5 Best Rural Internet Providers

If you’re looking for rural internet options that keep your home office and streaming apps connected, you’re in the right spot. We looked into fixed wireless internet and mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, along with DSL, cable, fiber-optic, and satellite internet to uncover the pros and cons of these potential rural internet services.

You probably Googled something like "wireless internet service providers," or "WiFi offered at my address" to get to this page. To answer those questions, just enter your ZIP code below to find the fastest internet in your area. Note that some satellite internet providers, like EarthLink or Hughesnet will work just about anywhere (which is awesome).

Quick guide to this article

• What to look for
• T-Mobile: Best 5G Home Internet
• Kinetic: Fastest download speeds
• Viasat: Best rural internet coverage
• Rise Broadband: Affordable price, solid speeds and coverage
• AT&T: Best DSL Internet option
• Recap
• Methodology
• FAQ

If you’re new to rural internet, there are a few things about it that might surprise you. Here are a few things to watch out for when buying wi-fi and internet:

• Not all internet connections are equal—our first choice is cable and fiber but for rural areas, fiber may be harder to find. Then DSL (VDSL or VDSL2), then satellite, then fixed wireless, then mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, and last, dial-up.
• You may not get unlimited data or even 1 TB of data, so watch your data cap.
• Your download speeds and upload speeds may be too slow for streaming Netflix, video calls, or gaming. (Check out our best internet picks for gaming if you want to learn more.)
• Speaking of gaming, if you go with satellite internet, your latency may be too high to play first-person shooters (FPS) and other action-oriented games. Also, keep in mind that a Wi-Fi connection may not give you enough speed compared to a wired connection.

If you have options, some rural internet providers will work better for different uses than others. In rural areas, the most widely available internet connection types are cable, DSL, and satellite. Fiber-optic is the least widely available option for internet access but it still may be an option depending on where you live. Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot internet and dial-up are also available in rural areas, although it might come at a cost. In general, here’s what we recommend.

Cable internet: Cable is our first choice for the fastest speeds and (usually) the most data at a low price. But it’s not available in a lot of remote areas, and if it is available in your area, you might pay more for it than your city slicker neighbors.

Fiber internet: Fiber-optic internet offers some of the fastest speeds and is one of the most reliable internet options. Unfortunately, it isn't as widely available as cable, DSL, or satellite may be. Luckily, most ISPs like Kinetic by Windstream are actively working on building out the infrastructure needed to bring this option to more rural towns. If it's not available where you live right now, fiber-optic internet may be an option in the future.

DSL internet: DSL may be older and slower than cable, but it’s still a solid choice thanks to lower prices and potentially higher data caps when compared to satellite internet. DSL also tends to be more widely available in rural areas, but be warned: many providers are phasing out their DSL internet service.

Satellite internet: Although it’s not our first choice thanks to its high prices and low data caps, satellite internet reaches more rural and remote areas than any other type of internet connection. So if satellite is your only option, rest assured it’s still a great internet option for the country.

Fixed wireless: Fixed wireless is a newer technology that’s still ramping up its availability. Even so, its prices tend to be a lot lower than what satellite internet providers charge, and some fixed wireless providers even offer unlimited data. Fixed wireless is not the same as 5G.

Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot: If you need a temporary internet connection for a trek into the wild, a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot might do the trick. You may even already have Wi-Fi hotspot data included with your current cell phone plan, so there’s no need to pay extra. But watch out for small data allowances and sluggish speeds once you use all your data. If you notice your phone speeds are slow, there are a few things you can do to speed up your connection.

Our resident internet expert, Juan, chats about his challenges using mobile data and rural internet while on a trip to New Mexico. Namely, how upload speeds become even more important when you're living out in the country.

If you don't like any of the ISPs in your area, you can always go the 5G home internet route. T-Mobile's 5G home internet focuses on including rural areas, and the mobile provider says almost 10 million households in the T-Mobile Home Internet coverage area are out in the country.³

One huge perk to T-Mobile Home Internet is that its $50/month price is all-inclusive: you won’t pay extra for the gateway modem-router combo or fork over cash for installation. (Unlike Verizon LTE Home Internet, which charges $10 a month or $240 for the LTE Home Router.)

One thing: Don’t expect those 100+ Mbps speeds in truly remote areas.

Kinetic by Windstream is a fixture in many rural areas—we spotted its buildings all across northern Georgia. And while its slowest speeds cap out at 100 Mbps, you might find yourself lucky enough to get 500 or even 2,000 Mbps.

Two things to note about Kinetic by Windstream prices, though: they change based on where you live, and they go up after your first year. (But that kind of promotional pricing is normal when it comes to internet land.) Here’s a quick peek at some of Kinetic by Windstream’s pricing:

If Kinetic by Windstream’s gig speeds aren’t in your hometown yet, they might be coming soon. The ISP is building out its fiber gigabit service over the next few years.

Still, Viasat tops the satellite internet charts with up to 100 Mbps speeds and unlimited data on all of its plans. The biggest drawback? Viasat jacks up your price by $15–$50 after three months. So keep an eye on your bill and get your wallet ready.

Rise Broadband is the 4th largest fixed wireless provider in the U.S by coverage area that offers internet service across 47 states.

If you live in Texas, Colorado, Idaho, and Illinois—we think Rise Broadband is worth a serious look.

Find more internet in Texas.

Fixed wireless offers decent internet speeds for a pretty decent price—at least compared to satellite internet. The only catch is that most fixed wireless providers stick you with a pretty low data cap. Even Rise Broadband does this unless you upgrade to one of its unlimited data plans.

AT&T doesn’t necessarily call its non-fiber internet service “DSL” anymore, but we’re sticking with this term when it comes to AT&T Internet for simplicity’s sake. (AT&T calls its connection “broadband” or “IPBB,” which includes several types of DSL connections.)

While the ISP says it no longer offers DSL internet, it does still offer internet in rural areas. If your home is pretty far off the beaten path, you could see speeds as slow as 768 Kbps—that’s less than 1 Mbps.

But for anyone closer to a city, you might get lucky with AT&T’s fiber-DSL hybrid internet connection that offers speeds up to 140 Mbps. 

• Best mobile internet: T-Mobile Home Internet. T-Mobile’s home internet service uses its cellular network. A similar option is available from Verizon, but T-Mobile won’t charge you for any equipment.
• Fastest possible download speeds: Kinetic by Windstream. Kinetic by Windstream is actively expanding its fiber network, meaning its competitively priced 1,000 and 2,000 Mbps plan might be available in your area.
• Best rural availability: Viasat. Viasat satellite internet is available in almost every part of the US, and it offers the largest data caps and fastest speeds compared to Hughesnet.
• Best value: Rise Broadband. Fixed wireless is a new-ish way to get internet in the country, and Rise Broadband offers well-priced speeds and the option of unlimited data.
• Best rural DSL internet: AT&T Internet. Though it doesn’t call it “DSL,” AT&T still offers speeds between 768 Kbps and 140 Mbps in rural areas.

When shopping for rural internet options, you may be limited. But thankfully, those options are growing as ISPs are working to provide more options. You might even be able to get internet through a local electric co-op if these more commonly known rural internet providers don’t extend their networks to your gravel driveway.

Another option may be a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot—or if you’re trundling across the country in your RV, there are other portable satellite internet options too. And if worse comes to worse, dial-up internet still exists. (And it’s free.)

If you keep an open mind, there’s likely a way to get connected even if you’re off the beaten path.

The rankings are based on a combination of proprietary user data, online public databases, hands-on testing, and analysis of user experiences on Reddit. Based on our research and hands-on experience, we recommend Viasat, Rise Broadband, Kinetic by Windstream, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, and AT&T DSL internet for folks living in more rural areas of the United States.

1. Proprietary user data: To ensure comprehensive rankings, collecting and analyzing proprietary user data is essential. This data can include factors such as internet speed, reliability, customer satisfaction, and pricing. We collect user data through our speed test tool. When users perform speed tests on our website, we save the results, along with the internet service provider. Over time, we've gained millions of user speed tests that give us a clear picture of performance for users who live in a more rural area of the United States.

2. Online public databases: Online public databases provide a wealth of information regarding ISP performance, coverage, and customer feedback. We leverage reputable sources such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and BroadbandNow to access data on speed tests, coverage maps, and other relevant metrics. This information helps us evaluate the reach, consistency, and overall quality of the ISPs under consideration.

3. Hands-on testing: To ensure the accuracy of our rankings, we conduct hands-on testing of the ISPs. This involves subscribing to the services and evaluating various performance aspects, including internet speed, latency, and reliability. We can't travel to every corner of the country and run a speed test, but we've performed tests in rural areas of Utah, Florida, California, Arizona, and New York.

4. User experiences on Reddit: Reddit serves as an invaluable platform for real-life user experiences and insights. By examining relevant subreddits, such as r/RuralInternet and r/ISPReviews, we gain a deeper understanding of how different ISPs perform in rural areas. These firsthand accounts help us gauge customer satisfaction, reliability, and overall service quality.

Still curious about how to get internet out in the country? We can help.

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