| No data caps | ✅ None | ✅ None | ✅ None | ✅ None Deprioritized on busy towers |
| No annual contract | ✅ Confirmed | ✅ Confirmed | ✅ Confirmed | ✅ Confirmed |
| Professional installation | Included | Self-install free; pro install is extra (~$100) | Currently waived | Not needed (self-setup) |
| Router / equipment | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Notes: availability varies by address for every provider on this list, including Race. Race’s TechAssure fee is required on every plan. *T-Mobile speed is a typical, address-dependent range reported by T-Mobile, not a guarantee. Details reflect August 2026 advertised terms and are subject to change without notice. | ||||
Chico internet pricing compared
| Plan tier |
|
Xfinity | AT&T Fiber |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | Internet 300, 300 Mbps $34.95/mo + $9.95/mo TechAssure fee (required) | 300 Mbps$40/mo | Internet 300, 300 Mbps$50/mo | Rely, up to ~354 Mbps$50/mo |
| Mid-tier | Internet 500, 500 Mbps $44.95/mo + $9.95/mo TechAssure fee (required) | 500 Mbps$45/mo | Internet 500, 500 Mbps$65/mo | Amplified, up to ~498 Mbps$60/mo |
| Higher-speed | 1 Gig, 1,000 Mbps $49.95/mo + $9.95/mo TechAssure fee (required) | 1 Gig, 1,000 Mbps$50/mo | Internet 1000, 1,000 Mbps$80/mo | All-In, up to ~498 Mbps + mesh Wi-Fi unit$70/mo |
| Top tier | 5 Gig, 5,000 Mbps $89.95/mo + $9.95/mo TechAssure fee (required) | 1.2 Gig, 1,200 Mbps$100/mo | Internet 5000, 5,000 Mbps$125/mo | Not offered |
| Fastest available | 10 Gig, 10,000 Mbps $119.95/mo + $9.95/mo TechAssure fee (required) | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| A note on these prices: these are each provider’s currently advertised starting price for new customers, as of August 2026. AT&T Fiber’s rate assumes autopay and paperless billing, which AT&T requires for this price. Race’s TechAssure fee is required on every plan and shown separately above, matching how it appears on Race’s own pricing disclosure. Figures don’t include optional add-ons (enhanced Wi-Fi coverage, extra mesh units) unless noted. Confirm current pricing directly with each provider before signing up. | ||||
A closer look at each provider
Race Communications
Race is a California-based, 100% fiber internet provider. In Chico, Race offers five speed tiers, from 300 Mbps up to a 10 Gig plan that’s the fastest of any provider in this comparison. Because it’s fiber, upload speeds match download speeds, which matters for video calls, cloud backups, and uploading large files. Installation and the router are included, and there’s no annual contract on any plan. Every plan also includes a required $9.95/mo TechAssure fee on top of the advertised price.
Race’s fiber network in Chico is still growing and doesn’t reach the whole city yet. Coverage is concentrated for now in central and north Chico, including neighborhoods around Chico State, downtown, and the Nord Avenue and East Avenue corridors. Race also offers optional add-ons, like mesh Wi-Fi extenders, for an extra monthly fee if you want them.
AT&T Fiber
AT&T Fiber is also a true fiber-optic network, with symmetrical upload and download speeds and no data caps, topping out at 5 Gig in Chico. AT&T’s advertised pricing can look confusing at first because of how it’s structured: new customers get a discounted rate for the first 12 months, deeper if they also have an eligible AT&T wireless line, and the rate rises after that. The standard, non-promotional rate with autopay is what we’ve used for comparison above.
Installation is currently free, and the Wi-Fi gateway is included at no extra monthly charge (AT&T also sells an optional upgraded Wi-Fi add-on for households that want it). Like Race, AT&T Fiber’s network doesn’t reach every Chico address. AT&T’s own data submitted to the FCC shows its fiber network covering only a portion of locations in the areas we checked, roughly 15% of mapped units, so an address check is the only way to know for sure at your specific home.
Xfinity
Xfinity is Chico’s cable internet option, running over the same coaxial network as cable TV. Cable speeds aren’t symmetrical: uploads are noticeably slower than downloads, even on faster plans. Xfinity’s current 5-Year Price Guarantee plans lock in your monthly rate for five years with no annual contract, and include unlimited data and the Wi-Fi gateway at no extra cost, a shift from Xfinity’s older plans, which carried a 1.2 TB monthly data cap.
Cable has historically reached more of Chico than either fiber network, since it was built out well before fiber arrived, though this guide can’t confirm exact citywide coverage today. Self-installation is included free; professional installation costs extra, around $100.
T-Mobile Home Internet
T-Mobile Home Internet delivers internet over T-Mobile’s 5G cellular network instead of a wired connection, using a gateway that plugs in and works within minutes, no technician visit required. That convenience comes with a tradeoff: speeds vary by location and can slow down when a nearby tower is busy, and T-Mobile itself describes its speed figures as typical ranges rather than guarantees.
There’s no annual contract, no data caps (though T-Mobile can deprioritize traffic during network congestion), and no equipment fees. Pricing runs $50 to $70/mo depending on tier, or lower if bundled with an eligible T-Mobile phone line. It’s a reasonable option for renters or anyone who wants a fast, simple setup, especially outside Race’s and AT&T’s fiber footprints.
Current promotions (as of August 2026)
Alongside their standard rates, most Chico ISPs also run limited-time promotions that can change the price you’d actually pay at signup. Here’s what each provider is currently advertising. These change often, so confirm exact terms before you order.
Race Communications: new residential customers get three months free. The exact schedule is detailed in the offer’s terms at signup.
AT&T Fiber: a discounted rate for new customers for the first 12 months, built from up to three stacked discounts: a new-customer discount, a deeper discount for customers who also have an eligible AT&T wireless line, and a discount for autopay and paperless billing. On the Internet 1000 and Internet 5000 plans, AT&T is also offering a $200 reward card for online orders.
Xfinity and T-Mobile Home Internet: both providers periodically run their own signup incentives, like Xfinity Mobile line credits or T-Mobile device and bundle offers. Check each provider’s site directly for what’s currently available at your address, since these shift often and can vary by market.
What if fiber, cable, or 5G home internet isn’t available at my address?
If Race, AT&T Fiber, Xfinity, and T-Mobile Home Internet all come back unavailable at your address, usually in more rural parts of Butte County just outside Chico proper, a few other options are worth knowing about.
DigitalPath is a fixed wireless internet provider headquartered right in Chico, serving rural and hard-to-reach addresses across Northern and Central California, including Butte County. It’s worth checking if you’re just outside the fiber or cable footprint.
Viasat and HughesNet are satellite internet providers that can reach nearly any address, including the most rural parts of Butte County. Typical download speeds run roughly 25 to 150 Mbps depending on the provider and plan, well behind fiber, cable, or 5G home internet. Satellite internet also has much higher latency than the other options here, which makes it a poor fit for video calls or online gaming, and most plans still involve some form of data allotment or slower “deprioritized” speeds after a monthly threshold.
Starlink, SpaceX’s low-earth-orbit satellite service, is also available in the Chico area and has lower latency than traditional satellite. It’s worth a look if nothing else covers your address, though reported experiences with speed and reliability vary.
How to check what’s actually available at your address
Every map in this guide, including the ones we used to write it, shows general coverage areas, not a guarantee for any specific home. The only way to know for certain what’s available at your address is to check it directly.
Is Race Communications available at your Chico home?
If Race’s 100% fiber internet network reaches your home, you could get speeds up to 10 Gbps, no data caps, and no annual contract, plus three months free for new customers. Checking your address takes about a minute.
Check availability Prefer to talk it through? Call 877.722.3833.FAQ
Chico’s main options are Race Communications fiber internet, AT&T Fiber, Xfinity cable, and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. DigitalPath fixed wireless, Viasat, and HughesNet satellite internet also serve parts of the area, especially outside the fiber and cable footprints. None of these providers covers every address in Chico, so availability depends on where you live.
Race Communications offers a 10 Gig fiber plan, the fastest of any provider compared in this guide. AT&T Fiber’s fastest plan tops out at 5 Gig. Both are fiber, so speeds are symmetrical, meaning uploads are just as fast as downloads.
At advertised starting prices, Race Communications has the lowest entry-level rate among Chico’s four main providers, at $34.95/mo for 300 Mbps fiber internet (plus a required $9.95/mo TechAssure fee on every Race plan). Xfinity’s entry-level rate is $40/mo, and AT&T Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet both start around $50/mo. Promotional pricing, and any required fees, can change this comparison, so it’s worth checking full pricing directly with each provider.
No. Race Communications and AT&T Fiber both offer fiber internet in Chico, but each network only reaches part of the city so far. Coverage can differ from one block to the next, so the only reliable way to know if fiber reaches your address is to check it directly with each provider.
Fiber internet, like Race and AT&T Fiber, uses light signals over fiber-optic cable and delivers symmetrical speeds, meaning uploads match downloads. Cable internet, like Xfinity, uses the same coaxial cable technology as cable TV, and typically has much slower upload speeds than download speeds, even at similar advertised download speeds.
The most accurate way is to enter your exact address on each provider’s own website, since coverage maps, including third-party comparison sites, aren’t always current. Checking availability with Race takes about a minute, and it’s worth doing the same on AT&T’s, Xfinity’s, and T-Mobile’s sites if you want the full picture before deciding.