Though DSL is slower than cable or fiber internet, it may offer okay speeds at a price that’s lower than satellite internet prices. And that’s why DSL is still one of our top choices for anyone who needs rural internet. Plus, a lot of DSL internet service providers (ISPs) are updating those old DSL lines with fiber. This gives your internet speed a boost, but if you live in a truly rural area, you likely won’t see fiber infrastructure just yet. Let’s dig into some of the larger DSL internet providers out there to see if one of them is a fit for you. Plus, the ISP promises to not jack your price up. That’s a unique perk—most internet providers offer a low price for about a year, then your bill goes up. So yeah, you get unlimited data, you don’t have to worry about price hikes, and you can leave whenever you want. That sense of security is a rare find with an internet plan. Nobody wants to go days without an internet connection, and shaky customer service can certainly make that possible. View Plans | Read Full CenturyLink Internet Review If only other internet service providers followed suit. Just make sure you don’t have more than one or two devices (or people) accessing the internet at a time. Anyway, Frontier doesn’t require an intense commitment from you. You can sign up for any internet download speed that works for you and then cancel if fiber or cable internet finally roll into town. Hopefully, this isn’t one of those moments. Frontier is available in 29 different states—so enter your zip code below and let’s see how lucky you are. View Plans | Read Full Frontier Internet Review We’re big fans of DIRECTV. As it turns out AT&T Internet is one of the best ways to get this satellite TV provider beamed into your home thanks to bundles. Speaking of sports, DIRECTV is one of the few ways you’ll get your mitts on NFL SUNDAY TICKET. Of course, we don’t recommend internet speeds less than 50 Mbps if you can avoid them. And 100 Mbps is optimal for most families to stay connected even while everyone streams, games, and works from home. That’s because these internet speeds are far too slow to keep up with modern-day online activities like Zoom calls, Netflix, and gaming. If you find yourself in this tough spot, try looking for a local internet provider that might offer a better deal or take a peek at our picks for the best rural internet for more ideas. View Plans | Read Full AT&T Internet Review And not long ago, Windstream’s choices were a bit lackluster. But this ISP has since stepped up its game, offering speeds up to 500 Mbps—or up to 1,000 Mbps, if you’re lucky enough to live in an area with fiber. View Plans | View Full Windstream Internet Review
CenturyLink: Editor’s Choice. Who could say no to CenturyLink’s promises of no price hikes, unlimited data, and no contracts? We sure couldn’t. Frontier: Best budget option. With a variety of (slower) speeds, no contracts, no data cap, and low prices, Frontier’s DSL internet is an excellent choice for those who prefer to save money. AT&T Internet: Best bundles. If you love to binge-watch, you can’t beat AT&T Internet’s DIRECTV or DIRECTV STREAM bundles. Windstream: Best rural option. Windstream makes its home in rural towns where time moves more slowly. Plus, it comes with no contracts, no data caps, and some pretty rad speeds and prices.
Not sure DSL is right for you? Check out our reviews of cable and fiber internet:
The Best Internet Service Providers The Fastest Internet Providers The Best Internet for Streaming The Best Internet for Gaming The Best Satellite Internet Providers
What about you—where did you decide to get your DSL internet access? What’s your experience been like? Let us know in the comments below! While good ol’ dial-up means you can’t take phone calls while surfing the web, DSL lets you do both. (Thank goodness, right?) DSL is also a lot faster than dial-up—and you won’t need to wait for all those beeps and trills before you click on Netscape, err, your internet browser. (Thinking about dial-up has us stuck in the late 1990s.) But why might you pick DSL over cable internet? Well, DSL is usually cheaper and more widely available than cable, since pretty much every part of the US has phone service. Of course, there are always exceptions to this, but if you’re digging life in the wilderness, you can always check out our picks for satellite internet.
Prices Availability Speed scores Customer service scores Connection type
After comparing all five of these aspects, we found the four we personally recommend if you live in a rural area. DSL internet is more reliable than dial-up and faster than WiFi, but we recommend getting a plan that gives you at least 25 Mbps download speeds if you live with one or two other people.
