Our picks
90001 Edit ZIP code
Best rural home internet provider
$60 per month
Best rural fixed wireless internet provider
$45 – $65 per month
Best satellite internet provider
$50 – $80 per month
Fastest satellite internet provider
$90 – $120 per month
Best rural internet providers
Broadband service has never been widely available in rural areas, and the Federal Communication Commission’s overdue ruling classifying a high-speed connection as at least 100Mbps down and 20Mbps up means reliable broadband connections are even harder to find. Wired services, especially those of the cable internet or fiber-optic variety, are scarce, so many households in rural areas rely on fixed wireless internet that doesn’t require wired networks or a direct line of sight to the home.
T-Mobile Home Internet is arguably the best home internet option for rural homes. It surpasses wired and wireless rural internet providers thanks to its extensive availability, competitive pricing and customer-friendly service terms, including unlimited data and free equipment.
Among popular rural internet options, Mediacom is the cheapest internet provider, with service starting as low as $15 monthly for speeds up to 100Mbps. If you’re looking for speed, Ziply Fiber has the fastest multigigabit speeds of any ISP, rural or otherwise, with its 50,000Mbps plan.
Other rural internet providers, including CenturyLink, Kinetic and Rise Broadband, are also worth considering if available in your area. In locations where wired or fixed wireless connections aren’t available, satellite internet from Hughesnet and Viasat is always an option, but you’ll likely get faster speeds and better overall value with Starlink.
Aside from well-known ISPs with broad coverage, thousands of local wireless internet providers may service hard-to-reach rural areas. Your best shot of figuring out what home internet providers are available is to start by using the FCC’s Broadband Map and picking a plan based on cost efficiency, speed and other factors.
Which rural internet service provider is best for your home? Check out CNET’s picks for the best ISPs with broad availability in rural areas based on coverage, speeds, pricing, data caps and customer satisfaction.
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72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Our take – According to the FCC, T-Mobile Home Internet has the greatest coverage of any non-satellite internet service provider, available to nearly 60% of US households. While service isn’t the cheapest or the fastest of any rural internet provider, the unlimited data, free equipment and potential mobile bundle discounts help boost the provider’s overall value.
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
10 – 140 Mbps
$55 per month
Our take – Aside from satellite internet providers and T-Mobile, CenturyLink has perhaps the greatest coverage area of any rural ISP, spanning suburban and rural areas across 16 states. CenturyLink, though a DSL service, can meet or beat the internet speeds of satellite internet in most service areas, and the $55-per-month service includes unlimited data and no contracts.
