Best rural internet providers

What internet options are available in rural areas?

Finding a quality internet connection can be a challenge in many rural areas of the U.S. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, only 72% of rural residents have a home broadband connection, compared to 79% in suburban areas and 77% in cities.

Expanding internet infrastructure to rural areas is expensive for internet providers, and despite federal incentives, there are many places where slower satellite and DSL connections are the only options. To make finding rural internet easier for you, we’ve researched the top providers, prices and speeds available so you can make an informed decision on the best rural internet options in your area.

Top rural internet providers

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How we evaluated rural internet providers

Shopping for internet is a much different experience in rural areas than in cities and suburbs, so we modified our usual approach when evaluating rural internet providers. We still used cost and speed as two of the major factors, but we also added data caps and latency to the mix.

Most internet plans these days don’t come with data caps, but that’s not the case with many rural providers. The average American household used 344GB of data per month in 2020 — well above the data caps on many rural internet plans.

Latency is also more of an issue for rural customers. This refers to the time it takes for data to be transferred between its original source and its destination, and it’s extremely important for activities like online gaming and video calls. Unfortunately, many rural providers struggle with this metric, so we wanted to make sure we highlighted plans where it wouldn’t be an issue.

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Verizon: Best 4G LTE service

Verizon’s LTE home internet plans use the same cellular towers as their mobile plans. You’ll get a $20/mo. discount if you have a Verizon cellphone plan, but it’s still a solid deal even without one.

Learn more about Verizon LTE internet

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Frontier: Best DSL service

DSL connections utilize your home phone line to deliver internet to your house. Plans are typically much slower than cable internet, but Frontier offers some of the fastest DSL plans around. Speeds go up to 115 Mbps, and none of its plans come with data caps.

Learn more about Frontier internet

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Viasat: Best satellite service

Satellite internet is usually a last resort for most rural customers. It’s generally more expensive and slower than DSL and fixed wireless, but it’s available almost everywhere. If you don’t have any other options, Viasat is the best satellite provider for most people.

Learn more about Visasat internet

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Rise Broadband: Best fixed wireless service

Rise Broadband is one of the best options around for rural internet. It has plans that go up to 50 Mbps, which should be enough for most households, and you have the option of choosing between several different data tiers to find the one that fits your needs.

Learn more about Rise Broadband

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Best internet options in rural areas by service type

To make choosing a rural internet provider easier for you, we’ve ranked the various internet service types available in rural areas based on pricing, speed and reliability. While fixed wireless internet and 4G LTE Home Internet are the best options for rural residents overall because it gets you the fastest speeds for the best price, they are not as widely available as other options, such as DSL and satellite. DSL and satellite are not ideal options for working from home, which is why fixed wireless and home internet are better options if available. 

Fixed wireless – Lower latency makes online gaming possible

Fixed wireless internet works like satellite internet in that you have a dish or antenna to receive internet signals. There are a couple of types of technology that allow for fixed wireless internet for rural areas, including focused point-to-point wireless technology (Rise Broadband and AT&T) and 4G LTE (Verizon). You’ll need to live close to a cellular tower to get fixed internet from rural internet providers such as Rise Broadband, AT&T, Verizon or others. Internet speeds can range from 1 to 1,000 Mbps.

DSL – Affordable and high monthly data allowances

Unlike cable or fiber optic internet, DSL internet uses existing phone lines to carry service. If you have telephone lines to your house, you might have access to DSL from providers such as AT&T, CenturyLink or Windstream. Internet speeds can range from 1 to 140 Mbps.

Satellite – Available virtually everywhere and usually unlimited

Satellite internet is a great option for rural-area residents because it’s available virtually anywhere. All you need is a clear view of the southern sky to be eligible for satellite internet from HughesNet, Viasat and, currently in some areas, Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite company. Internet speeds can range from 12 to 100 Mbps with the typical satellite providers but up to 150 Mbps with Starlink (and soon to be faster).

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How rural internet will improve in coming years

The FCC acknowledged the digital divide in their most recent broadband progress report, noting that one-fourth of those living in rural areas (around 14.5 million people) lacked reliable access to broadband internet. In reality, that number could be much higher, closer to 42 million, according to a recent study by Microsoft. 

In many rural areas, it’s not profitable or even feasible for providers to run cable or fiber optic lines, which often leaves satellite, DSL and potentially, fixed wireless internet as the only internet options available.

SpaceX, Boeing and even Amazon are investing in low-flying satellites, which won’t offer the expansive coverage traditional satellites can, but will be able to deliver faster speeds and lower latency. As of early 2021, Starlink (under the SpaceX umbrella) is in its beta testing phase, while Amazon is still preparing the launch of its satellite internet system.

The rollout of 5G could mean faster fixed wireless connections are on the way. As Verizon and AT&T update their networks to support 5G technology, fixed wireless internet customers may have access to faster speeds and higher data limits.

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Alternative options for wireless internet in rural areas

Explored the rural internet options near you and still not finding what you’re looking for? Don’t worry, there’s still a few more tricks up our sleeve. Here’s some more outside-the-box options for rural broadband. 

• White space internet — A new use for old technology, white space internet uses the vacant radio waves “between” TV broadcast channels to carry internet signals. This is a relatively new internet service type, so not many providers or plans are currently available, but more could emerge in the near future.
• Dial-up — Yes, dial-up is still around and a viable option for rural areas, and it’s a decent and cheap internet option for those in rural areas needing the internet for little more than checking email. You’ll need a home telephone line and likely a compatible modem for service from AOL Online, People PC, EarthLink or other dial-up providers. Keep in mind, internet speeds top out at a humble 56 Kbps (0.056 Mbps).
• Mobile hotspots — Some smartphones can be used as a mobile hotspot within your home, for an added fee, of course. Check with your cellphone provider to see what hotspot options are available for you. This can be a flexible option for rural internet but make sure your wireless carrier supports the rural areas. You can also purchase standalone hotspot devices, such as a Verizon Jetpack or Skyroam Solis. While mobile hotspots are generally intended for temporary internet use, they could serve as a home internet option for users who don’t connect too often.

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Rural internet FAQs

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