If you live in a rural area, you may feel left behind in the high-speed internet race. Cities and suburbs seem to have almost limitless options, while you're locked into plans with slower speeds and higher prices. Luckily, there are new ways to connect to the internet, like 5G home internet, which is making it easier to find quality internet service providers (ISPs) in rural areas.
We've looked at the data, conducted some personal testing, and compiled a list of the best rural ISPs:
- The best overall rural internet service provider is T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, which offers a great mix of affordability, availability, and performance.
- The best satellite provider is Starlink, which offers the fastest and most reliable speeds for those truly off the grid.
- Xfinity is the best rural cable internet provider for gamers and others who need the consistency of a wired internet connection.
We'll go over everything you need to know about these and other rural internet providers. We'll also talk about how to pick the perfect internet type for your household and how you might be able to get discounts from government programs.
Best rural internet providers
| Provider | Best for | Price | Speeds | Availability | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile 5G Home Internet | Overall value | $50–70/mo. (less with bundle deals) | 87–498Mbps | Nationwide (best near 5G towers) | See plans |
| Starlink | Fast satellite speeds | $50–120/mo. (plus equipment costs) | 100–400Mbps | Anywhere | See plans |
| Xfinity | Reliable cable speeds | $45–145/mo. | 300Mbps–1.2Gbps | Nationwide | See plans |
| CenturyLink | Rural DSL availability | $50+/mo. (depending on location) | 3–1000Mbps | Mostly Mountain West and Northwest | See plans |
Before you go any further, plug your zip code into our internet plan finder tool to see all of the plans that are available in your area.
How to choose the best rural internet provider
Choosing the best internet provider in a rural area often starts with which connection type is available where you live. Often, traditional wired connections are limited or nonexistent in more remote places where infrastructure is more difficult to build.
Internet connection type comparison
| Type | Speed | Latency | Price Range | Rural availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cable | Up to 1Gbps | Low | $20–$75/mo. | Sporadic |
| 5G Home | Over 400Mbps | Medium | $35–$75/mo. | Dependent on cellular tower locations |
| Satellite | Up to 250Mbps | Medium | $50–$120/mo. | Anywhere |
| DSL | ~100Mbps | High | $45–$65/mo. | Phasing out |
| Fiber | Up to 8Gbps | Low | $20–$200/mo. | Low |
The best options for rural internet availability are often satellite and 5G home internet, with sporadic cable access. Which is best for you will depend on your exact location. For example, if you're located close to a 5G network tower, then 5G home internet will be a fast and reliable option. But if the network is weak in your area, you might want to try another option.
Cable offers fast, reliable download speeds that are good for most households, but it may still be unavailable in smaller towns or in isolated areas. DSL used to be the standard for rural internet, thanks to the prevalence of phone lines. While it is still the best (or only) option in some areas, cable internet infrastructure has replaced it in most parts of the country.
If all three options (satellite, 5G, and cable) are available to you, the next step is to decide on your budget and then choose how much speed you need for the activities you typically do. Our guide to internet speeds can help you figure out exactly how many Mbps per month make sense for your household size and common usage habits.
What about fixed wireless internet?
There is a type of internet technology called "fixed wireless" that we won't talk about much here. This technology is available in some rural areas, but it's not very common and is quickly being beaten out by 5G home internet. It works in a way that's similar to 5G home internet—by transferring internet through wireless signal from a fixed location—but is usually slower and more expensive.
Best overall internet for rural areas: T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
In our opinion, the strongest rural 5G internet provider, in terms of cost, availability, and overall performance, is T-Mobile.
|
T-Mobile
Rely Internet
$50/mo
5 year price guarantee. With AutoPay. Guarantee exclusions like taxes and fees apply.
+ $35 Upfront
|
|
T-Mobile
Rely Internet + T-Mobile voice line
$35/mo
5 year price guarantee. With AutoPay. Guarantee exclusions like taxes and fees apply.
+ $35 Upfront
|
|
T-Mobile
Amplified Internet + T-Mobile voice line
$45/mo
5 year price guarantee. With AutoPay. Guarantee exclusions like taxes and fees apply.
+ $35 Upfront
|
T-Mobile's 5G home internet service comes with download speeds ranging from 87–498Mbps, has no data caps, and starts at just $50/month. Those who bundle with a T-Mobile wireless plan may be able to get an even better deal.
T-Mobile's 5G Home Internet is now available in all 50 states, but there are still some gaps in certain areas, so you'll want to make sure there's a strong network signal in your area before signing up. The service tops out at almost 500Mbps, but you need to understand that your speed probably won't be that fast.
When WhistleOut's very own Daphne Kelly was testing T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, she measured average speeds around 131Mbps. That's plenty of speed for most households to stream, game, work from home, and browse the internet on multiple devices. The upload speeds also seemed decent, allowing her to upload an 18-minute video in about 3 minutes.
We expect the performance of T-Mobile home internet in rural areas to improve in the coming years.
Other rural 5G options
Companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Rise Broadband offer similar rural 5G internet services. While we think T-Mobile has the best availability and prices, there may be specific areas where other companies have stronger networks.
You can learn more about these other 5G home internet plans:
Best satellite internet for rural areas: Starlink
Satellite internet offers one distinct advantage: you can get it literally anywhere. The drawbacks are that it isn't as fast as some wired connections, there are data caps, and it can get pricey. That said, one company is making satellite internet more viable than ever before: Starlink.
|
Starlink
Residential 100 Mbps
$55/mo
Available in select locations
+ $369 Upfront
|
|
Starlink
Residential 200 Mbps
$85/mo
Available in select locations
+ $369 Upfront
|
|
Starlink
Residential MAX
$130/mo
Available in select locations
+ $369 Upfront
|
When I switched from my old DSL internet connection to Starlink, I was very impressed. Despite the relatively pricey cost ($50/month plus a $299 upfront equipment fee), I was won over by the easy installation, fast speeds, and reliability. I was even able to continue my online gaming with the service.
In my testing, I regularly achieved speeds of 175 Mbps or higher, though they fluctuated throughout the day. This can be one of the drawbacks of satellite internet: Weather conditions, network congestion, and other factors can impact your speeds.
In short, if you want the rugged beauty of off-grid living, but you still want to work from home and stream Netflix, then you should go with Starlink for rural internet.
Other rural satellite internet options
The other major players in satellite internet are Viasat and HughesNet. Both of these companies have something to offer for the right kind of customer. The speeds and data caps are lower, but the prices are definitely cheaper than Starlink.
Best wired internet in rural areas: Xfinity and CenturyLink
The easiest, fastest, and cheapest rural internet plans are often old-fashioned wired connections, like DSL and cable. The biggest drawback to these is availability: If your house isn't already in the network, then you won't have any luck.
The wired internet companies that tend to have the best rural availability are Xfinity and CenturyLink.
Xfinity: Best cable internet for rural areas
|
Xfinity
300 Mbps
$40/mo
5 year price guarantee
|
|
Xfinity
1.2 Gig
$100/mo
5 year price guarantee
|
|
Xfinity
500 Mbps
$45/mo
5 year price guarantee
|
Xfinity's cable internet plans offer super fast download speeds of 1Gbps and faster. Because the service is wired, it's very consistent and has low latency. That means Xfinity definitely ranks among the best rural internet for gaming, streaming, and working from home.
Xfinity's prices are low, especially when you sign up for a promotional deal. Just be aware that, after a 1–2 year promotional period, your prices can go up. This happened to one of my colleagues with his Xfinity internet plan—it went up by $20 after 2 years. (But—don't tell anyone—he got someone else in his household to sign up under their name and got another 2 years of promotional pricing.)
Another benefit to going with Xfinity for internet is that you can bundle with the company's cable TV and mobile plans for additional discounts.
CenturyLink: DSL rural internet (where available)
|
CenturyLink
Simply Unlimited 100 Mbps
$55/mo
Available in select locations. Paperless billing required.
|
|
CenturyLink
Simply Unlimited 140 Mbps
$55/mo
Available in select locations. Paperless billing required.
|
|
CenturyLink
Simply Unlimited 40 Mbps
$55/mo
Available in select locations. Paperless billing required.
+ $25 Upfront
|
Another company with great rural availability is CenturyLink. Unlike Xfinity, CenturyLink's offerings are a smattering of different kinds of service: DSL in some places, fiber in others. While we don't normally recommend DSL internet (because it's slower and less reliable than other kinds) it may be your best bet in some rural areas.
Government programs for rural broadband access
With the funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program lapsing, many rural internet customers have been left in a lurch. That program offered $30/month to qualifying households for internet service and as many as one in six households in the U.S. were enrolled.
Other government programs, like the Broadband Equity, Access, And Deployment (BEAD) program, don't offer the same direct benefits to consumers that the ACP offered. Instead, they focus on incentivizing more broadband infrastructure in rural communities.
While the BEAD program's rural broadband assistance might not immediately help you pay your internet bills, you may be able to qualify for state-wide programs, like this one in Massachusetts.
Rural internet providers: FAQs
How do I get fiber-optic in a rural area?
You can get fiber internet in a rural area if it is available where you live. If it's not yet available, you'll have to wait until an internet service provider expands fiber coverage to where you live.
How do I get high-speed internet in rural areas?
You can get high-speed internet in rural areas by paying for high-speed satellite plans or trying to hook up to a cable internet service if it's available.
How do I boost internet signal in rural areas?
You can boost your internet signal in a rural area by using a signal amplifier if you have a wireless connection or by talking to your ISP if you have a wired connection.
Max McCaskill
Sr. Staff Writer
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