Internet providers in Madison, WI

What is the best internet provider in Madison?

AT&T - Great value
Spectrum - No data caps
Frontier - No-contract plans available
EarthLink - Multiple service types available
Verizon Home Internet - Fast upload and download speeds
Hughesnet - Perfect for rural areas
Viasat - Widely available

Of the 14 internet providers in Madison, AT&T is the best internet provider in terms of speed. It boasts a wide range of fiber-optic plans, including one with maximum download speeds of 5 Gbps (5,000 Mbps). Spectrum comes in second because it gives you unlimited data and doesn’t require annual contracts. It offers gigabit internet in many parts of the city and surrounding suburbs with its Internet GIG package, which tops out at 940 Mbps.

Want to see if you can get AT&T in your home? Find out by searching your zip code below.

Other Wi-Fi service providers in Wisconsin

Madison has several locally based providers that will be a good pick if you value great customer service and supporting your community.

There are also satellite internet providers in Madison that can give you internet if you’re living in a rural area with no other internet options.

Local providers LiteWire and Netwurx market Wi-Fi specifically to businesses and people living in the countryside. A local ISP usually means better customer service since they have a bigger stake in serving the community.

That said, both of these providers tend to have higher billing rates and lower speeds compared to national ISPs, so check other options before going with these companies.

Viasat and HughesNet hold it down with satellite connections in rural areas. Satellite is basically the Wi-Fi of last resort, and it’s less reliable than fiber, cable, or DSL. It will likely be patchy on occasion in Wisconsin, where heavy snowfalls and other winter conditions will interfere with the signal beaming down from space. We recommend choosing this only if there are no other options in your area.

Summary of Madison internet providers

Provider	Type	Download speeds up to	User rating	Order online
AT&T	Fiber	5000 Mbps	3.5/5	View Plans for AT&T
Spectrum	Cable	1000 Mbps (wireless speeds may vary)	3.5/5
Brightspeed	DSL	40 Mbps	3.3/5
Frontier	DSL & Fiber	7000 Mbps	3.5/5
T-Mobile Home Internet	5G Home	245 Mbps	4.0/5	View Plans for T-Mobile Home Internet
EarthLink	Fiber	5000 Mbps	4.0/5	View Plans for EarthLink
TDS Telecom	Fiber	8000 Mbps	2.0/5
Verizon Home Internet	5G Home	300 Mbps	4/5	View Plans for Verizon Home Internet
Hughesnet	Satellite	100 Mbps	3/5
Viasat	Satellite	150 Mbps	3/5
Easy Internet Now	Fiber	5000 Mbps	4.5/5
ResTech Services	Fiber	1000 Mbps	N/A
LiteWire Internet Services, Inc.	Fixed Wireless	35 Mbps	N/A
SupraNet	Fiber	1000 Mbps	0.5/5

Availability and speeds displayed are not guaranteed and are subject to change.

Technology Type

DSL:

DSL provides internet service via phone cables and is up to ten times faster than dial-up service.

Cable:

Cable provides internet speeds faster than DSL through the same cables used for cable TV.

Satellite:

Satellite internet is widely available, but offers slower speeds due to a far-traveling signal.

Fiber:

Fiber relies on glass strands to relay digital code and is much faster than both DSL and cable.

What is the fastest internet provider in Madison?

AT&T is the fastest internet provider in Madison. AT&T’s 5G Internet plan delivers internet at 5,000 Mbps (or 5 Gbps)—that’s the fastest speed you can get on a residential plan from a major internet provider. EarthLink has similar speeds (albeit in more limited areas) because it uses AT&T’s fiber network.

Frontier is also a fast internet provider in Madison, with a fiber plan that reaches up to 7,000 Mbps speeds. It’s unclear how widely available that plan is in the city, though, so we recommend sticking to gigabit plans from providers like Spectrum and CenturyLink. Both offer plans that reach speeds up to 940 Mbps (CenturyLink) or 1,000 Mbps (Spectrum).

If you’re looking for sheer speed, we definitely recommend AT&T. Most of its plans run over a fiber network, giving you a lot more reliability and incredibly fast upload speeds. But Spectrum’s cable internet is more widely available, and you can still get great service on a cable plan.

Fastest internet providers in Madison

Max speeds	Internet type	View plans
7,000 Mbps	Fiber	View Plans
5,000 Mbps	Fiber	View Plans
5,000 Mbps	Fiber	View Plans
1,000 Mbps (wireless speeds may vary)	Cable	View Plans
940 Mbps	Fiber	View Plans
940 Mbps	Fiber	View Plans

Looking for an easy way to test and track your internet speed anywhere?

Download our free, easy-to-use speed test app for quick and reliable results.

What is the cheapest internet provider in Madison?

Spectrum, EarthLink, Frontier, and AT&T are the cheapest internet providers in Madison. All three have internet plans that cost around $50 per month. Frontier’s lower tier fiber plan is the best of the bunch because it gives you speeds of up to 200 Mbps over a fiber network for $29.99 per month, whereas the other plans can’t surpass 100 Mbps and likely are much slower because they work over cable and DSL.

Cheapest internet plans in Madison

Plan	Price	Speeds	View plan
EarthLink 15 Mbps Internet	$49.95/mo.*	15 Mbps	View Plans
Spectrum Internet^®	$49.99/mo.^†	Up to 300 Mbps	View Plans
Frontier Fiber Internet 200	$29.99/mo.^‡	200 Mbps	View Plans
AT&T Fiber Internet 300	$55.00/mo.^║	300 Mbps	View Plans

*with a 12 month contract.

†Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter.

‡w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Max wired speed 200/200 Mbps. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charges apply.

║Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Plus taxes & fees. Monthly State Cost Recovery Charge in TX, OH, NV applies. One time install chrg may apply. Ltd. avail/areas. Call or go to www.fiber.att.com to see if you qualify.

Internet Deals and Promotions in Madison, WI

Provider	Available Deal	View on Provider’s Site
	Get six months of internet for free when you sign up for both AT&T Fiber and a wireless plan and buy a smartphone on installment, until June 30 Get a reward card up to $150 when you sign up for AT&T Fiber and an eligible wireless plan by June 30 Try for an extra $50 reward card with the code FLASH50 on certain internet plans through June 20	Get the Deal
	Exclusive offer: Spectrum Internet customers can get a free unlimited mobile line for a year	Get the Deal
	Get free rental of the Amazon eero router with a qualifying Frontier fiber internet plan Get a gift card worth up to $200 when you sign up for certain Frontier fiber internet plans	Get the Deal
	Save $20 per month for a year when you sign up for Earthlink's 100Mbps fiber internet	Get the Deal
	Get $50–$100 for you and a friend when you refer them to CenturyLink, plus a $10 donation to your choice of charity Get free installation and included Wi-Fi equipment when you sign up for a fiber internet plan with 940Mbps speeds	Get the Deal
	Get up to $300 back when you activate select T-Mobile 5G Home Internet plans, until July 23 Get a 5-year price guarantee with any internet plan, not including taxes and fees Get one month free when you sign up for T-Mobile Home Internet between May 15 and May 28	Get the Deal
	Get a $200 gift card when you order by May 28 Save up to $25 every month in your first year of service Get free professional installation, including Wi-Fi setup and device connection	Get the Deal
	Exclusive offer: Get $20 off per month for six months when you sign up through HighSpeedInternet.com Get free professional installation (with credit qualification) when you sign up for a qualifying home internet plan	Get the Deal

What are the fiber internet providers in Madison?

AT&T, EarthLink, Frontier, CenturyLink, and Quantum Fiber are the fiber internet providers in Madison. AT&T is the most prominent of the bunch, with the best pricing, plans, and speeds (reaching up to 7,000 Mbps).

Most of these providers also offer DSL internet, which is more widely available but a lot slower. By comparison, fiber is extremely fast, reliable, and cheap—and we highly recommend signing up if you can get fiber in your area.

Fiber providers in Madison

AT&T — Fiber speeds up to 5,000 Mbps
EarthLink — Fiber speeds up to 5,000 Mbps
Frontier — Fiber speeds up to 7,000 Mbps
CenturyLink — Fiber speeds up to 940 Mbps
Quantum Fiber — Fiber speeds up to 940 Mbps

Highest-rated internet providers in Madison

T-Mobile Home Internet gets the best rankings out of 15 internet providers in our annual customer satisfaction survey. The budding provider’s 5G service takes the top spot for overall satisfaction, customer service, speed, and price.

AT&T gets excellent ratings as well, sitting pretty in the top-two or top-three in categories like speed, price, and reliability. There’s also Spectrum, which gets mostly average or above-average ratings.

Run a search with your zip code to see which providers are available in your corner of Madtown.

How much speed do you need?

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Wanna know more? Check out these internet resources.

AT&T vs. Spectrum: Which Internet Provider Is Best for You?

AT&T is perfect for speed demons who don’t want to pay too much. Spectrum offers a faster average speed over its coverage area, thanks to extensive cable infrastructure.

Spectrum vs. Frontier

If it’s Spectrum vs. Frontier, go with Frontier. Frontier’s fiber-optic internet offers speeds fast enough for any home, and the 50/50 and 500/500 plans are a great value.

Cable vs. Fiber: Which Internet Type Is Right for You?

Both fiber and cable internet are common types of broadband internet, but which connection is right for you?

Madison residential internet coverage

AT&T and Spectrum both operate the largest networks in Madison and the surrounding suburbs of Dane County. AT&T provides DSL and fiber connections across downtown and the Madison Isthmus, out to distant neighborhoods like Cardinal Glenn and McClellan Park, and further into northeast and southeast Dane County.

Spectrum’s cable network is even more widespread, covering the whole city as well as suburbs like Sun Prairie and Fitchburg. It also provides internet in smaller villages and towns in the outskirts of the county.

Frontier‘s DSL network covers parts of Madison, including areas along the Southwest Commuter Path and around the intersection of Verona Road and the West Beltline Highway. Frontier’s network also stretches out across Dane County going north, south, and east—from the city of Monona out to Deerfield, Oregon, and parts of DeForest.

CenturyLink doesn’t cover the city limits, nor parts of popular suburbs like McFarland or Middleton. But it does pop up in the villages of DeForest, Waunakee, Windsor, and other areas north of Lake Mendota.

Viasat and HughesNet hook up satellite internet to rural areas—though, by the looks of it, rural internet users will likely also find coverage by much faster (and cheaper) DSL or cable networks.

Type in your zip code below to see which internet providers are available in your neighborhood.

How to get free internet (Wi-Fi) in Madison

For folks who can’t afford high-end internet packages or need free Wi-Fi away from home, there’s free, high-speed internet at nine public libraries across the city. The connections are available wirelessly and from library computers.

The city also provides fiber-optic service at 14 community and cultural centers, including the Goodman Community Center on Madison’s east side and Boys & Girls Clubs branches in Bram’s Addition and Fitchburg. This is a great way to provide the fastest connections possible to the people of Madison, especially in underserved areas.

Methodology

HighSpeedInternet.com compares internet providers within cities and metro areas to give customers the most relevant insights into their internet options. When comparing providers, we consider the following:

Provider coverage areas
Advertised speeds
Real-world speeds (speed test data)
Customer feedback
Other relevant localized data

We source localized coverage data displayed on our coverage maps from the FCC coverage database, which is updated every six months. For the most current summary of providers in your area, we recommend you use our zip code search tool, which offers the most recent coverage data straight from internet service providers (ISPs).

Our city overviews compare advertised provider speeds. We may also include real-world speed data gathered from millions of annual speed test results. To process our speed test data, we first filter out outliers and providers with low test counts. We then calculate speed averages with every ISP subject to the same parameters.

We gather ISP customer feedback data from our comprehensive annual surveys and direct customer feedback submitted to HighSpeedInternet.com. Unless stated otherwise, average ratings are calculated nationally.

Internet providers in Madison, WI

What’s a good internet speed?

What is the best internet provider in Madison?

Other Wi-Fi service providers in Wisconsin