Best Fixed Wireless Internet Providers

Need internet but don’t have many options? You can always try fixed wireless, an uncommon but real solution for your lack of internet coverage.

Fixed wireless is when you use an antenna to tap in to an internet transmitter covering a small area, usually a few miles or so. While most providers don’t offer fixed wireless internet, you should find some available providers if you live in an underserved area.

Let’s look at the best fixed wireless internet providers and why they might suit you.

Guide to this review:

• Rise Broadband: Best small provider
• T-Mobile Home Internet: Best 5G option
• Verizon LTE Home Internet: Best 4G option
• Zentro: Best speeds
• Methodology
• FAQ

If you’re fixin’ to fix your internet with a fixed wireless provider, here’s what you should consider.

Fixed wireless features for residents of rural areas to consider:

• Availability
• Cost
• Download speed
• Upload speed
• Contract length
• Data caps

Unfortunately, most fixed wireless services cost a lot but aren’t as fast as other internet offerings. Technically, an internet connection only has to reach 25Mbps download speed to be considered “high speed,” but your bandwidth usage might tell a different story.

And while upload speed is much less important than download speed, it’s good to think about anyway, especially if you have an upload-heavy profession or hobby. Think photography or video editing!

Tired of giving your money to big corporations that don’t seem to need it? We suggest going with Rise, a smaller broadband company in 16 states that focuses on fixed wireless internet and has the lowest starting internet price on our list.

While Rise plans start off inexpensive, most are a bit pricier than its competitors (as often happens with small providers). Apart from the month-to-month costs, Rise also has some hefty one-time charges, like the $149 installation fee or a contract cancellation fee.

Still, even with higher prices, Rise offers several plans that meet a wide variety of needs. Each features high-speed internet, and half also have unlimited data caps so that you can stream 4K Netflix to your heart’s content.

And Rise now offers month-to-month options so that you can avoid a contract and early cancellation fees altogether.

You’ve heard of 5G phone plans, but have you heard of 5G home internet? 5th-generation internet boasts faster speeds than older generations and is available through T-Mobile’s fixed wireless home internet plan.

T-Mobile has a single plan that comes in at $50 a month, has a download speed of up to 245Mbps, and has no contracts or data cap. That’s a lower cost but higher speed than Rise’s unlimited data plans. However, since T-Mobile has just one option, it lacks Rise’s versatility.

T-Mobile doesn’t require an installation fee and is available in 40 states, although it’s not as present in rural areas as we think it should be (yet).

In areas where other Verizon plans aren’t available, you may be able to get Verizon 4G home internet (also known as Verizon LTE Home Internet). This fixed wireless service comes with the advantage of Verizon’s extensive network and can bundle with Verizon mobile.

Just remember, 4G is older than 5G but comes with similar advantages.

This internet service is pretty pricey, but as mentioned, Verizon’s 4G home internet is cheaper when you bundle it with Verizon mobile service. Verizon LTE plans are regularly $60–$80 a month with auto pay, so with these slower speeds with such high prices, bundling is for sure the way to go. You'll save $15–$25 a month.

To make things a even more affordable, Verizon’s fixed wireless service has no data caps, no contracts, and no installation fees.

Zentro (formerly Everywhere Wireless) is mainly available in Illinois. But we’re hoping the service expands because, man, is this Wi-Fi fast!

Zentro service is also affordable, although its starting price is higher than Rise Broadband’s. Plans start with 25Mbps for $29 a month and quickly increase speeds to 1,000 Mbps/1 gigabyte for $59 a month. Also, as far as we’ve been able to track, Zentro doesn’t have an installation fee or any data caps, making it an even better value.

Not only does Zentro have uber-fast download speeds, but it also has upload speeds to match (sometimes called symmetrical internet). And while we can’t think of a situation where you would need to upload something at 1,000 megabits per second, it never hurts to have the option.

Zentro also doesn’t have contracts (yay). But yeah, you have to move to Chicago or a surrounding area to take advantage of all this. Boo.

• Rise Broadband: Rise is your best option for a small, fixed-wireless-only provider. The service has several different plans and offers unlimited data options.
• T-Mobile Home Internet: Flex the power of 5G through T-Mobile’s fixed wireless option. There’s only one plan, but it’s available in most states.
• Verizon LTE Home Internet: Try out 4G (and bundle it with your phone plan to save $15–$25 each month) with this Verizon option. With this fixed wireless option, there are no contracts or extra fees.
• Zentro: Get speedy fixed wireless for less money through Zentro. If you live in Illinois, that is.

If you’re not sure that fixed wireless will solve your internet problems, check out our takes on the best internet service providers and best rural internet service providers.

Here’s what we looked at when considering different fixed wireless services to include in this review:

1. Price
2. Speed
3. Data caps
4. Contracts
5. Availability

We compared these metrics and assigned them star ratings to help you see which options are the best for you. Hopefully, our comparisons will help you find the correct balance of price and speed to fit within your budget and need.

One thing we did not discuss at length in this piece is customer service. Fixed wireless service is rather rare, so we mainly focused on availability versus other customer service aspects.

We’re aware that, sadly, most people don’t have many choices in their home internet, especially in rural areas. It’s hard to make extensive comparisons between services when there aren’t that many available. We hope our reviews will help you pick the best of what is available in the fixed wireless arena.