Internet providers in Madison, WI

What is the best internet provider in Madison?

• AT&T - Great value
• Spectrum - No data caps
• EarthLink - Multiple service types available
• Frontier - No-contract plans available
• HughesNet - Perfect for rural areas
• Viasat - Widely available
• EarthLink - Multiple service types 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.

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.

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 5,000 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

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. AT&T’s lower tier fiber plan is the best of the bunch because it gives you speeds of up to 300 Mbps over a fiber network for $55 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

*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 per month for 24 mos. One-time charge on disconnect applies. Call for details. In select areas where available

║Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Plus taxes & fees. Internet speed claims represent maximum network service capability speeds and based on wired connection to gateway. Actual customer speeds may vary based on a number of factors and are not guaranteed. For more information, go to www.att.com/speed101.

Internet Deals and Promotions in Madison, WI

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 5,000 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 5,000 Mbps
• CenturyLink — Fiber speeds up to 940 Mbps
• Quantum Fiber — Fiber speeds up to 940 Mbps

Highest-rated internet providers in Madison

EarthLink gets the best rankings for national providers in our annual customer satisfaction survey. EarthLink comes in first for overall satisfaction, customer service, and price.

Among regionally-available providers, T-Mobile‘s 5G Home Internet actually performed better than than EarthLink, scoring We included this boutique service in the regional category because it has a smaller nationwide footprint. But T-Mobile customers gave it top-two billing for speed, reliability, customer service, and price.

AT&T and Spectrum tie for second place for overall satisfaction among the 13 national Wi-Fi providers. Spectrum got particularly high scores for speed, while AT&T got third place for price and otherwise performed above average.

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.

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.