The Challenge of Rural Connectivity
Over 22% of rural Americans lack access to broadband internet, according to 2021 data from the USDA. This compares to only 1.5% in urban areas without coverage. The reasons boil down to simple economics – sparsely populated rural regions do not offer enough potential customers to justify major infrastructure investments from big ISPs.
Laying down fiber optic cables or cable lines gets very expensive per home passed in the country versus a densely settled suburb. Despite programs to improve rural access and the presence of several specialized ISPs, many rural users still struggle to get fast, reliable internet. For both work and personal needs, this connectivity gap causes major headaches.
Types of Rural Internet Connections
When shopping for the best rural internet, it helps to understand a few key types of internet connections:
DSL – Digital subscriber lines utilize copper phone lines to provide internet access, typically at speeds below 100 Mbps download. Infrastructure is widely available but quality depends on distance to equipment.
Cable – Coaxial cable lines offer faster download speeds, normally 100 Mbps to 200+ Mbps for rural users. However, availability is hit and miss outside major towns.
Fiber – Fiber optic connections use flexible glass strands to deliver very fast speeds, often 1 Gbps+. But buildouts are extremely limited in rural areas despite higher costs.
Fixed Wireless – Special antennas beam internet signals to homes from towers up to 30 miles away. Speeds usually less than 100 Mbps.
Satellite – Satellite internet like Viasat or HugesNet work anywhere but suffer from data caps, high latency, weather disruptions.
Let‘s look at five top internet providers that offer rural Americans the best mix of reliable performance, reasonable prices and availability outside big cities.
1. CenturyLink
One of the largest DSL internet providers, CenturyLink offers broadband to over 5 million rural locations across the country. Speeds range from 20 Mbps to an impressive 100 Mbps for DSL. Select rural fiber areas can get speeds up to 940 Mbps.
CenturyLink DSL does not have data caps on all plans to date. Pricing runs very reasonable given rural options, from $49 per month for the 20 Mbps plan up to $65 per month for top speed 100 Mbps internet. They also bundle in Prism TV and home phone options.
The provider earns strong marks for rural service quality from analysts like J.D. Power. CenturyLink also fares well for customer service support response times based on FCC metrics. Their wide presence and mix of speeds make them a top player for rural internet.
2. Kinetic by Windstream
Windstream spun off its Kinetic fiber and DSL internet business in 2021 while undergoing bankruptcy. Availability centers mostly across Midwest and Southeast states. DSL speeds range from 25 Mbps to 100 Mbps without data caps starting at $47 per month.
In more limited rural areas, Kineticfiber can deliver 300 Mbps to 1 Gbps fiber speeds. Pricing runs higher than DSL of course, from $79 per month up to $129 per month. Taxes and fees are included to enable accurate budgeting. Bundle options are also available with Kinetic TV service and home phone offerings.
What stands out for Kinetic is no data caps on any speed tier. The provider also scores well for fast response times and issue resolution from American Customer Satisfaction Index surveys. Check availability by exact address to confirm if they can deliver faster fiber or DSL speeds to your rural location.
3. Mediacom
Mediacom primarily focuses on providing cable internet and TV services to Midwest and Southeast states outside major metros. Speeds range from 60 Mbps plans up to 1 Gbps. Pricing is very reasonable compared to other cable providers at $39.99 per month for their baseline internet package.
One catch is that Mediacom does impose data caps on all speed tiers, ranging from 200 GB per month on lower-cost plans up to 6 TB on the highest gigabit plan. They do offer unlimited data options for an extra $30 per month. So cord-cutters who stream a lot should budget for overages or the unlimited addon.
Mediacom Xtream cable does enable faster speeds than typical rural DSL. If cable lines are available in your area, it‘s a great option combining speed and value. Reliability is also good given rural constraints per FCC metrics and consumer surveys. Just keep the data caps in mind for heavier use.
4. Rise Broadband
Rise focuses primarily on providing fixed wireless internet across 16 states, mostly in the West and Midwest regions. Speeds reach up to 25 Mbps for basic plans and up to 250 Mbps for top-tier premium plans.
Pricing runs very affordable starting at $39.99 per month for 5 Mbps speeds and $69.99 per month for the fastest residential tier. Business plans with higher speeds are also available. All consumer Rise Broadband plans feature unlimited data without caps.
Network coverage and performance does vary more compared to wired options. But for rural users without access to cable or fiber, Rise delivers surprisingly capable speeds. Customer service also scores well per surveys. Just be sure to check their tower coverage map for your location first before signing any contract.
5. Ziply Fiber
Ziply Fiber emerged after Frontier declared bankruptcy in 2020. The new brand focuses on expanding high-speed fiber internet across Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Montana. Speeds stretch up to 500 Mbps for $60 per month and up to 2 Gbps for $120 per month.
Being newer, exact rural availability remains limited so far for Ziply Fiber outside metro suburbs like Seattle or Spokane. But they have proven consumer fiber is viable even for small town regions often neglected by other big ISPs.
Ziply manages their own end-to-end network and operations for quality control too. Initial customer satisfaction scores run high. We expect their future fiber expansion plans to open up faster rural internet options across the Northwest.
Comparing the Top 5 Rural Internet Providers
| ISP | Connection Type | Starting Speed | Starting Price | Data Caps? | Top Speed | Availability |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 20 Mbps | $49/mo | No | 100 Mbps | Nationwide |
| Kinetic | DSL/Fiber | 25 Mbps | $47/mo | No | 1 Gbps | Midwest/Southeast |
| Mediacom | Cable | 60 Mbps | $39.99/mo | Yes | 1 Gbps | Midwest/Southeast |
| Rise Broadband | Fixed Wireless | 5 Mbps | $39.99/mo | No | 250 Mbps | West/Midwest |
| Ziply Fiber | Fiber | 100 Mbps | $40/mo | No | 2 Gbps | Northwest |
As shown above, the fastest rural internet provider comes down to your exact location and what kind of cabling (or wireless) is available. The good news is wired broadband speeds continue to improve thanks to investments from providers dedicated to serving less populated areas.
We expect further expansions of both fiber and fixed wireless internet to open better rural access over time. Satellite internet remains an option for remote regions too, just with some performance compromises. Carefully comparing the ISPs in your area is key to finding quality rural internet service.
