Best Internet Providers in Nebraska

Rise Broadband: Another wireless provider, Rise Broadband is available to around a quarter of Nebraska households, primarily in the southern and eastern parts of the state. Max speeds aren’t quite as fast as T-Mobile or NextLink (25 to 50Mbps), but the starting price isn’t bad at $45 a month and unlimited data is included.

Starlink: A fleet of low-orbiting satellites gives Starlink a speed and latency advantage over HughesNet and Viasat, though the pricing is still sky-high. Expect an equipment cost of $599 to get started and an ongoing monthly rate of $90.

Viasat: Like HughesNet, Viasat is available throughout all of Nebraska. Pricing is a bit higher, but you may be able to get faster speeds and a higher data allowance with the added cost.

Cheap internet options in Nebraska

What you pay for home internet each month will depend on the available providers in your area and the plan you choose. Most Nebraska internet providers have a starting pricing of $50 or higher, though you may find cheaper plans from Quantum Fiber ($30), Kinetic ($40) and Rise Broadband ($45). Keep in mind that equipment rental, data caps (and overages) and other fees can add to the monthly cost of internet.

How to find internet deals in Nebraska

The best internet deals and the top promotions in Nebraska depend on which discounts are available during that time period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Nebraska internet providers such as Great Plains Communications and HughesNet may offer lower introductory pricing for a limited time. Many, however, including Spectrum, Cox and CenturyLink, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of deals, check out our guide on the best internet deals. 

How fast is internet in Nebraska?

Recent Ookla speed test data shows Nebraska to have a median download speed of 197Mbps. There are many factors that can affect speed test data, however, such as the use of Wi-Fi, time of day, technology a provider uses and an internet plan’s max speeds. 

The internet speeds you can get will depend on the providers and available connection types in your area. Fiber internet often delivers the fastest speeds. Allo and Great Plains Communications are good examples of this as both providers offer speeds of 2Gbps or higher in select locations. Cable internet, like that of Spectrum and Cox, are typically decent options for download speeds up to 1Gbps but not much higher.

What’s a good internet speed?

Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications. Note that these are only guidelines — and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need

• 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics — browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give one person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming simultaneously. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming simultaneously.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Nebraska:

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. To evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service, we look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time of publication. 

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions: 

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? 
• Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying? 
• Are customers happy with their service? 

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. 

When it comes to selecting the cheapest internet service — the criteria are relatively simple. We look for the service package with the lowest monthly fee, though we also take into consideration promotional rates and price per megabit. 

As for choosing the fastest internet service, we look at provider throughput. Most often, that means a fiber-optic service. That said, fiber availability may be limited to a smaller percentage of addresses. 

To explore our process in more depth, visit our page explaining how we test ISPs.

Internet in Nebraska recap

The internet providers you can get and the speeds and pricing they offer can vary widely from one location to another in Nebraska. We considered availability, speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to put together our list of recommended internet providers and plans.

Great Plains Communications is the best internet provider overall in Nebraska because of its large fiber network. Quantum Fiber is the cheapest internet option in Nebraska, offering up to 200Mbps starting at just $30 a month. You’ll find the fastest speeds in Nebraska from Allo Fiber and its 2.3Gbps plan with symmetrical speeds up to 2,300Mbps starting at $175 a month.

Internet in Nebraska FAQs