Internet speed: 19.7 Mbps downlink; 12.8 Mbps uplink

Population: 2.25 million

Internet coverage: 95% of residents

Main Internet services: DSL, Cable, Fiber

Main ISPs: Xfinity, Comcast, AT&T, enTouch

Colocation Datacenters: CyrusOne, Quasar Datacenters, Digital Realty

Web Hosting Companies: Wirecities, Nuesion, M6, Gnutransfer

According to Akamai.com, the average Internet downlink speed in Houston is 19.7 Mbps and the average uplink speed is 12.8 Mbps.

In 2016, the population of Houston was approximately 2.25 million. More than 95% of residents have access to the Internet, especially broadband access.

The main types of Internet services in Houston are as follows:

– DSL – 87.8% coverage
– Cable – 87.5% coverage
– Fiber – less than 10% coverage

These services are provided by the following ISPs:

– Xfinity – Cable (90% availability)
– Comcast – Cable (87% availability)
– AT&T – DSL (85% availability)
– enTouch – Fiber (less than 10% availability)

AT&T is one of the few companies which provide gigabit Internet services locally. In 2014, they made a public announcement regarding the possibility of introducing gigabit services to Houston residents, but no concrete details were released in this matter. This plan was materialized in early 2016 when AT&T confirmed that Houston residents would be able to access gigabit Internet – for a very high cost nevertheless (over $120 per month). The first telecom company to ever provide gigabit Internet in Houston is enTouch, but it caters to businesses mainly. Other companies such as Comcast have shown interest in introducing gigabit Internet locally, but concrete plans have yet to be released.

According to datacentermap.com, there are currently 39 colocation datacenters located in Houston. Major colocation providers include the following:

– CyrusOne Datacenters
– Quasar Datacenters
– Digital Realty
– Carrier-4 Datacenters, LLC.

Digital Realty is one of the biggest colocation providers located in Houston. They own a 400,000-square-foot carrier-neutral facility which has access to over 1000 provider networks, multiple Internet exchanges and service delivery networks, as well as Open-IX peering. It is located 17 miles away from downtown Houston and is in close proximity of two major airports.

Another major colocation provider located in Houston is CyrusOne, which currently operates a 450,000-square-foot carrier-neutral facility, part of CyrusOne National Internet Exchange. The facility has unconditioned access to redundant utility power feeds, and access to one of the fastest and most reliable telecommunications networks in the region. It can accommodate up to 96MW of critical capacity, has multiple levels of redundancy available within the same footprint (i.e. N, 2N, N+1, 2N+1), 2.25 MW dedicated diesel generators.

The colocation datacenter market in Houston experiences a sudden boom in popularity, as opposed to the past five years when the situation wasn’t as bright as it is today.

Demand for colocation is driven primarily by the energy sector, as technology and data-intensive applications support drilling and exploration efforts dramatically. Interest is also growing in the healthcare sector, albeit slowly.

Houston currently benefits from the presence of more than 20 fiber providers, many of which have both long haul and metro lines serving the city. The current incumbent ISP, AT&T, has a direct line from Houston to Dallas. This has encouraged many companies, such as Data Foundry, Cyrus One, and Skybox Data Centers, to build facilities locally. Most users realize that the Houston area is particularly problematic due to the frequent occurrence of hurricanes and flooding risks. In order to counteract this concern, providers build in areas out of the flood impact areas, and design the facilities so that they can withstand any harsh climatic conditions.

Some of the biggest web hosting providers located in Houston are the following:

– Wirecities
– Nuesion
– M6
– Gnutransfer
– Extreme-Hosting

One of the biggest web hosting companies located in Houston is Gnutransfer. They operate a 160,000-square-foot carrier-neutral datacenter, which has access to over 100 networks through multiple Tier 1 and Tier 2 providers such as Internap, Savvis, Global Crossing, etc. The facility houses over 40 bandwidth providers.

In general, the web hosting industry in Houston is well developed and boasts a healthy and competitive market. All the companies that we have reviewed provide core hosting services, such as Shared, VPS or Dedicated Hosting, for affordable prices. If you wish to be hosted overseas, most companies give you location choices ranging from Europe, Asia to Australia, but the prices are higher. Additional services include: website builders, antispam solutions, DDoS protection, for free or for a nominal fee.