Rise Broadband Internet Review

Rise Broadband’s speeds are fairly slow, with no plans reaching above 200Mbps. That’s enough for casual internet use but likely insufficient for heavy-duty gaming or streaming.

But Rise offers something you don’t always see with fixed wireless services: options. Most fixed wireless providers have just one speed. With Rise, you can choose from three different speeds, all with unlimited data—a must-have with speeds this slow.

Rise Broadband's monthly prices are similar to those of other fixed wireless internet providers, but installation and equipment rental fees raise the cost. You pay $7 a month if you choose a standard router, but a mesh system costs $15 to $25 each month (depending on the square footage covered).

Customers have both praise and criticism for Rise Broadband—although there tends to be more criticism than praise.

“Their promise of reliable high-speed internet in less densely populated regions was what initially caught my attention,” says Max Shak, a former Rise customer in northern Colorado who switched providers after a year. He found this promise to be only partly true. “Rise Broadband is a decent option for rural areas, but the service can be inconsistent and might not meet the needs of more demanding internet users.”

Shak turned out to be one of those more demanding users. “While I appreciated their efforts to provide service in underserved areas, the performance wasn’t up to par for the demands of my work,” he explains.

He says he switched to Viasat mainly due to “the inconsistent speeds and the occasional outages, which made it difficult to maintain the level of productivity I needed.” While Shak’s Viasat satellite internet service isn’t perfect, he prefers it to Rise.

Reddit user Ziginox’s mother had a similar experience with Rise Broadband in Idaho. She found the service “lacking” and temperamental in almost every way.

“The worst was when they offered her a speed upgrade but did not make it clear that it would affect her monthly rate,” says Ziginox. The change meant her rate “went up by a significant amount at this time,” leaving Ziginox and their mother frustrated and upset.

Rise has a fiber internet service called Rise Fiber. It's available to limited customers in parts of Illinois and Texas.

Fiber internet delivers signals through a physical connection made by fiber-optic cable, transferring data through light signals. That’s in contrast to fixed wireless internet, which is delivered by an antennae. That makes Rise Fiber much faster and more reliable than regular Rise Broadband. 

Like the fixed wireless plans, all fiber plans include unlimited data. And the fiber plans aren’t much more expensive than Rise Broadband.

In some cases, even though it provides faster speeds, Rise Fiber is actually cheaper than Rise Broadband. (At least in the beginning. Based on your plan and location, Rise Fiber may come with automatic price hikes after a certain service period.) Just make sure to include the fiber service fees when comparing price tags. The fiber installation is usually $75, and equipment rental is up to $65 a month(!), depending on the deal you sign for.

If Rise Fiber is available to you, we recommend it over Rise Broadband—the speeds and prices make it a much better deal, and fiber is far more dependable than fixed wireless. That’s a win-win-win. However, Rise Fiber is scarce, and the likelihood of your living in a service area is low. But you can know for sure with our ZIP finder.

Rise Broadband’s service area comprises sixteen states in the West, Midwest, and Southwest. If you want Rise but live elsewhere, you’re out of luck.

Rise compares fairly well to other fixed wireless providers. Its pricing is similar, although it does run a little slow. Rise’s main benefit is offering a flexibility not all fixed wireless services provide— it provides several different speed options to meet different needs.

Non-fixed wireless competition leaves Rise in the dust, but that’s no surprise. Most folks eligible for Rise don’t have access to bigger internet brands, anyway. But just in case, I’ll give it to you straight: In the choice between Rise and a non-rural service, the non-rural service is usually a better deal. End of speech.