Greatest Web Suppliers in Illinois

What’s the greatest web supplier in Illinois?

AT&T Fiber is CNET’s alternative for the most effective web service supplier in Illinois. It has the most effective fiber web protection in Illinois, the most effective picks of high-speed plans that embrace limitless knowledge and free gear and the highest buyer satisfaction of any main supplier within the state.

However AT&T Fiber is not the state’s least expensive or quickest ISP. Mediacom is tops this record with its $15 per thirty days Xtream Join plan — providing obtain speeds as much as 100Mbps. Astound used to have the least expensive web plan in Illinois — with service beginning at $20 per thirty days. Xfinity even affords multi-gigabit plans, as much as 10,000Mbps, though service areas are restricted. Xfinity additionally has the most effective availability of any non-satellite supplier in Illinois. 

Xfinity and AT&T are high decisions for web in Illinois. Nonetheless, the greatest web service supplier to your residence will in the end depend upon the out there web suppliers in your space and what you’re on the lookout for, whether or not that’s the most cost effective service, the quickest speeds or the most effective total worth.

Greatest web in Illinois in 2024

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge.

Different out there web suppliers in Illinois

• Brightspeed: After buying DSL networks from Lumen Applied sciences (CenturyLink), Brightspeed affords web within the western Illinois areas of Galesburg, Dixon and Manito. DSL service begins at $50 per thirty days for the quickest speeds out there, as much as 100Mbps.
• Frontier: DSL web is on the market all through a lot of Illinois, however the low speeds are most likely value passing on if different cable, fiber or 5G choices can be found in your space. Then again, Frontier Fiber has the speeds, service phrases and worth to rival AT&T Fiber, however the service is simply out there in choose areas.
• Mediacom: Cable web service from Mediacom affords obtain speeds from 100 to 1,000Mbps, beginning at $15 to $60 per thirty days, relying in your pace and choices. Most plans include an information cap starting from 400GB-2TB.
• Rise Broadband: Mounted wi-fi web is a good possibility for broadband in rural areas, however with max speeds of 25 to 50Mbps beginning at $45 per thirty days in most areas, Rise Broadband doesn’t have the identical worth as T-Cellular Dwelling Web. 
• Sparklight: Beforehand often called Cable One, Sparklight affords cable web service in choose elements of Illinois, together with Taylorville, Hillsboro, Benton and Fairfield. Service is comparatively low-cost, from $25 to $60 per thirty days for speeds starting from 100 to 940Mbps.
• Spectrum: The nation’s second-largest cable web supplier doesn’t have close to the protection of Xfinity in Illinois, however these within the Mt. Vernon and larger St. Louis areas could also be eligible for service. Plans begin at $30 to $70 month-to-month for max obtain speeds of 100 to 1,000Mbps and embrace limitless knowledge and a free modem.
• Verizon 5G Dwelling Web: Verizon’s wi-fi residence web service boasts quicker max speeds than T-Cellular Dwelling Web, however availability is generally restricted to Chicago and the larger St. Louis space. Two plans — Dwelling, beginning at $50 per thirty days for speeds of fifty to 300Mbps and Dwelling Plus, $70 for 85 to 1,000Mbps — can be found and include gear rental, limitless knowledge and no contact necessities. Qualifying Verizon cell prospects can get Dwelling and Dwelling Plus for $35 and $45 per thirty days, respectively.
• Satellite tv for pc web: Wired and glued wi-fi connections cowl greater than 99% of Illinois households, in line with the FCC, so that you shouldn’t should depend on satellite tv for pc web. If, nevertheless, no different sensible choices can be found, Hughesnet and Viasat are high decisions for satellite tv for pc web, although Starlink could ship quicker speeds. 

Illinois web choices by metropolis

It’s exhausting to cowl the web choices of a whole state like Illinois whereas giving particular person cities the in-depth consideration they deserve. That’s why we’ve additionally put collectively lists of the most effective web suppliers in cities throughout the US, together with these in Illinois. In the event you don’t discover your hometown beneath, verify again later. We’re working so as to add extra day-after-day.

Low cost web choices in Illinois

Cable web suppliers Xfinity, Astound, Sparklight and Mediacom have the most cost effective web plans in Illinois. Astound has the most cost effective plan at $20 per thirty days for speeds as much as 300Mbps, Xfinity and Sparklight least expensive plans are first rate offers too, providing speeds as much as 150Mbps and 300Mbps for $30 and $35 per thirty days, respectively.

What is the least expensive web in Illinois?

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge.

How you can discover web offers and promotions in Illinois

The very best web offers and high promotions in Illinois depend upon what reductions can be found throughout that point. Most offers are short-lived, however we glance often for the most recent affords. 

Illinois web suppliers, equivalent to Astound Broadband, could provide decrease introductory pricing or particular affords for a restricted time. Others, together with AT&T Fiber, Xfinity and Spectrum, run the identical customary pricing year-round. 

For a extra in depth record of promos, take a look at our information on the greatest web offers. 

How briskly is Illinois broadband?

Ookla pace take a look at knowledge from This fall 2023 exhibits Illinois had a median obtain pace of 187Mbps, good for thirty ninth place amongst all 50 states and Washington, DC. The speeds are decrease than the nationwide common of 267Mbps and neighboring states of Indiana (201Mbps), Kentucky (210Mbps), Missouri (208Mbps) and Wisconsin (201Mbps) however quicker than Iowa (162Mbps). (Ookla is owned by the identical guardian firm as CNET, Ziff Davis)

Fiber web is usually the most effective supply for quick speeds and has the benefit of symmetrical (or shut) add and obtain speeds. Cable web also can pack loads of obtain pace (Astound Broadband affords as much as 1,500Mbps, for instance) however add speeds are sometimes a lot slower.

Quickest web plans in Illinois

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge.

What’s a great web pace?

Most web connection plans can now deal with primary productiveness and communication duties. In the event you’re on the lookout for an web plan that may accommodate video conferencing, streaming video or gaming, you may have a greater expertise with a extra strong connection. This is an summary of the really helpful minimal obtain speeds for varied functions, in line with the FCC. Notice that these are solely tips; web pace, service and efficiency fluctuate by connection kind, supplier and deal with.

For extra info, seek advice from our information on how a lot web pace you really want.

• 0 to 5Mbps permits you to deal with the fundamentals: shopping the web, sending and receiving electronic mail and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps provides you higher-quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps ought to give one person enough bandwidth to fulfill the calls for of recent telecommuting, video streaming and on-line gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps permits one to 2 customers to concurrently have interaction in high-bandwidth actions like video conferencing, streaming and on-line gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps permits three or extra customers to have interaction in high-bandwidth actions on the similar time.

How CNET selected the most effective web suppliers in Illinois

Web service suppliers are quite a few and regional. Not like the most recent smartphone, laptop computer, router or kitchen device, it’s impractical to personally take a look at each ISP in a given metropolis. What’s our strategy? We begin by researching the pricing, availability and pace info drawing on our personal historic ISP knowledge, the supplier websites and mapping info from the Federal Communications Fee at FCC.gov.

It doesn’t finish there: We go to the FCC’s web site to verify our knowledge and guarantee we contemplate each ISP that gives service in an space. We additionally enter native addresses on supplier web sites to search out particular choices for residents. We have a look at sources, together with the American Buyer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Energy, to guage how joyful prospects are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and costs are topic to frequent modifications; all info supplied is correct as of publication.

As soon as now we have this localized info, we ask three important questions:

1. Does the supplier provide entry to moderately quick web speeds?
2. Do prospects get first rate worth for what they’re paying?
3. Are prospects proud of their service?

Whereas the solutions to these questions are sometimes layered and complicated, the suppliers that come closest to “sure” on all three are those we advocate. When deciding on the most cost effective web service, we search for the plans with the bottom month-to-month charge, though we additionally think about issues like value will increase, gear charges and contracts. Selecting the quickest web service is comparatively simple. We have a look at marketed add and obtain speeds and contemplate real-world pace knowledge from sources like Ookla and FCC experiences.

To discover our course of in additional depth, go to our how we take a look at ISPs web page.

What’s the ultimate phrase on web suppliers in Illinois?

Xfinity has the most effective protection of any non-satellite supplier, the most cost effective web plan and the quickest web pace tier in Illinois. The most affordable plan solely affords speeds as much as 100Mbps, and availability for Xfinity’s quickest plan (as much as 10,000Mbps) requires entry to the supplier’s fiber community, which is restricted in Illinois.

Whereas there’s a great probability your Illinois deal with is serviceable for Xfinity, it’s value contemplating different suppliers that could be out there as nicely to make sure you’re getting the most effective speeds and worth. 

If fiber web is on the market from suppliers equivalent to Frontier Fiber or AT&T Fiber (CNET’s decide for greatest ISP in Illinois total), it’s more likely to be a greater worth, even whether it is barely costlier within the first 12 months or two. In any other case, look to cable suppliers equivalent to Astound, Mediacom, Sparklight and Spectrum, or mounted wi-fi service from T-Cellular Dwelling Web and Verizon 5G Dwelling Web for quick, dependable residence web in Illinois.

Web suppliers in Illinois FAQs