Best High Speed Internet Providers for Small Towns

Getting access to reliable, high-speed internet can be challenging for residents in less populated areas. While urban locations benefit from extensive infrastructure, rural communities often rely on alternative solutions to stay connected. Use this guide to find the best high-speed internet providers for small towns.

Comparing the Top Small Town Internet Services

Review the top features and capabilities of each internet service provider (ISP) that caters to small towns and rural areas.

Top High-Speed Internet Providers for Small Towns

A high-speed ISP helps bridge the broadband access gap between urban and rural residents. Your internet access keeps you connected and entertained and allows you to work or study remotely. These are the top contenders to consider.

1. Point Broadband Fiber Holding, LLC

Point Broadband Fiber Holding, LLC is a fiber-first provider focused on expanding internet access in small towns and rural communities across the Southeast and Midwest. Unlike many larger providers, Point Broadband focuses on underserved needs, from its infrastructure to its service packages.

If you are looking for blazing-fast speeds, this provider delivers a modern solution for remote work, streaming, and online learning in hard-to-reach places.

• Coverage: Point Broadband’s service area includes rural regions in Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio and Virginia and places often left out by traditional fiber rollouts.
• Offerings: Residential plans include symmetrical speeds up to 1 Gbps, with no throttling or required bundles. The business packages offer scalable solutions for small-town entrepreneurs with a three-year price guarantee.
• Contracts and pricing: Pricing is transparent, with competitive entry-level plans compared to satellite or digital subscriber lines (DSLs).
• Specials: Limited-time promotions may include free installation or equipment discounts in certain areas. New areas often get launch deals to encourage signups.
• Customer service: With local call centers and community involvement, support is responsive and informed. The company’s reputation for hands-on customer service in smaller towns is outstanding. It is a Fiber Broadband Association-certified fiber service provider.

Also read: Four Shopping Tips for the Best Residential Internet

2. Viasat

Viasat is one of the most widely available rural internet providers in the U.S., using satellite technology to reach homes well beyond the range of cable and fiber. Viasat’s strength lies in its broad coverage and decent speeds, although it has limitations typical of satellite connections.

• Coverage: Viasat is available in nearly every ZIP code across the continental U.S., including rural deserts in New Mexico, mountainous areas of Montana and coastal fishing towns in Maine.
• Offerings: Plans vary by location but generally offer 25-150 Mbps download speeds. Most plans include unlimited data with priority thresholds, after which speeds may slow.
• Contracts and pricing: Most plans do not require a contract. Prices start higher than wired internet, reflecting satellite infrastructure costs, and may increase after the first three to six months.
• Specials: Occasional discounts are available for military families and new customers, including promotional pricing, monthly discounts and bundled phone services.
• Customer service: Support is decent but can be slower during outages or when experiencing equipment issues.

3. HughesNet

HughesNet has long been a staple in rural internet, delivering satellite service using the Jupiter satellite network to even the most hard-to-reach locations. It does not offer the fastest speeds on the market, but what it lacks in performance, it makes up for in dependability and reach. For small towns and those living off-grid, HughesNet can be a lifeline for staying connected.

• Coverage: HughesNet offers 100% coverage across the lower 48 states and parts of Alaska and Puerto Rico. It is especially common in rural places without fiber, DSL or wireless access.
• Offerings: All plans deliver up to 100 Mbps download speeds for varying amounts of high-speed priority data and slower unlimited standard data. The service throttles after reaching the threshold but does not cut users off entirely.
• Contracts and pricing: A two-year contract is standard. Data allotment determines pricing, and plans include built-in Wi-Fi.
• Specials: HughesNet occasionally offers free installation or discounted equipment rentals for new customers. Some promotions are subject to auto-pay signups or seasonal deals.
• Customer service: Support is available 24/7, but service calls may take a few days. However, because the company is large, customer experience can vary by region.

4. Starlink

Starlink — powered by SpaceX — has become a game-changer for rural internet users. Instead of relying on traditional geostationary satellites, it uses a LEO satellite network to deliver faster speeds and drastically reduced latency. Starlink feels like broadband for people in remote, mountainous or forested areas where cable infrastructure is not available or other satellite services fall short.

• Coverage: Starlink is available across most of the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii. It performs especially well in remote areas in Texas, Colorado, Arizona, and upstate New York — regions often underserved by other providers.
• Offerings: Residential service delivers speeds between 25-250 Mbps, with upload speeds up to 20 Mbps and latency as low as 20 milliseconds. There is no hard data cap, although the network may deprioritize heavy users to manage congestion.
• Contracts and pricing: Simply sign up for a month-to-month plan. The hardware kit — including the dish, router and cables — has an upfront cost of a few hundred dollars. It is often offered free, but a monthly service fee applies. Portability options and a roaming plan with Starlink RV are available for travelers.
• Specials: It occasionally offers refurbished hardware at a lower price.
• Customer service: Most customers use the app or online portal for support. While there is no traditional phone support, users report fast resolution times for software-related issues on the app.

5. Rise Broadband

Rise Broadband delivers fixed wireless internet to often-overlooked suburban areas. It is a solid option if you live on the outskirts of town or in a farming community with limited wired infrastructure. Rise Broadband uses towers to transmit service directly to your home. It offers better speeds and lower latency than traditional satellite internet and is a top rural ISP according to CNET.

• Coverage: Rise Broadband is available in 16 states, with strong coverage across rural parts of Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Idaho. Many of its service areas are smaller towns and unincorporated communities where ISP options are slim.
• Offerings: Offers speeds from 3 Mbps to 1 Gbps, depending on your location and proximity to a tower. Plans come in capped or unlimited data. Unlimited plans are ideal for remote workers or households using streaming services.
• Contracts and pricing: Month-to-month plans are available, but signing a contract typically lowers monthly rates or waives the installation fee. Equipment rental adds a small monthly fee.
• Specials: Promotions include discounted pricing for the first 12 months or free installation when bundled with phone service.
• Customer service: Customer support is U.S.-based and is available by phone and online chat. Despite mixed reviews, many rural customers report better responsiveness compared to larger providers.

6. Frontier

Frontier — a legacy DSL and fiber provider — is steadily expanding its fiber-optic network into small towns and rural regions. If you live in a more remote area without recent infrastructure investment or are lucky enough to be in one of Frontier’s newer service zones, you can access fast, affordable internet without relying on satellite or fixed wireless.

• Coverage: Frontier operates in 28 states, including rural and suburban parts of Florida, California, West Virginia, New York and Connecticut. Areas previously stuck with outdated copper lines can now enjoy fiber rollouts.
• Offerings: Frontier’s DSL service affects speeds where fiber is not available, and its fiber plans reach up to 7 Gbps in some areas. Fiber plans include symmetrical upload and download speeds with no data caps.
• Contracts and pricing: You will need no annual contracts, and many plans include price-lock guarantees for one to three years. DSL plans are lower priced but come with slower speeds.
• Specials: New customers can often score free installation, Visa gift card rebates or equipment upgrades, especially in fiber-eligible areas.
• Customer service: Frontier’s support improved after its restructuring. Live chat, phone and app-based support are available, though rural users report mixed results depending on the region.

7. T-Mobile

T-Mobile is one of the most recent options to hit small-town markets. Using its expanding long-term evolution (LTE) networks, T-Mobile delivers wireless broadband without cables, dishes or towers on your property. It is a worthy contender for households that want a quick, plug-and-play solution with no contracts or tech headaches.

• Coverage: Available in thousands of ZIP codes, especially across the Midwest, Southeast and parts of the West. T-Mobile targets underserved rural areas with strong LTE signals, including farming towns, small cities and outer suburbs.
• Offerings: The service delivers average download speeds of 134-415 Mbps, depending on signal strength. Upload speeds are 12-55 Mbps, with no data caps, but it includes throttling during peak times. Plans include a gateway device that connects via a cellular signal, eliminating the need for traditional wiring.
• Contracts and pricing: T-Mobile requires no equipment fees. It offers a flat $50 monthly rate with Autopay and a five-year price fix guarantee.
• Specials: T-Mobile often runs promotions like a free trial for 15 days or discounts for mobile customers bundling their phone plans.
• Customer service: Support is highly rated, and setup is as simple as plugging in a box. T-Mobile also provides a mobile app to help users optimize signal placement in their homes.

Also read: Why High-Speed Internet is Important For Business?

How to Choose High-Speed Rural Internet Providers

To find the best high-speed internet providers for small towns, you should look at the factors that matter most when living in rural areas:

• Availability in underserved areas: A provider cannot help if it does not reach your town. Prioritize companies expanding into remote communities, not just cities and suburbs.
• Connection type and speed: Whether it is fiber, satellite or fixed wireless, look at how well each technology performs in rural environments and whether it can handle everyday needs like streaming, video calls and schoolwork. Check on the upload and download speeds and overall speeds.
• Reliability and consistency: Outages hit harder when you are miles from the nearest tech support. Choose services known for stability, even during bad weather or peak hours.
• Customer satisfaction: Consider real user reviews and customer support quality. In remote areas, it is not just about what you buy — it is about who shows up when something goes wrong.
• Unique perks for rural users: From unlimited data to easy DIY installation, give extra credit to features that make remote life easier.

Get Connected Wherever You Are

Selecting the right internet provider in a small town depends on your specific needs and the available infrastructure. Consider speed, cost, service and support to make an informed decision that ensures reliable and high-speed connectivity.

Frequently Asked Questions