Country life, while pure and easygoing, can be really slow especially since it is quite hard to get fast internet speeds and what can you do if you are not connected to high-speed internet service in today’s fast-paced world?
The year 2020 showed us how important the internet can be – every activity that we thought could be done only physically was executed through the web and it all made sense. From hosting virtual happy hours to enjoying online book clubs, from working remotely to learning so many new things, from binge-watching every TV show on Netflix to trying out all the TitTok sensational recipes, from shopping groceries online to buying acres of land on the moon; we lived through this hellhole of a pandemic because of the internet.
As the importance and significance of the internet became more clear, we also identified the problems of connectivity in most rural areas. While the internet is such a vital commodity in today’s digital world, many people are still deprived of a stable connection. However, some internet providers have taken the initiative to bring about this required change. To share a personal anecdote, I remember how overwhelmed my old folks were when they first got Grande Communications in the outskirts of Austin, Texas.
As such, I have gathered data and formulated a list of the best internet service providers in rural areas for the year 2021. Go ahead and find out the best-suited ISPs for your home.
- Viasat
Internet speeds: 12 to 100 Mbps
Connection Type: Satellite
Data limitation: 12 to 300 GB
Availability: 50 states
Starting from: 30 USD per month
One of the most recommended internet providers for rural areas is Viasat. This is on account of the fact that it offers the best levels of download speeds and has quite flexible data restrictions.
Here are the plans offered by Viasat satellite internet:
| Package | Download Speed | Data limit |
| Liberty 12 | 12 Mbps | 12 GB |
| Liberty 25 | 12 Mbps | 25 GB |
| Liberty 50 | 12 Mbps | 50 GB |
| Basic 12 | 12 Mbps | 15 GB |
| Unlimited Bronze 12 | 12 Mbps | 80 GB |
| Unlimited Silver 25 | 25 Mbps | 120 GB |
| Unlimited Gold 30 | 30 Mbps | 100 GB |
| Unlimited Gold 50 | 50 Mbps | 200 GB |
| Unlimited Silver 12 | 12 Mbps | 45 GB |
| Unlimited Platinum 100 | 100 Mbps | 300 GB |
| Unlimited Gold 12 | 12 Mbps | 65 GB |
On satellite charts, Viasat is always on top with its 100 Mbps speeds and data limitation of 300 GB in the Unlimited Platinum 100 plan. While Viasat has all these great attributes, it does come with one drawback – after every three months, your price might get increased around 15 to 50 USD.
- Rise Broadband
Internet speeds: 5 to 50 Mbps
Connection Type: Fixed Wireless
Data limitation: 250 GB to unlimited
Availability: 16 states
Starting from: 35 USD per month
Rise Broadband, available in 16 states including Utah, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Texas, and Nebraska, is worthy of your time and money.
Rise Broadband does not require you to have direct lines to your home and makes it very accessible for rural residents to work with a stable internet connection. This internet provider even reaches areas that fiber optic, telephone lines, and cable service providers neglect.
Furthermore, if you are a gamer or like streaming video content, Rise Broadband comes up with speeds up to 50 Mbps and minimum latency levels at affordable rates. Here are the plans offered by Rise Broadband internet:
| Package | Download Speed | Data limit |
| Up to 25 Mbps Internet | Up to 25 Mbps | 250 GB |
| Up to 50 Mbps Internet | Up to 50 Mbps | 250 GB |
| Up to 25 Mbps Internet with Unlimited Data | Up to 25 Mbps | Unlimited |
| Up to 50 Mbps Internet with Unlimited Data | Up to 50 Mbps | Unlimited |
- Windstream
Internet speeds: 25 to 1,000 Mbps
Connection Type: DSL/Fiber
Data limitation: Unlimited
Availability: 18 states
Starting from: 27 USD per month
If you live in or have ever been to Georgia, you would know how big of a name Windstream is there. Available in 18 states, Windstream is a strong rural internet provider that incorporates fiber technology.
People belonging to areas that have fiber servicing can available symmetric internet speeds up to 1,000 Mbps – which is one of the fastest internet speeds offered in rural spaces. Such fast speeds allow users to stream, play games and carry out all online activities with utmost comfort.
Here are the plans offered by Windstream internet:
| Package | Download Speed | Data limit |
| High Speed Internet 25 Mbps | 25 Mbps | Unlimited |
| High Speed Internet 50 to 100 Mbps | 100 Mbps | Unlimited |
| High Speed Internet 200 Mbps | 200 Mbps | Unlimited |
| High Speed Internet 300 to 400 Mbps | 400 Mbps | Unlimited |
| High Speed Internet 500 Mbps | 500 Mbps | Unlimited |
| Kinetic Gig | 1,000 Mbps | Unlimited |
Two things you should know about Windstream are that the price of plans changes according to your location and they increase after the first year.
- T-Mobile Home Internet
Internet speeds: 25 to 100 Mbps
Connection Type: Cellular
Data limitation: Unlimited
Availability: 48 states
Starting from: 60 USD per month
If you are a cellular internet user living in a rural area, T-Mobile is ready to take you to the highs of 5G connectivity. While it is a great cellular internet service provider, you might also want to subscribe to it for home internet service because of its huge coverage area.
T-Mobile only offers one plan that costs you 60 USD a month with the fastest internet speeds. However, if you opt for the home internet service, you might occasionally shift back to 4G LTE, which implies a speed dip, but even in that scenario, your speed range of 25 to 100 Mbps will be maintained.
| Package | Download Speed | Data limit |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | 25 to 100 Mbps | Unlimited |
The only thing that you might want to dig deep in is that in the truest rural areas, T-Mobile fails to provide 100 Mbps. Although, this one point gets succumbed by the many perks offered by T-Mobile like you would get a free modem-router combo with its home internet plan.
The Last Word
Other ISPs like Earthlink, Frontier, Verizon, and AT&T Fixed Wireless are also offering great internet plans in rural areas. Before choosing any plan, make sure to evaluate your internet usage so that you do not end up paying more.
I hope this article will help you get the best-suited internet plans for your home.
Good luck!
