r/Rural_Internet Aug 10 '24

[STICKY] Rural Internet Options

13 Upvotes

Table of contents
1. Overview
2. Key Factors in Choosing an Internet Provider
3. Local Fixed Wireless
4. Cellular Home Internet
5. Cellular ISP’s
6. Starlink

To view this on the wiki, click here

1. Overview

What are my options?

If you're reading this, it's likely that fiber optic internet is not available in your area. Fortunately, we live in a time where internet options have never been more available.

The Good News: Even in rural America, you usually have at least a few internet choices. While fiber optic is the best option when available, there are viable alternatives if it's not an option for you.

The Bad News: These alternatives might not be the most affordable, and each comes with its own set of trade-offs.

Below is a comparison of the main options available for rural areas, including local fixed wireless, home internet from major cellular providers, cellular ISPs, and Starlink. The table summarizes each option's pricing, pros, cons, and recommendations. For more detailed information on each option, follow the hyperlinks to the sections below.

Provider Type Price Coverage Pros Cons Recommendation
Local Fixed Wireless Lowest Localized - Generally the most affordable - Requires line-of-sight Recommended if available in your area.
- Reliable service - External hardware required
- Good customer support - Not always available
Cellular Home Internet Lowest Moderate - Affordable - Limited availability Best option if local providers are not available
- No data caps - Performance varies with congestion
- Easy setup - Locked to one location
Cellular ISPs Middle Nationwide - Easy setup - Higher prices Consider for high-speed needs and portability
- Portable - Variable performance
- High speeds - Can have poor reputations
Starlink Highest Global - Global coverage - High startup cost Suitable for areas without other options
- Low latency - Requires clear line-of-sight to sky
- High speeds - High monthly cost

2. Key Factors in Choosing an Internet Provider

Avoid HughesNet or Viasat

With the advent of cellular based providers and Starlink, you should ALWAYS avoid these companies. There’s no world in which these are a good option. Not having internet is a better option than them. Just don’t. Run. Flee. Abandon all hope ye who choose them.

Here’s why:

  • High Latency: Latency is generally 500ms or more, making gaming nearly impossible, and video conferencing sucks.
  • Data Caps and Throttling: They both impose strict data caps on their plans, which once hit, make doing anything on the web nearly impossible. And you increase the probability of punching your computer in frustration.
  • Long-Term Contracts: They generally require 24 to 36 month contracts, which makes canceling your service early quite expensive - even if it is barely working.
  • Poor Customer Satisfaction: Their customer service sucks, and tech support is akin to that of monkeys chained in the basement of a sweatshop speaking in Klingon.

Customer Experience

  • Check customer reviews: This is a critical step. A company can advertise anything, but reviews offer insight into how the real-world speeds and performance of a service provider really are.
  • Local feedback: If you’re working with a local company like fixed wireless, ask around to your neighbors and your friends to see if they’ve had a good experience with the company, and are happy with their speeds.

Pricing

  • Transparent Pricing: Look at how simple their pricing is. If it’s not clearly displayed on the website or there’s a bunch of different prices displayed, that probably means they’re hiding something. If you have to call them to get a price, that’s a definite red flag.
  • Monthly Costs: Compare monthly subscription fees across providers. Keep in mind that the lowest price may not always offer the best value if it comes with hidden costs or poor service.
  • Startup Costs: Be aware of any initial fees for equipment, installation, or activation. Providers with high startup costs may offer lower monthly rates but require a larger upfront investment.
  • Long-Term Costs: Consider potential increases in monthly fees over time. Providers like Verizon and T-Mobile often offer promotional rates that increase after an initial period, so make sure to read the fine print before purchasing.

Customer Service

  • While we all wish we could live in a world where tech doesn’t break down, the tragic reality is that we don’t. Tech issues will arise. And having good customer service is critically important in those times.
  • Generally smaller companies will have better customer service than large companies. Your best customer service will likely come through a local fixed wireless provider or a cellular ISP. T-Mobile, Verizon, and Starlink are massive corporations with outsourced support. So if that’s important to you, it’s worth consideration when weighing your options.

3. Local Fixed Wireless

Overview

Local fixed wireless providers are the first place you should be looking for internet offerings. They normally have good customer service, competitive pricing, and technicians who can resolve issues quickly.

To search for local internet providers, the FCC Broadband Map is the best place to look. Enter your address in the search box and see if there’s any providers in your area. If any show up, give them a call and see if they can service your area.

Another good place to look is asking around in your local area. Your neighbors, friends, and even your local chamber of commerce can help you.

Pros and Cons

  • Pros
    • Local Support: You often get local and quality customer service.
    • Lower Prices: In most cases, they offer the most competitive pricing options available.
    • Community Focus: Local providers are often more invested in the community and its needs.
    • Reliability: Fixed wireless is generally more reliable than cellular or satellite based options.
  • Cons
    • Cost for high-speed: Pricing is generally tiered by speed, and anything above 25mbps can be upwards of $100/mo or more.
    • Line-of-sight required: Fixed wireless requires a clear line-of-sight from the tower to your home. If you’re surrounded by trees or in a hilly area, there’s a good chance you can’t get service.
    • External hardware required: To setup your internet, they’ll need to send out a technician and mount hardware on the outside of your home.
    • Immobile: You can’t take your internet with you while traveling.
    • Rarely have a money-back guarantee: if it doesn’t work well, you’re generally out the money you spend on the service.

4. Cellular Home Internet

Overview

Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T all have cellular based home internet options, which are both excellent options if there’s no local providers in your area. Their area of coverage is fairly limited, so you may not always be in their service area. They both have competitive pricing - sometimes even cheaper than local fixed wireless providers. The speeds are entirely based upon the capacity of the cell tower, which means if you’re in an area with good speeds, you can get 100+ mbps. However, if you’re in an area with a lot of congestion and users, you can see speeds as low as 5-10mbps.

One of the key advantages of these services is the simplicity of setup - typically, you receive a router that you simply plug in and activate. There’s no external hardware required, and no technical experience needed. Additionally, there are no data caps on usage.

One important thing to note: As with all major telecoms, they have all these low prices with asterisks. Those prices are with all the possible discounts and bundling. The table below reflects the actual pricing if you aren’t doing bundling with their phone service, etc. So oftentimes their pricing isn’t quite as cheap as they look, if you aren’t already using them for your phone service.

Link Monthly Price Activation Fee Coverage Area
AT&T $60/mo (with autopay) None Limited coverage
Verizon $50-70/mo (with autopay) $35 Limited coverage, expanding
T-Mobile $55-75/mo (with autopay) $35 Broader coverage than Verizon, but still limited

Pros and Cons

  • Pros:
    • High-Speed Data with No Caps: All three providers have no data caps, and you’ll generally get high speeds.
    • Quick and Easy Setup: The setup is straightforward and typically involves receiving a router that you just plug in and activate with minimal hassle.
    • Low Monthly Costs: All three providers offer competitive monthly pricing, which can sometimes even be cheaper than local fixed wireless providers.
    • Low Startup Costs: The activation fee is up to a max of $35, which is a significant advantage even over local fixed wireless (often $100+).
  • Cons:
    • Limited Availability: The coverage for all three providers’ home internet services are only available in select locations.
    • Variable Performance: Performance will fluctuate depending on network congestion, with speeds generally slowing during peak usage times - typically mornings and evenings.
    • No Mobility: This service is only allowed at the address it was purchased for, so it’s not an option if you want to take it with you while traveling.
    • Poor Customer Service: As with large tech companies, tech support is outsourced to the lowest bidder who just follows a script, so getting any type of actual support can be difficult.

5. Cellular ISP’s

Overview

Cellular ISPs provide internet services that run on major cellular networks like T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. These providers offer the advantage of utilizing the fastest available network in your location, which can deliver speeds of 100+ Mbps where coverage is strong. One of the main benefits is the portability of the service—since it operates over cellular networks, you can use it in different locations, making it ideal for those who travel frequently or need connectivity in various places.

The setup for cellular ISP services is straightforward. You only need to plug in a router to start connecting to the internet, eliminating the need for professional installation or additional hardware.

The key consideration when choosing a cellular ISP is selecting a reputable company. Checking online reviews and researching customer experiences can help you avoid providers with poor service or unreliable performance.

Important: many companies have come and gone over the years leaving customers without service and hardware that may not work with another company, therefore its recommended to choose a company that has been in business for several years and has a good reputation.

The table below compares several recommended cellular ISPs based on their pricing and startup costs.

Link Monthly Price (unlimited data) Router cost Incorporation year
Trifecta Wireless $99.95+ $9.95/mo 2018
USLTE $124+ Included in mo price 2019
GotW3 $134.99 $14.99/mo-$279 2018

Pros and Cons

  • Pros
    • Good Customer Service: Because cellular ISPs are small companies, their support is considerably better than your large telecoms.
    • High Speeds: In areas with strong cellular coverage, speeds can exceed 100 Mbps. This makes them a good option for streaming, gaming, and other data-intensive activities.
    • Easy Setup: You generally only need to plug in a router to get started, avoiding the need for professional installation or complicated hardware setups.
    • Portability: Cellular ISPs offer the flexibility to use the internet service in various locations, making them a great choice for frequent travelers or RVers.
  • Cons
    • Variable Performance: The performance of cellular ISP services will fluctuate depending on the capacity of the cell tower in your area. In locations with high congestion or poor coverage, speeds may drop to as low as 5-10 Mbps.
    • Higher Prices: Cellular ISP plans are often more expensive than fixed wireless or home internet providers.
    • Lower Performance: Due to the inherent limitations of cellular technology, you can experience lower reliability and performance.
    • Company Reputation: Not all cellular ISPs have strong reputations. Some companies may have poor customer service or issues with service reliability. For example, Nomad Internet has faced legal issues related to fraud. Researching customer reviews and company history can help you avoid such pitfalls.

6. Starlink

Overview

Starlink is also a good option when there’s no local providers available. They have nationwide coverage, low latency, and good speeds.

The service requires a satellite dish and a router, which are provided by Starlink. The dish needs a clear view of the sky to connect with the satellites.

The main drawback to Starlink is the price - startup costs for the hardware range from $300-$2500 and the monthly cost is $120+

Plan Monthly Price Equipment Cost
Residential $120 $300-$500
Mobile $150 $500-$600
Global roaming $50 for 50gb $600

Pros and Cons

  • Pros:
    • Low Latency: Starlink offers significantly lower latency compared to traditional geostationary satellite services. (Think HughesNet and Viasat)
    • High Speeds: Starlink can provide an entire home with sufficient speeds to simultaneously game, watch movies, and browse the web.
    • Global Coverage: Starlink provides coverage to almost the entire world.
    • Portable: While primarily intended for fixed locations, the system can be moved to different locations within its service area, or can be used with the roaming plan and mounted to an RV or camper.
  • Cons:
    • High Cost: Starlink has a high startup cost. $300 - $500 for the satellite dish and router, and a monthly service fee of $120, making it one of the most expensive options available.
    • The roaming plan is required for mobile use: If you want to use your service while traveling you need the more expensive roaming plan.
    • Clear Line of Sight Required: The dish needs an unobstructed, 80º view of the sky to maintain a connection.
    • Installation Required: The system is designed for DIY installation, but if you’re not very technically inclined, this can be difficult.
    • Reduced speeds due to congestion: If you’re in an area with many Starlink users, you will likely see slowdowns in the evenings.

r/Rural_Internet 10h ago

Internet reco

1 Upvotes

Good day po! Sa mga naka WFH sa Inosloban bandang Purok 6 or Purok 7, what's your internet provider?

Negats na po sa PLDT since wala available slot sa box nila

Thank you in advance


r/Rural_Internet 12h ago

Right internet

0 Upvotes

I need more information on this internet company. Do they have an H R department? Has anyone worked for them or ordered internet? How about Ritter or unwired?


r/Rural_Internet 21h ago

Is gfiber wifi a great wifi provider in davao?

2 Upvotes

Im planning to get wifi this week and im choosing between globe, dito and pldt. I want to have the best connection so ive been researching for a while but wala akong makuhang info.
Specially im located in brgy. 39-D (well known as boulevard/magallanes) …. So any thoughts?
Our budget ranges from 1499/1599 since its quite a big household


r/Rural_Internet 1d ago

Internet’s Own

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1 Upvotes

When saw the documentary about how you basically made sure that we had a good place to start conversations, make friends and share our experiences, thoughts 💭 and opinions with each other. When the tragedy happened, I don’t know why but I understood more about what you were trying to do and experienced more than I could have ever imagined or expected. I just wanted to thank you for your efforts and especially for your principles that so many people have strayed from

RIP Aaron - you truly were an inspiration and way ahead of your time brother. You are missed more than you will ever know on this Earth.


r/Rural_Internet 1d ago

Wifi in Vikhroli

1 Upvotes

Please suggest some good Wi-Fi network providers in Kannamwar Nagar 2, Vikhroli.


r/Rural_Internet 2d ago

How to Get internet in Jammar Area

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maps.app.goo.gl
1 Upvotes

This is my location. I am having internet issue. Like i use ufone sim in my phone. I cant make Ptcl Connection. Its very rare that i get such internet speed that i can download any movie of even 300MB. The internet gets slows even i can't make a call. Suggust me possible ways to get internet on my sim.


r/Rural_Internet 3d ago

i have been waiting months to try to activate the home internet

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3 Upvotes

r/Rural_Internet 4d ago

ALGUIEN ME PUEDE RECOMENDAR EMPRESA DE INTERNET EN GALICIA

5 Upvotes

Hola, Alguien me puede recomendar una empresa para internet en Galicia (en Vigo), estuve viendo DIGI pero en mi edificio no hay cobertura SMART y tengo que pagar más, estuve viendo movistar y me sale caro, quiero estas cosas:

· 2 líneas móviles ilimitadas

· Fibra y fijo

· plataformas

· una línea adicional con pocos GB para un reloj con GPS que tiene mi hijo


r/Rural_Internet 4d ago

3 torre wifi reco

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2 Upvotes

r/Rural_Internet 6d ago

Unboxing Set antenne 4G LTE Coflex 3200

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youtu.be
2 Upvotes

r/Rural_Internet 7d ago

❓HELP Best way to improve Asian players' connection to a Minecraft server hosted in France?

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice from people who understand Minecraft networking better than I do.

I run a Java Minecraft server hosted on OVH (Dedicated Metal Server) in France and use Velocity. We have players from both Europe and Asia, and I want everyone to stay on the same physical server so they can interact, PvP, and participate in events together.

The problem is that some of our Asian players experience high and sometimes fluctuating ping, which can make gameplay and especially PvP quite choppy.

I completely understand that I can't beat physics and magically give someone in Asia 30ms to a server in France. What I'm more interested in is getting them the best and most stable connection realistically possible, particularly reducing jitter, packet loss, bad routing and large ping fluctuations.

I've been looking into a few possibilities, including:

• Cloudflare Spectrum
• Spectrum with Argo Smart Routing
• TCPShield
• A Singapore/Asian proxy or relay forwarding to France
• Other premium routing/acceleration services

Budget isn't my main concern. I'm more interested in finding the best technical solution that actually works rather than paying for something that won't make a difference.

Has anyone here dealt with a similar Europe → Asia situation?

If you had to keep the actual Minecraft server in France and keep all players on the same server, what would you use to give Asian players the best possible connection?

Any recommendations or real-world experiences would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!


r/Rural_Internet 7d ago

WiFi to mobile home

0 Upvotes

I’m placing a mobile home beside my in laws house in their garden essentially. It’s out in the country

What’s the best way of getting good wifi? I work from home so ideally need good wifi and not a hotspot!


r/Rural_Internet 8d ago

Best LTE Modem for Maximum Reception in a Livestream Backpack?

3 Upvotes

I’m building a mobile livestream backpack for mountain biking and I’m looking for advice from people with experience in LTE modems, antennas or IRL streaming setups.
The goal is not maximum speed. If each connection can reliably maintain around 5–10 Mbps upload, we’re already completely safe.
What I really want is the best possible reception at the edge of coverage. If a normal smartphone starts losing LTE or the connection becomes unusable, I want the dedicated modem setup to have the best possible chance of still maintaining a usable connection.

The planned setup is:
-Radxa ROCK 5A running BELABOX
-3 separate LTE modems
-3 SIM cards from different Austrian networks
-connections bonded through BELABOX
-primarily used in mountains / bike parks
-everything, including the antennas, has to fit inside the backpack

Does anyone have experience with a modem + antenna combination that performs especially well in weak-signal conditions?
The priority is simply maximum reception and reliability, not maximum throughput.


r/Rural_Internet 8d ago

Canada is closing its last broadband gaps, but still defines high-speed Internet as just 50/10 Mbps

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3 Upvotes

r/Rural_Internet 8d ago

Why does this say "Service Provider" instead of naming them? Has anyone actually taken the contract?

1 Upvotes

After being told by our ILEC a couple years ago that they weren't planning on expanding fiber anytime soon I check the funding map and see this. Does this just mean money is available, or has someone actually taken it?


r/Rural_Internet 8d ago

Starting my own ISP

16 Upvotes

So just like the title says I’m starting my own ISP I’ve talked to people with a lot of experience and this isn’t advertising I won’t mention the name but I live in Alabama and my area specifically only has one really internet provider besides satellite, I found a company building fiber nearby and it would cost $1,500 a month for a fiber handoff to with up to 10 gig symmetrical speed. I have experience in sales specifically in internet and I’m pretty good at it. Also a degree in computer science.

I also know a team of people that would follow me, we would crush our area and we would grow at an extremely fast rate if everything goes smooth. Possibly found some investors and in the beginning this being a wireless ISP I was trying to avoid that and get the best XGPON network possible and run the best speeds I could up/down. Well after much more research I found with the right equipment I could match those speeds easily , I would cut out the building fiber to each house notion just for the beginning anyway. ( the cost for networks like google fiber is insane, but eventually I want better or something like that.)

I would Offer 50% off on my internet for the first year maybe more and get peoples opinions that buy the service in the first few months they have it and after it goes good which it hopefully will I have the data to support it (hopefully though the word being in bold is the key word here lol) , the new equipment for this is insane it will be able to support 100gig symmetrical in the future. That just blows my mind. I mean Ziply has 50gig!!!! That’s insane !!

Anyways I need the funding I need the presentations to be incredible. I know of every loop they will throw at me and I’ve been working for years on the entire model. A big company must of seen what I did ( I guess getting licensed, and permits) because they are know coming in with fiber but it will take them much longer to get deployed than my areas will. But they are a billion dollar company so I will have to try to stay out of there area as much as possible and beat the price but not only that be better. Which is gonna be tricky since they are my fiber handoff! Hahaha I plan on not wasting a dime buying the best equipment possible snd have everyone on my Moutain area and all through rural areas. Any suggestions? Tips? Want to invest? 😩😂 just kidding on the last one kind of anyway! Haha

I have tried for grants and I have missed the dates. They quit on funding after the
government shutdown. Which really screwed me I did hours of paperwork for them and they became almost useless.

But I not only have a plan now I have more of a plan and I might not get a huge grant like I wanted to but I won’t give up! This is my dream!! I want everyone to have reliable high speed internet and especially those that are struggling right now by offering low prices! I think we can all change the world in a little to big way and I want to become the biggest fiber provider in the world. Or at least the US!! Haha I’m ambitious.

Tell me your thoughts! If you read the whole thing lmao


r/Rural_Internet 8d ago

BEAD

4 Upvotes

Any contractors or ISPs know when BEAD shovels in the ground is going to begin? All I’ve been reading about is delays (Texas for example) and shortages of fiber, but it looks like there has been some progress behind the scenes. I thought 2026 was the year construction would begin, but I haven’t seen much.


r/Rural_Internet 8d ago

Xfinity/Zentro/Verizon

0 Upvotes

I'm close to Wayne State University in Detroit and I just need to buy a new Wi-Fi connection. I was hoping you guys could help with what I should buy, with gig speed, and I just need a reliable service. That's it. What should I get?


r/Rural_Internet 8d ago

Xfinity/Zentro/Verizon

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1 Upvotes

r/Rural_Internet 9d ago

Why does the internet suck?

0 Upvotes

I live in the Kansas/Missouri/Oklahoma area and was wondering what happened to the internet service the last few weeks. T-mobile hone internet and phone data has been spotty, laggy, and generally frustrating and unpredictable.
It used to be great, worked fine with no complaints.
Does anyone have any insight into this?


r/Rural_Internet 9d ago

We are moving to an area with poor cell service and unreliable internet.

4 Upvotes

Are there any options besides a cellphone signal or internet service to have reliable internet?


r/Rural_Internet 11d ago

Is Straight Talk home internet good ?

5 Upvotes

I live in the middle of nowhere in Oklahoma, I have VZW internet it gets 160 mbps on the 5g plus plan, my plan is about to go up because the customer service reps have no idea what they are doing, I would rather not pay $70 for it so I’m wondering if Straight Talk gets the same signal I know it runs on the same network but I’m wondering how reliable it is to get me at least 100mbps


r/Rural_Internet 11d ago

Portable strong WiFi in Pakistan

2 Upvotes

I’m heading to Pakistan in October from the UK but need to work for a week and a half there. I’m not sure how to secure portable WiFi as I may need to work while travelling around the city. I’ll be based in Lahore and also don’t want to spend loads of money on it.

Any help would be appreciated, thank you!


r/Rural_Internet 12d ago

🔌 Provider Specific Ocean Park Elementary, Ocean Park Washington ("Mascot"=PEGASUS) 1984-1987; ANYONE OUT THERE?!?

1 Upvotes

GATE program