5 min readWhether you live in a rural area without a standard wired connection or you’re just looking to cut the cord with your cable provider, there are plenty of options to get internet access without a phone or cable TV plan.
We’re going to go over the different ways you can get internet—from good ol’ DSL to brand new 5G home internet service. We’ll also talk about the pros and cons of each type and recommend some of our favorite providers.
Guide to getting internet without a phone line or cable TV:
A quick word before we start: if you don’t have internet access because you can’t afford it, look into the Affordable Connectivity Program. If you qualify, you’ll get up to $30 to put toward your internet bill each month!
Now let’s dive into the details, starting with one of the newest and fastest internet connection types.
5G internet is here: lovers of wireless, high-speed internet, rejoice!
5G home internet uses a fixed receiver to pick up the internet from local 5G mobile networks. This can get you data speeds up to 1000 Mbps, which rivals even the fastest fiber networks.
While 5G home internet doesn’t require a phone line or a cable connection, it isn’t necessarily a rural internet option. In fact, the service area for 5G home internet is very limited. Companies like Verizon run 5G networks in a handful of cities, but it’s relatively new and it will likely be a few more years before the suburbs and smaller towns start to see service.
Fiber internet offers the best overall performance of any home internet connection. It has unparalleled download and upload speeds, making it ideal for gaming, streaming to your Smart TV, video conferencing, and pretty much anything else.
You don’t need a phone line or cable internet to get fiber internet. You just need a fiber internet provider, like Verizon Fios or Google Fiber, in your area. The prices tend to be about the same (or sometimes even cheaper) than cable internet plans like Spectrum.
You’ll find some of our favorite fiber internet providers in the table below.
You don’t necessarily need a cable TV subscription to get internet from a cable company. Some companies offer standalone internet plans, and they can be a great option for those who want a high-speed connection but don’t live in an area with fiber.
Cable internet uses the same basic infrastructure as cable TV, but instead of going into your TV, the wiring goes into a cable modem. Speeds with cable internet can reach up to 500 Mbps, which is more than most families need. Just know that the setup may take a while if you don’t already have the needed cable line.
Take a look at the table below to see some of the best cable internet plans on the market.
One of the most tried and true ways to get internet when you live in a rural area is with a satellite connection. Satellite internet uses—yep, you guess it—satellites to shoot internet data to a dish on your home. The signal then goes to a modem, which connects to your computers, smart TVs, and other devices.
Satellite internet can get pretty expensive, and it doesn’t offer very fast speeds compared to wired connections. But, if you live in certain rural areas it may be the best game in town.
There are only two satellite internet providers on the scene right now: Viasat and Hughesnet. You can see how these providers compare in the chart below.
Fixed wireless internet is an alternative way to get connected to the good ol’ world wide web that doesn’t require you to have a phone line, cable connection, or fiber optic hookup. You can do it from pretty much anywhere that there's a mobile phone signal.
Fixed wireless uses an antenna that’s affixed to your house (or trailer or mobile home or whatever you want). The antenna connects to a mobile wireless network to give you internet. It’s a relatively affordable and reliable way to get internet in rural areas, but the speeds can be slow. However, most fixed wireless providers still offer high-speed internet.
There are not very many fixed wireless providers out there right now. AT&T and Verizon are two of the best-known providers.
Figuring out which kind of internet is best for rural living can be tricky. When it comes to fixed wireless vs. satellite internet, it depends on what’s available in your area. Generally, satellite internet offers faster speeds, but it can be pricier and have a more limited range.
Some of the best cheap (or even free) internet plans are from DSL providers. While this type of internet isn’t our top choice, it works just fine for those who don’t need super fast speeds. DSL speeds can still handle most basic tasks, like streaming movies, playing simple online games, and doom scrolling on Facebook.
DSL internet uses a phone line, but you don’t need to have a home phone plan to get it. There are tons of DSL internet providers throughout the country. You can see some of our favorite options in the table below.
Now that we’ve gone over pretty much every type of internet connection, it’s up to you to decide which one is right for you.
We suggest looking at the following features to find the perfect plan:
We hope this article has helped you find the perfect internet plan for cutting the cord, moving out to the homestead, or whatever else life has in store!
For this piece, we drew heavily on our prior knowledge about internet service (gained from hours of research into internet service providers both general and specific).
The three main ways to get internet through wired infrastructure are fiber, cable, and DSL. But if you live off the grid, or you just want internet that doesn’t require you to be in one place, there are plenty of wireless internet options like 5G, satellite, fixed wireless, and mobile hotspots.
Here’s a quick summary of the pros and cons of these provider types:
For more information, read this article about how we choose internet recommendations.
Stay updated on the latest products and services anytime, anywhere.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
