Best Internet Providers For Rural Areas Of 2024 (2024)

• T-Mobile Home Internet: Best Overall
• HughesNet: Best Availability
• AT&T Internet: Best Plan Options
• Kinetic: Best Rural High-Speeds
• Verizon 5G: Best Wireless Speed

T-Mobile Home Internet tops our list as the best internet provider for rural areas. The company combines competitive guaranteed pricing with simple plan options without added equipment charges or data caps. While T-Mobile doesn’t provide the fastest connections among companies in our review, its speed meets most families’ internet needs while also offering pricing discounts for bundled services.

The list of rural internet service providers is growing. In addition to our top five company picks, several other providers also offer solid options for rural internet customers.

Google Fiber

Google Fiber has grown to serve 18 states and also offers phone and television services. While most of Google’s service areas are within metropolitan locations , its network reaches some rural residences. The company offers four connection plans ranging from 1 to 8 Gbps starting at $70, including installation, equipment and no data caps.

Spectrum

Charter Spectrum offers high-speed internet connections for prices starting at $49.99. The company offers its service in 40 states using a hybrid network of coax and fiber connectivity. Spectrum offers three basic plan options with additional optional services, such as professional installation and built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, for extra costs. The three plans include 300, 500 and 1,000 Mbps options.

Frontier

For prices starting at $44.99 with autopay, customers can enjoy Frontier’s 500 Mbps fiber hybrid internet connection. Frontier services, available in 29 states and including many rural areas, also feature a 1 Gbps plan, a 2 Gbps option for under $100 with autopay and a 5 Gbps plan that includes a high-performance router in its monthly price.

Determining which ISP can meet the needs of your home and family comes down to how you use the internet. Working from home may require video conferencing, which requires higher speeds and low lag times than those who use the internet simply to keep in touch. Gamers also demand more from their internet provider than casual users.

Connection

The method of connecting to your ISP impacts almost every aspect of how usable the service is, whether you have a bundled setup or an internet-only plan. Depending on where you live, your choices may include fiber optic, DSL, cable or cellular connections, all of which can provide high speeds and reliability under the right conditions. Choosing one is sometimes a compromise that gets you the best of what you need while sacrificing something less crucial.

Despite some rural locations now seeing fiber internet service becoming available, many places still must choose from a satellite, DSL, cable or cellular network connection. Though satellite connections are available almost anywhere, they can suffer from low speeds. At the same time, DSL and cable can also experience reduced speeds over distance, and cellular networks work best only with a strong network connection.

Distance

When electronic signals must travel through a wire, such as in a DSL or cable internet connection, slower signals can result from having to cover long distances. Not only does latency increase over distance, but the signal strength can also suffer.

If your only option is wired service, find a provider with services as physically near you as possible. The exception to this is fiber optic internet connections, which are (more or less) immune to many of the usual pitfalls of standard wired service.

Speed

Fast and reliable internet connection speed is crucial for those who rely on the internet for work or play. However, casual internet users can also become frustrated if their connection speed makes them wait for pages to load. About 12 Mbps is fast enough for connecting a single device to browse the news and social media.

Families will require a minimum of around 25 Mbps, while those who work from home or enjoy online games should look for internet companies offering speeds above 50 Mbps. Serious users benefit most from speeds exceeding 100 Mbps.

Internet service may be limited to just a couple of connection options in rural areas, but that fact is changing as networks grow and technology advances.

1. Cable

Cable internet is a wired internet service that uses cable TV transmission wires to connect your home to the web. Many cable internet customers combine their television and internet in a bundle from just one provider. Cable internet is available in many, but certainly not all, areas.

2. Satelite

Advertised as being available everywhere, satellite internet service isn’t bound by wires. Instead, signals are transmitted to and from orbiting satellites. Traditionally, satellite connections have been relatively slow, with high lag times. With changing technology, the connections are improving and speeding up, but work is still underway in many areas.

3. Fiber

Fiber optic internet offers fast download and upload speeds over long distances through a physical connection—that’s if the service is available in your area. Some rural locations now have fiber internet choices, but it’s still off in the future for many.

4. DSL

Your existing telephone line can carry a DSL internet signal. Not to be confused with the now-archaic dial-up internet, DSL offers higher bandwidth and faster speeds through a constant connection.

5. Cellular and 5G

Mobile hotspots using your cell phone operate through cellular telephone networks. Home cellular internet is similar in operation and can provide high-speed, private connections by using a home-based router to connect to a cellular signal. Though 5G service can offer high speeds, you must live within range of the nearest cell tower for a reliable connection.

For customers looking for a simple connection for casual internet use, plans start at $25 to $35 for minimal speeds of under 50 Mbps and depending on location and connection type. An annual contract may be necessary to access the lowest prices. Those who work at home, often attend virtual meetings or engage in online gaming will likely require faster connections of 100 Mbps or greater. Those plans start at around $50 per month for a rural connection.

For the fastest available speeds that reach up to 3Gigs, expect a monthly cost of up to $300.

Though there are a number of ways to receive a signal in rural areas, there are two main types of internet connections.

Wired Internet

Wired internet connections are highly reliable due to their physical connection to the ISP. DSL, cable and fiber optic connections are all wired systems that offer excellent speed and durability. For rural customers, the type of wired internet you choose often is dictated by what your ISP offers in your area.

Wireless Internet

Wireless internet, as the name implies, consists of a device that exchanges signals between it and the ISP. The device can be a cell phone, home-based router or satellite antenna. Available almost everywhere in one form or another, wireless internet offers variable speeds depending on the type of service and the signal strength in your location.

Rural internet connection speeds vary from a minimum of about 5 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps or 1 Gbps. However, if a rural fiber optic connection is available, speeds can reach up to 10 Gbps.

Connection speed can determine the number of users and devices using the service effectively at the same time. The type of online activity also affects the speed necessary for seamless internet use.

To determine the best rural internet providers ranking, the Forbes Home editorial team analyzed third-party data on 22 different companies, with each company’s star rating determined by evaluating a variety of metrics, including:

Customer Reviews (17%)

We evaluated review profiles for each competing company, including information from the Better Business Bureau, Trustpilot, Consumer Affairs and other reputable sources to determine the scores in our customer review category.

Customer Support (9%)

Customer support attributes were examined and scored for each company based on the availability of a pre-sale online chat function, advertised phone service availability and website aspects, such as the inclusion of an informative blog, knowledge base and community forum.

Plans (31%)

Determining each company’s plan score included measuring metrics, such as the lowest and highest plan prices, whether or not a contract is necessary, installation options and plan specifics like bundling availability and unlimited data options.

Extra Features and Details (23%)

Available plan features and details comprised each contender’s scoring in this category. Metrics include available connection types, data cap specifics, minimum and maximum advertised upload and download speeds, additional services available and specific bundling options.

Nationwide Availability (19%)

The nationwide availability score considered the number of states and locations within those states where each company provides rural internet service. Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico counted as state locations in our scoring.

Editorial Judgment Points (1%)

We reserved a limited number of points to award companies that exhibit extraordinary features or attributes above and beyond normal expectations.