Best Internet Providers in Nebraska

What is the best internet provider in Nebraska?

Great Plains Communications is the best internet service provider for many Nebraska homes due to its fast speeds and simple pricing over a 100% fiber-optic network throughout much of the state. But not everyone in Nebraska will be serviceable for GPC. Other ISPs such as Spectrum, CenturyLink and Kinetic, along with rural connections like fixed wireless and satellite internet, contribute to the state’s 100% broadband availability.

Along with availability, cost and speed are two of the most important considerations when comparing home internet providers. Look to Quantum Fiber for the cheapest internet plan in Nebraska starting at $30 a month for speeds up to 200Mbps. Allo Fiber has the fastest internet plan in Nebraska with speeds up to 2.3Gbps starting at $136, although availability is limited to select areas.

Best internet in Nebraska

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Rural internet options in Nebraska

Nebraska has its share of rural area; farms and ranches cover 92% of the state’s total land area. What’s the best way to get home internet in such remote areas? Aside from T-Mobile and HughesNet (our picks listed above for best rural internet and best satellite internet), here are some of the rural internet options you may encounter in Nebraska.

Kinetic: DSL internet like that of Windstream’s Kinetic run service using telephone lines, which are much more readily available in rural areas than cable or fiber connections. Kinetic internet starts at just $40 a month for speeds up to 100Mbps, although most locations will see slower speeds. 

Nextlink:A close second to T-Mobile in terms of wireless coverage in Nebraska, NextLink is available to many households in the eastern half of the state. Available speeds and pricing vary by location, but it’s possible to get speeds of 500 to 2,000Mbps starting at $30 to $100 a month.

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. Maximum speeds aren’t quite as fast as T-Mobile or NextLink, but the starting price isn’t bad at $55 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, although the pricing is still sky-high. Expect an equipment cost of $499 to get started and an ongoing monthly rate of $120.

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.

Internet breakdown by city in Nebraska

It’s hard to cover the broadband options of an entire state and give individual cities the attention they deserve. That’s why we also compile lists of the best internet providers in cities across the US, including those in Nebraska. We tackle details such as internet connection types, max speeds, cheapest providers and more. If you don’t find the city you’re looking for below, check back later. We’re working to add more locations every week. 

• Best internet providers in Lincoln
• Best internet providers in North Platte
• Best internet providers in Omaha

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 Nextlink ($30) and Kinetic ($40). Keep in mind that equipment rental, data caps (and overages) and other fees can add to the monthly cost of internet.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

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. 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, 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. Many factors can affect speed test data, such as the use of Wi-Fi, time of day, technology a provider uses and an internet plan’s maximum 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.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

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 and 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 simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

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. 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.

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? 

The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, the criteria are relatively simple. We look for the service package with the lowest monthly fee, though we also consider 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. Fiber availability may be limited to fewer 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. Nextlink is the cheapest internet option in Nebraska, offering up to 500Mbps 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