What is the best internet provider in Rochester, Minnesota?
Metronet is the best internet service provider in Rochester. The fiber provider offers fast, symmetrical upload and download speeds at decent prices — at least for the first year. After that, prices increase significantly for three to four years in a row. Metronet also includes hidden fees you don’t typically see with internet providers.
Spectrum has the broadest coverage in Rochester. Its cable internet plans are available to 92% of Rochester homes, and they’re a pretty good deal overall. Prices also increase significantly with Spectrum, but that doesn’t kick in until the third year on most plans.
If you don’t want to deal with price increases, wireless internet is a good alternative — particularly for smaller households that don’t need a ton of bandwidth. T-Mobile Home Internet is our favorite option in the area. It has only one plan for $60 per month, but you can pay as little as $40 when you bundle with a cellphone plan.
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Rochester across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers’ terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider’s website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider’s pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs, while the text is specific to what’s available in Rochester. The prices referenced within this article’s text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month — a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might also be available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Rochester, Minnesota
100 – 3,000 Mbps
$30 – $115 per month
Our take – Around three in four Rochester households have access to fiber internet through Metronet. That means you’ll get symmetrical upload and download speeds — perfect for homes that do a lot of videoconferencing or working from home. The major downside is price increases: Metronet raises its rates every year for three or four years, depending on the plan you get. You’re also stuck with a monthly $12 “Tech Assure” fee.
100 – 3,000 Mbps
$30 – $115 per month
300 – 1,000 Mbps
$50 – $80 per month
Our take – Spectrum is available to 92% of Rochester homes, and it’s a solid option to have as your backup. Plans start at $40 per month for 300Mbps, and in some areas, you’ll even get symmetrical upload and download speeds. Spectrum’s main drawback is its price increases — after a year or two, your bill will go up by $45 to $55 monthly.
300 – 1,000 Mbps
$50 – $80 per month
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Our take – If you don’t want to deal with the steep price increases that come with Metronet and Spectrum, T-Mobile Home Internet is a good alternative. One plan is available for $60 per month, but you can save by bundling it with an eligible cellphone plan. Speeds aren’t as fast as you’d get with a cable or fiber connection, but it’s plenty for smaller households.
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Rochester, Minnesota, internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CenturyLink Read full review |
DSL | $55 | Up to 100Mbps | $15 (optional) | None | None | 6.7 |
| Metronet | Fiber | $30-$50 | 100-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 6.9 |
|
Spectrum Read full review |
Cable | $40-$60 | 300-1,000Mbps | $5 (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
|
Starlink Read full review |
Satellite | $120 | 25-220Mbps | $599 upfront | None | None | 6.5 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $60 ($40-$50 with mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 100-300Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
Show more (2 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Rochester?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metronet 100 Mb | $30 | 100Mbps | None |
| Metronet 500 Mb | $40 | 500Mbps | None |
|
Spectrum Internet Read full review |
$40 | 300Mbps | $5 (optional) |
| Metronet 1 Gb | $50 | 1,000Mbps | None |
|
Spectrum Internet Ultra Read full review |
$50 | 500Mbps | $5 (optional) |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 100Mbps | None |
Show more (2 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Rochester
The best internet deals and top promotions in Rochester depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Rochester internet providers, such as Metronet, T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including Spectrum, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Fastest internet plans in Rochester
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metronet 1 Gb | $50 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review |
$60 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s a good internet speed?
Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. 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 user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Rochester
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 consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as 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 answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in Rochester FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Rochester?
Metronet is the best internet service provider in Rochester, offering fast, symmetrical speeds at reasonable prices. That said, Metronet increases prices significantly on all plans.
Is fiber internet available in Rochester?
Yes, fiber internet is available to 74% of Rochester households, according to FCC data. Metronet is the only fiber provider in the city.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Rochester?
Metronet is the cheapest internet provider in Rochester, offering plans starting at just $30 monthly.
Which internet provider in Rochester offers the fastest plan?
Metronet and Spectrum offer the fastest internet plans in Rochester, with download speeds up to 1,000Mbps.
