Illinois is a wonderful state with a huge population of around 14 million people. This population is scattered along with the rural areas and the residential areas. It, in a way, makes it possible for all users to pick the services that they feel serve them best. Therefore, which is the best internet provider in Illinois and closer home in Chicago?
Getting the best internet provider has several things that the users need to put in place. They have to consider the plans and how the service providers deliver them to the end-users. It is helpful because it makes the users have good and thorough research for the service.
Our work on internet service providers today has its roots in Illinois. We have rolled the stones to provide you with the information you need about the service providers and their packages. We have done the areas that you need to have some solid knowledge about.
Best internet service providers in Illinois
AT&T
AT&T is an internet service provider that has a great reputation for delivering the best internet quality, especially in Illinois. Many people have subscribed to the provider’s service because of the high speeds for downloads and uploads. The provider’s affordability of the service is excellent as it makes them have a good experience.
The service provider has an availability rate of 96.6%, which is great coverage for Illinois. The speed for uploads is 1000 Mbps and for the downloads is 940 Mbps which is excellent. There are also many plans that the service provider has come with that make the service worthy using.
It has four internet plans and four internet combinations with tv bundles. You will get the range of the speeds to the lowest being 100 Mbps and the highest around 1000 Mbps
Fiber and cable connections have played a big role in making sure that the services reach the people. You will need to get the best router for AT&T fiber if you are to enjoy fiber speeds.
Additional reading: Internet Service Providers in Florida
Xfinity
Another service provider that has delivered services that reach the market conveniently is Xfinity. They are a provider who has good speeds for the uploads and reliable speeds for the downloads too. The success rate of the service provider is because of the availability, as it has a rating of 97.4%.
It uses a cable connection and offers download speeds of 1200 Mbps and upload speeds of 35 Mbps. You will also get enjoyable and captivating deals from the service provider with 5 internet plans and ranges of speeds between 50 Mbps and 1200 Mbps.
The high speeds and the dependability are the things that set the service provider at the winning and the cutting edge. Cable is great because of the presence of the wires which ensure that you have the service that you desire,
T Mobile home internet
You cannot talk of rural areas’ connectivity without talking about the T home internet. It is a service that has 100% availability and reaches many people without much challenge. The good thing with the provider is that the reliability by the users cuts across the state in both the urban and the rural areas.
The speeds of the service are at 100 Mbps and for the downloads. The uploads keep varying depending on the location of the internet. It uses the fixed wireless service to reach the users, making it a convenient service adaptable by many users.
You will have a chance to enjoy two plans and stable speeds when you have a good location and reliable service. Setting up new services is simple when you have properly selected the services that will deliver excellence for you.
Rise broadband
Another thing that is impossible to ignore with the service providers in rural areas is the rising broadband. The challenge with the service provider is that it has limited coverage; you will enjoy 67.2% coverage in the urban and the rural areas; the speeds are also reliable as you will get 50 Mbps for the downloads and 4 Mbps for the uploads.
The fixed wireless service is one thing that makes the service accessible. You will also utilize the 4 internet plans it offers to ensure that you reach the users you desire. Although the speed is wanting, the service is reliable, especially for rural users.
Viasat
Availability of the Viasat service is great and will make the accessibility of the service great. It has nice speeds of 100 Mbps for the downloads and 3 Mbps for the uploads. It is a great choice because it uses the satellite service.
Using the 4 internet plans, you will have the lowest speeds reaching 12 Mbps which is still reliable for the best quality service. Although there is a need to use technicians and do various adjustments, the service is wonderful.
Hughesnet
At the 6th rank of the best internet providers in Illinois, we have HughesNet. This is a service provider that has a success rate of 100% because of its availability. The speeds are also reliable as you will get 25 Mbps for the downloads and 3 Mbps for the uploads.
It is a good option because it uses the satellite for the connection too. The good thing about it is that you will also have to use the 4 internet plans. Having constant speeds of 25 Mbps is on the downwards side because the availability also becomes wanting.
Earthlink
Another service provider that makes Illinois proud because of its availability is Earthlink. The provider is great because of the high speeds of 1000 Mbps for the uploads and 940 Mbps for the downloads. You have an assurance that the speeds are manageable and can fluctuate the way you need to enjoy them.
96.7% is the success rate of internet availability in the whole state. It uses fiber and DSL to have the connection reaching the widest number of users. You will have access to 5 powerful internet plans and a range of 7 Mbps to the lowest and 1000 Mbps to the highest, which is great.
Frontier
Another service provider with 1.4% accessibility is frontier. The service provider is great, but the accessibility and the speed in Illinois let the provider down. It has a single internet plan, and the speed for both uploads and downloads is 30 Mbps. It uses the DSL service for the connection.
Other service providers in Illinois
Wow, RCN, Volo, watch, broadband, CCG, and king street wireless are some providers that have also invested in the Illinois state.
Related: Best Internet Service Provider in California | ISP plans & prices
Illinois internet providers by the connection type
The best criteria to use when in need to assess the service providers conveniently is the use of the connection type. What makes it great is that it has many service providers using more than one internet type. So it becomes more exhaustive when the criteria serve the purpose.
DSL- This kind of service is wonderful because it has 149 plans, and 3 service providers have done a good investment in it.
Cable- Under the cable connection, you will have 163 plans that serve the 6 service providers.
Fiber- This is a great option if you need a stable connection. Fiber has 71 plans and covers 6 service providers.
Mobile broadband- this service makes a great choice because of the availability factor. It has 32 plans that 4 service providers have utilized.
Satellite connection- among the best providers with good coverage is the satellite connection. The great reputation comes from the 12 plans and the 2 service providers who have tapped the service usage.
Cable
We are proud that the cable infrastructure in Illinois is proper and well established. The service has been around for some time, which has given room for the service providers to create various improvements. Delivering broadbands to homes is easy when you use the service.
The service’s availability and accessibility are improving day by day, making it a great choice. Under great performance, you will get high speeds of 1Gbps. It is a great plan because there is limited congestion hence making the service great.
Some of the providers that have invested in the service include Mediacom, Xfinity, Suddenlink, wow, spectrum and RCN. These all will have speeds of 1 Gbps when they are performing at their best.
Further reading: Verizon Fios VS Spectrum Internet: Choose Home Internet Service
Cable internet plans in Illinois
RCN gig internet
This package allows you to have speeds of 1 Gbps and uses a cable connection. You will get free installation without termly contracts at $59.99 per month.
RCN Gig internet+ phone
This is another package that ensures you have speeds of 1 Gbps under the cable connections. There are no termly contracts, and you will get free installation. The cost of the service is $69.99
RCN Gig Internet and digital tv and phone
This is a wonderful service because of the 1 Gbps speeds and the cable connection. It charges $70.99 per month and will offer a free installation service. The installation of the service is free hence quite reliable.
Wow, internet 1 Gbps and phone
This service plan is great because of the high speeds of 1 Gbps and the use of the cable connection. It has a 12-month contract and offers $79.99 per month. The deal lasts for a year with a promotional price.
DSL
The digital subscriber lines are good choices because of the utilization of the existing phone infrastructure. The challenge of this service is that you will have the quality of the signal and service lowering as you get far from the source.
Although the service seems to be slightly expensive, the users who have tried it have very good recommendations for high speeds. The speeds range from 100 Mbps to the highest and 25 Mbps to the lowest. Some areas have the highest costs in Illinois because of the availability of the DSL.
During the advertisements, you will see that it has speeds of 300 Mbps, but in an actual sense, they lower to as low as 25 Mbps. The service providers who have found the service worth investing in are AT&T, Century Link, and Earthlink.
Cable Internet plans
CenturyLink internet 40 Mbps
under this service, you will get speeds of 40 Mbps and use the VDSL connections to supply the internet. It charges $45 per month and has a promotional price that lasts for a single year.
Centurylink internet 100 Mbps
This package provides speeds of 100 Mbps and uses the VDSL connection with a charge of $50 per month.
AT&T internet 100, 25, 18, packages
The AT&T service provider has invested in several packages with the DSL. It has a package with speeds of 100 Mbps at $5o per month and comes with a promotional deal that lasts for a single year.
The internet 25 package is also a wonderful one as it has speeds of 25 Mbps which is adequate for service delivery. It comes for $55 per month with a reward card of $150.
The internet 18 package is reliable because of the 18 Mbps speeds and $150 rewards card. All these packages use the VDSL for maintaining the connections.
Fiber connection in Illinois
Fiber optics are very famous for ensuring that you have the best service. Illinois has a very strong foundation for the fiber service. The technology that makes the service reachable is great and will make the best advancements. With the kind of growth it has encountered for the last few years, the service has become more reliable and quicker.
People who have had the luck to use the service in Illinois have very good recommendations for quality and reliability. The rate of technological expansion also makes the service dependable for future use.
The fiber providers who have made some good investments are AT&T, Century Link, wow, RCN, and Suddenlink. The speeds can go to as high as 1 Gbps when in active use.
Fiber internet plans in Illinois
AT&T internet 300
This service is wonderful because it has speeds of 300 Mbps and uses a fiber connection. The subscribers have a deal with a reward card of $150. It costs $45 per month, which is quite affordable.
AT&T internet 500
This service plan is great because of the high speeds of 500 Mbps. It charges $55 per month and has no term contract. Fiber connection helps to have the users getting the connection.
Suddenlink internet 400 Mbps
This service is great because it has good speeds of 400 Mbps. It costs %60 per month and has a prepaid visa card of $200. It costs $60 per month, which is even more than adequate.
RCN gig internet
Another interesting service provider is the RCN who has the digital basic tv and speeds of 1 Gbps using the fiber connection. It charges $69.99 per month and offers free installation. There is no termly contract for this service.
AT&T internet 1000
You will get speeds of 1 Gbps using the fiber connection, which is stable and fast. This package has no termly contracts and charges $70 per month. Additionally, you will get the HBO max and reward card of $150.
Satellite connection in Illinois
Illinois has both rural and urban areas that need to have a connection. The satellite has been here to deliver a perfect bridge for the gap. It works in almost all places, ensuring adequate speeds and reliability throughout the state.
You may experience a challenge because of the connection types. The speeds for the satellite connection stand at 100 Mbps when performing to the best. The challenge that you are likely to encounter is that you will need to reposition and sometimes get technicians to fix things up for you.
Hughesnet and Viasat as the leaders when it comes to the utilization of the satellite internet. They are both great performers and maintain the same highest and lowest speeds.
Satellite internet plans
There are several satellite internet service providers available in rural Illinois. The top Satellite internet providers in Illinois include Hughesnet and Viasat.
They provide excellent internet connections for areas where there are no fiber, cable, or DSL internet connections.
Yes, the satellite internet has a higher latency. However, you can either reduce latency on satellite internet or learn to live with it if there is no other available provider.
Viasat unlimited gold 30
This package has speeds of 30 Mbps with a contract that lasts 24 months. It has a price tag of $150 per month, which is slightly higher but worth the price.
Hughesnet 10GB
Hughesnet 10GB has speeds of 25 Mbps and uses a satellite connection. For 24 months, you will enjoy a contract that lasts and delivers the best quality. You will get this service at $49.99 per month.
Hughesnet 20GB
This package will allow you to have speeds of 25 Mbps and uses the satellite connection with a 24-month contract. It costs $59.99 per month.
Viasat unlimited silver 25
This is another package that has brought about a nice service transformation. It has speeds of 25 Mbps, and the installation is free. It costs $70 per month and utilizes a contract of 24 months.
Hughesnet 30GB
At $89.99 per month, you will get this service under a contract of 24 months. It has high speeds of 25 Mbps. It uses the satellite connection, which is even more than adequate.
Broadband connection
Another thing we need to have a serious look at is the broadband connection. This service has helped a great deal to have the internet services reaching the rural areas. What makes it have the different is the use of mobile devices for service delivery.
The broadband services recommendable are 39% reliability, 26% speeds, and 28% affordability. It is ideal because it makes a wide number of the population have a chance to access the internet. Notably, the number of subscriptions has kept improving hence making the service more usable.
Rural internet service providers in Illinois
Illinois has the best rural service provision for the internet. You will notice various things such as fiber which ensures that the users have speeds between 250 Mbps and 1000 Mbps. This connection allows you to do various activities such as streaming, gaming, and others.
On the other hand, the cable connection has been a great solution for the rural areas in Illinois. Under the cable, you will get speeds between 10-500 Mbps for the downloads and uploads between 10 and 50 Mbps. Cable has a good performance that surpasses DSL by more than 15 times.
DSL is also a service that has penetrated the Illinois market. Reliability, price, affordability, and speeds make the service you get to stand out.
Satellite and broadband have been the most reliable services when it comes to rural areas. The good thing with them is that it has the speeds you need to have an outstanding service. When performing poorly, the satellite will have speeds between 1 Mbps and 25 Mbps. The upload speeds are also between 1 and 3 Mbps.
Broadband is a great choice because it makes it possible to have mobile devices getting the service.
Best internet provider in Chicago
Chicago is one of the best areas that have the best service providers. Being the biggest city in the state, it has attracted several investors who have delivered the service. The best providers include
Xfinity
Xfinity has various packages that serve the Chicago people. You will get the extreme pro which has 800 Mbps speeds at $84.99 per month. Xfinity package will also have 400 Mbps speeds using the cable connection at $49.99 per month. The staying price of the packages is $25 with speeds between 25 and 2Gbps.
Verizon
Verizon is not exceptional when it comes to Illinois services. It has a package of 5G internet that has speeds of 1000 Mbps
AT&T
You will get the speed ranges of 100-940 Mbps at $35 per month
RCN
From as low as $19.99 per month, you will get speeds of 50 Mbps.
Wow
Wow has a starting price of $34.99 and will deliver speeds between 100-1000 Mbps.
Other service providers
The other providers who will make you have a good time are Viasat, HughesNet .n air warns, rise broadband everywhere.
Choosing the best service provider in Illinois
Getting the best internet service provider in Illinois becomes very easy if you have some guiding principles. These include;
Connection type
You have to know the connection type that the service provider uses. It is helpful as it helps you know the specific area you are in and if the service will reach you. If it does not, then you have to look for one that will meet your specific needs.
In the rural Illinois areas, you may need to pick a satellite internet provider. However, in cities, you have a choice of either fiber, cable, or DSL internet.
As discussed, fiber internet offers fast and reliable internet as compared to DSL or cable internet. In most connections, it is also able to offer similar upload and upload speeds.
Internet speeds
You have to analyze plans and how the cost so that you get the service you desire. You also have to ensure that you have picked the provider who has the speeds you need to have the service. Low speeds will make the service unreliable.
Fiber has been shown to have the highest speeds. However, you may never need a gigabit internet connection if you have an average household. However, if you are a big family who loves gaming or 4K streaming then go for gigabit internet
Otherwise, for average speed, you can go for satellite internet or DSL internet. For faster than average internet speeds, be sure to check out the cable connections.
Location and coverage
It is wise to look at the coverage of the internet with regards to the location. Ensuring that the internet service reaches you is one thing that you must always understand. Each location has a service or provider who covers it well.
Some internet providers have majored in cities such as Chicago. Others like satellite internet providers in Illinois have targetted rural forks.
Therefore, as you choose your ISP please consider your location. And also check the ISPs providing the best internet in your location.
Internet plans
We have said the speeds get measured by the internet plans. You have to ensure that you have picked the package that you will conveniently pay for. The service must be outstanding, and the price must be one that you will afford.
The internet plan choice depends on the activities you are intending to use your internet for. For a few users, speeds of less than 100Mbps will suit your home. You can stream content and even enjoy online gaming. But the devices have to be few.
For homes with several users who love gaming and 4K streaming, we recommend internet plans of more than 100Mbps. However, gigabit internet is a preserve for multiple avid gamers or 4 K streamers.
Reliability
You need to ensure that you have got a reliable service. You need to have an internet supply and ensure that the speeds allow you to do your activities.
This is because there is nothing as annoying as having a lag in a live event. Or even a breakdown in communication as you have a video chat.
Thus, picking a reliable ISP will enable you to enjoy your moments online.
Conclusion: Best internet provider in Illinois
Illinois is a good place with proper internet coverage and thus the challenge is not lack of internet but choosing the provider who will meet your needs.
We have assessed and touched all the providers who will meet your needs. Your work is to do a simple assessment and then get the service that you desire to have. All our service providers are excellent as they deliver according to your exact needs.
Best internet provider in Illinois FAQs- Chicago and rural areas
What is the average internet speed in Illinois?
13.51 Mbps. The average internet speed in Illinois is 13.51 Mbps which is slightly above the national average of 12.55 Mbps. The internet speeds are however faster in cities as compared to rural areas. Cities such as Maryville – 35.08 Mbps, Chicago, Rock Island, and others have higher internet speeds.
Which is the best rural Illinois internet provider?
Rural Illinois has a disadvantage since they do not have a choice of the best fiber, cable, and DSL internet providers. Thus, they have to rely on satellite internet or mobile phone data. The best rural Illinois internet providers include Hughesnet and Viasat who provide satellite internet.
Which are the best cable companies in Illinois?
There are several cable internet companies in Illinois. Some of the best include AT&T, Suddenlink, Metronet, Spectrum, and others. You can choose the cable company depending on the plan required, pricing, location, and customer service.
Is Fiber Internet available in Chicago?
Yes, there are several internet providers who provide fiber internet in Chicago. They include Xfinity, AT&T, RCN, Verizon, Suddenlink among others. The fiber speeds range from one ISP to another. Xfinity provides you with up to 2Gbps internet plans which is one of the highest.
Does Illinois have good internet?
Yes, Illinois has good internet connection coverage and speeds. More than 98% of the population has access to broadband internet (more than 25 Mbps download speed). In total there are more than 120 internet service providers in Illinois.
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