CenturyLink – Best rural internet provider overall
- Prices from $30 – $70 per month
- Speeds from 200 – 940Mbps
- Unlimited data
Kinetic by Windstream – Another solid choice for rural internet
- Prices from $40 – $70 per month
- Speeds from 100 – 1,000Mbps
- Unlimited data
Mediacom – Best for cable internet in rural areas
- Prices from $20 – $60 per month
- Speeds from 100 – 1,000Mbps
- Low introductory rates
Rise Broadband – Best rural fixed wireless ISP
- Prices from $25 – $65 per month
- Speeds from 25 – 50Mbps
- Unlimited data on some plans
Ziply Fiber – Fastest rural internet provider
- Prices from $20 – $300 per month
- Speeds from 50 – 10,000Mbps
- Unlimited data
T-Mobile – Best rural 5G home internet provider
- Prices from $50 per month
- Speeds from 33 – 182Mbps
- Unlimited data
Viasat – Fastest satellite internet provider
- Prices from $70 – $300 per month
- Speeds from 12 – 150Mbps
- Nationwide availability
HughesNet – Best satellite internet value
- Prices from $50 – $150 per month
- Speeds from 25Mbps
- Nationwide availability
In this article:
Living in a rural area has its advantages, but it may also come with a lack of quality broadband options. A wired connection, like the one you get with CenturyLink, our pick for best rural internet provider overall, will often be your best option, if available. Other wired rural ISPs such as Kinetic by Windstream, Mediacom and Ziply Fiber are great choices for a high-speed, low-cost broadband connection as well.
In areas without access to fiber, cable or phone lines, a wireless internet service, such as fixed wireless internet from Rise Broadband or 5G home internet from T-Mobile may be your best options. Then, of course, there’s always satellite internet from HughesNet or Viasat if no other more practical broadband services are available in your area.
Shopping for a faster internet speed?
So which rural internet provider is best for your home? Here are my picks for the best providers that are most likely to be available in rural areas, all of which were chosen based on factors including coverage, speeds, pricing, data caps and customer satisfaction. Other than listing my top two picks for rural internet service providers first, providers are listed in no particular order.
Best rural internet providers
CenturyLink
Best rural internet provider overall
Product details
Price range $30 – $70 per month Speed range 200 – 940Mbps Connection Fiber Highlights Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included with gigabit tier
Aside from satellite internet providers and T-Mobile, CenturyLink has arguably the greatest coverage area of any ISP, largely spanning suburban and rural areas across 36 states coast to coast. Most of that coverage comes from its DSL network, which means many rural residents within CenturyLink service areas will likely only be eligible for DSL service.
The good news is that many DSL customers will be able to get broadband speeds or higher — that’s download speeds up to 25Mbps and upload speeds of 3Mbps — while some may be eligible for max download speeds of 100Mbps or higher. So in short, CenturyLink can meet or beat the internet speeds of satellite internet in most service areas, and service comes with a lower starting price ($50 per month), unlimited data and no contracts.
If CenturyLink’s fiber service, Quantum Fiber, is available in your area, consider yourself lucky. Quantum Fiber comes with two plan options: 200Mbps starting at $30 per month or gig service starting at $70 per month. Either plan is a massive upgrade from satellite, DSL or other rural internet connection types, so I’d recommend deciding which speed you need and going with CenturyLink’s fiber service if it happens to be available.
Kinetic by Windstream
Another solid choice for rural internet
Product details
Price range $40 – $70 per month Speed range 100 – 1,000Mbps Connection Fiber Highlights Unlimited data, no contracts
Kinetic by Windstream also received a 6.7/10 in our review, but falls short of CenturyLink in total coverage area. That said, it’s an excellent choice for rural internet as the provider has some of the fastest DSL speeds and one of the greatest fiber network percentages of any rural ISP.
Kinetic offers internet service in 18 states total across the Midwest, South and Eastern US. Though available primarily in rural and suburban areas, nearly a third of Windstream’s network uses fiber technology. Where fiber service is available, Kinetic customers can get download and upload speeds ranging from 25 up to 1,000Mbps. These speeds make Kinetic ideal for streaming over wireless connections and online gaming, activities that are often a challenge with rural internet service.
Service areas not eligible for fiber will have to settle for DSL, but Kinetic’s DSL network is better than most. The majority of serviceable households will have access to broadband speeds or higher, while roughly two-thirds can get download speeds up to or higher than 100Mbps.
Regardless of the available network, Kinetic is a great choice for unlimited rural internet service, as all plans come with no data caps or contracts.
Mediacom
Best for cable internet in rural areas
Product details
Price range $20 – $60 per month Speed range 100 – 1,000Mbps Connection Cable Highlights Low introductory rates, up to 6TB monthly data allowance, no contracts
As a cable provider, Mediacom can deliver much faster and more reliable speeds than DSL, satellite or fixed wireless service, but its service reach is more limited. Mediacom is available to just over 2% of US residents with service areas across much of the Midwest and South, as well as parts of California and Delaware.
Still, Mediacom is one of the best cheap internet providers for rural areas with service starting at just $20 a month. Just know that the cheapest Mediacom plan only comes with 200GB of data, and going over the limit can add up to $50 to your bill. More data is available with higher-tiered plans, up to 6 terabytes, but no Mediacom plan offers unlimited rural internet service.
Pricing goes up on all Mediacom plans after the first year and settles somewhere around the industry average for cable internet providers. Still, starting prices of $20-$80 per month aren’t bad, especially for a rural internet connection.
Rise Broadband
Best rural fixed wireless ISP
Product details
Price range $25 – $65 per month Speed range 25 – 50Mbps Connection Fixed wireless Highlights Unlimited data on some plans, low price increase
Rise Broadband is a leading fixed wireless internet provider with service available to around 6% of US households, many of which are in rural areas. Coverage spans 16 states with Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Texas and Utah having the greatest serviceability.
Similar to satellite internet, fixed wireless service from Rise Broadband requires no direct wires to the home, making it accessible to those in rural areas where cable, fiber-optic and even telephone lines do not reach. Where available, Rise Broadband would be my choice over satellite internet, as the provider offers speeds up to 50Mbps, latency low enough to support online gaming, and truly unlimited data options, all for a relatively low price compared to satellite.
Rise Broadband is also a great choice for Wi-Fi in rural areas with Premium Wi-Fi and Premium Mesh Wi-Fi service available as add-ons to all internet plans.
Ziply Fiber
Fastest rural internet provider
Product details
Price range $20 – $300 per month Speed range 50 – 10,000Mbps Connection Fiber Highlights Unlimited data, no contracts, fast rural internet connection
You read that speed range correctly: Ziply Fiber offers multigigabit internet speeds with 2Gbps, 5Gbps and now 10Gbps plans available in select — and rural — areas throughout the Northwest.
The fastest Ziply plan may be more speed than you need, and more than you want to pay at $300 per month, but other Ziply plans present a bit more affordability without having to sacrifice too much speed. Ziply’s entry level plan, for example, starts at just $20 per month for symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 50Mbps. There’s also a 200Mbps speed tier starting at $40 per month. All plans come with unlimited data and no contract requirements.
Ziply has an impressive fiber network, but only about half of Ziply service areas are eligible for fiber service, according to the FCC. All others will rely on a DSL network which, like most DSL services, presents one plan option for the fastest speeds available. In the case of Ziply Internet, the DSL service, that plan starts at $50 per month for speeds up to 115Mbps. Again, that’s the fastest possible speed. Many customers may only be eligible for speeds that are much slower.
T-Mobile
Best rural 5G home internet provider
Product details
Price range $50 per month ($30 for eligible T-Mobile Magenta Max customers) Speed range 33 – 182Mbps Connection Fixed wireless Highlights Unlimited data, equipment included, no contracts, no additional fees
The arrival of 5G is exciting news for your phone, but the technology could also improve home internet connectivity, especially if you’re in a rural area. So far, T-Mobile has the greatest 5G availability with coverage reaching 30 million homes across 40 states. Around a third of those homes are in rural areas, according to T-Mobile.
If your address is eligible for T-Mobile 5G home internet, you’ll have one plan option: $50 a month for the fastest speeds available. The plan also comes with no data caps or contracts, and equipment is included at no additional cost
Actual speeds will vary by address, but will probably fall between 33-182Mbps. I can’t say those speeds are particularly impressive, but they are faster than you can expect from satellite service, without the hassle of data caps and contracts. Another thing of note on speeds, T-Mobile home internet service may occasionally fall back to 4G LTE service, which means speeds can further dip and vary.
Viasat
Fastest satellite internet provider
Product details
Price range $70 – $300 per month Speed range 12 – 150Mbps Connection Satellite Highlights Nationwide availability, no hard data cap
Slow speed is one of the biggest downsides to satellite internet, but in many areas, Viasat‘s speeds are higher than those of its main satellite internet rival, HughesNet. While HughesNet download speeds top out at the broadband threshold of 25Mbps, Viasat customers can sign up for 50Mbps or 100Mbps in select areas.
But with great(ish) speed comes (not-so) great pricing. Viasat is the most expensive rural broadband provider you’ll find, with service starting at $70 per month for speeds as low as 12Mbps, not to mention an added $13 per month for equipment. If you want the fastest speeds, 100Mbps, it could cost up to $300 or more per month. There’s also a price hike after just three months of service that could add $30, $50 or $100 to your bill, depending on the plan.
Viasat is the fastest satellite provider with coverage in all 50 states, but perhaps not for long. Elon Musk’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper have injected a lot of interest into the category, and consumers should keep an eye on names like those in the coming years.
HughesNet
Best satellite internet value
Product details
Price range $50 – $150 per month Speed range 25Mbps Connection Satellite Highlights Nationwide availability, no hard data cap
HughesNet offers some relief to the high cost of satellite internet with lower starting prices than Viasat, albeit not by much. There is more value to HughesNet’s entry level plan versus Viasat, however, with HughesNet delivering speeds up to 25Mbps and 15GB of data starting at $50 per month compared to Viasat’s 12Mbps with 40GB of data starting at $70 per month — with a $30 price increase right around the corner.
At the surface level, Viasat plans appear to come with significantly more data, but HughesNet throws in an additional 50GB per month for all customers regardless of the plan they choose. Known as the “Bonus Zone,” the extra 50GB is available between the hours of 2 a.m. and 8 a.m., when network congestion is presumably at its lowest. Granted, the timing’s not ideal if you’re not a night owl, but if you can strategically schedule your downloads to occur between these hours, it could add a considerable chunk to your monthly data allowance.
Speed reliability is another advantage to HughesNet service. According to the FCC’s Eighth Measuring Broadband in America Report, HughesNet outperformed all other participating ISPs in terms of actual versus advertised speeds over a wired connection, with actual median speeds coming in at 150% or higher of the advertised speed.
HughesNet customers are likely to run into speed issues if they exceed the monthly data cap, however. HughesNet does not charge overage fees, meaning the service is technically “unlimited,” but customers who go over their monthly data allowance will have to purchase more data or endure drastically reduced speeds for the remainder of their billing cycle.
Best rural internet providers overview
There’s a lot to consider when evaluating rural internet options. To help you sort it all, here’s a rural internet comparison chart with significant plan and pricing details, including speeds, data caps and contract requirements.
Rural internet provider details
| Provider | Starting price range | Download speed range (Mbps) | Equipment cost | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink | $30-$70 | 20-940 | $15 (skippable) | None | None | 6.7 |
| HughesNet | $50-$150 | 25 | $10 | 15-75GB | 2 years | 5.7 |
| Kinetic | $40-$70 | 25-1,000 | $10 (skippable) | None | None | 6.7 |
| Mediacom | $20-$80 | 60-1,000 | $12 (skippable) | 200-6,000GB | None | 6.4 |
| Rise Broadband | $25-$65 | 25-100 | $10 modem rental (mandatory), $5-$15 router rental (skippable) | 250GB or unlimited | Typically not required | 6.2 |
| T-Mobile 5G | $50 | 35-115 | None | None | None | N/A |
| Viasat | $70-$300 | 12-100 | $12 | 40-150GB | 2 years | 6.1 |
| Ziply Fiber | $20-$300 | 50-10,000 | $10 | None | None | 7.2 |
Top rural ISP honorable mentions
These providers are also popular choices for internet service in rural areas but lack the speed, value or customer satisfaction marks to have made our list of the best.
- Frontier: Frontier Internet, a DSL service, reaches select rural areas in 25 states, but speeds are inconsistent and likely to not reach broadband speeds in many areas. Plans start at $50 per month and include unlimited data and equipment rental at no extra cost.
- EarthLink: EarthLink employs existing networks from providers including AT&T, CenturyLink and Verizon to deliver service, meaning speeds, connection quality and pricing can vary widely by location. Pricing typically starts around $45 a month for up to 25Mbps in most service areas.
- AT&T Fixed Wireless: Where available, AT&T Fixed Wireless customers can get download speeds up to 25Mbps and 350GB data for around $60 a month.
- Verizon LTE Installed: Another fixed wireless service, Verizon LTE Installed makes use of Verizon’s 4G network and can deliver speeds typically around 25Mbps starting at $40 a month for Verizon mobile customers. Verizon’s 5G home internet service is not yet widely available in rural areas.
- Starlink: A satellite newcomer, Elon Musk’s Starlink promises to boost satellite internet speeds while reducing latency thanks to a massive constellation of low-orbit satellites. Despite hearing about it for some time now, Starlink’s availability is still somewhat sparse, and expensive equipment along with a recent price increase may offer little relief to the already high cost of satellite internet.
Fixed wireless and satellite internet are most common in rural and suburban areas, because providers can cover a large area with a single antenna tower, or with a constellation of satellites — and without needing to run cable to each home address.
Rural internet FAQs
What are my options for internet in a rural area?
Satellite internet from HughesNet or Viasat is almost always going to be an option because of the wireless delivery, but satellite comes with a few downsides such as high pricing and low data allowances. Other wireless internet options for rural areas include fixed wireless service from providers such as Rise Broadband and AT&T, and 5G home internet. Currently, T-Mobile offers the greatest 5G coverage in rural areas with speeds up to 182Mbps starting at $50 per month.
DSL is another popular internet option in rural areas, but speeds can vary significantly by location and provider. For the fastest rural DSL speeds, look to ISPs CenturyLink and Kinetic — both offer speeds above the broadband threshold in more than 60% of their service areas. If cable internet is available, this will likely be your best bet for speed and reliability, but cable internet providers are often not as prominent in rural areas as satellite, wireless and DSL providers.
Why aren’t there more rural internet options?
Installation and operation costs are the main factors preventing ISPs from expanding their networks into rural or suburban markets with low population density.
Satellite and fixed wireless services are common in rural areas because providers can broadcast internet signals over a large area without having to run physical cables to each address. DSL service is also common since the technology largely makes use of existing phone lines, which are readily available in many rural areas.
Coaxial (traditional “cable”) and fiber-optic lines are less accessible in rural areas as the cost of installing lines is often much more than the provider will get in return. This means major cable internet providers like Cox, Spectrum and Xfinity, as well as fiber providers such as AT&T, Google Fiber and Verizon, are less inclined to expand service into rural areas.
Will internet service in rural areas get any better?
It’s doubtful that cable or fiber providers will significantly expand into rural areas, but emerging 5G and satellite technologies could help close the digital divide in coming years. While AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon are actively deploying 5G service across the US, Elon Musk and his satellite service Starlink are ramping up to completely disrupt the satellite internet market. Stay tuned for updates regarding these technologies and others that could have an impact on your home internet service, rural or otherwise.
More internet advice
Watch this: Millions lack broadband at a time when they must have it. Now what?
Best Rural Internet Providers of 2023 – CNET
Source: Media Star Philippines
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