From Chicago, home of the world’s best pizza (fight me), to Woodstock (where Groundhog Day was filmed), you’ve got a lot of options for internet, TV, and cell phone service in Illinois. Here are some providers our experts flagged as the best.
Search TV, Internet, and Cell Phone Providers in Illinois
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What are the best TV service providers in Illinois?
Our experts recommend Xfinity, Spectrum, and RCN if you’re looking for cable TV. One thing to note is that RCN comes with only one TV package—but the price you pay for the number of channels you get is a deal.
Other TV options in Illinois include DISH and DIRECTV, plus streaming service favorites like Fubo TV and Netflix.
- Xfinity: Best cable TV service (Read Review)
- DISH: Best satellite TV service (Read Review)
- Spectrum: Another great cable TV option (Read Review)
- RCN: Affordable prices and high channel counts (Read Review)
- DIRECTV: Best for NFL SUNDAY TICKET (Read Review)
- Fubo TV: Best live TV streaming service (Read Review)
- Netflix: Best on-demand streaming service (Read Review)
What are the best internet service providers in Illinois?
Internet providers in Illinois vary widely depending on where in the state you live. But if you see one of these companies, our experts say they’re a good choice.
- Comcast Xfinity: Best value for your money (Read Review)
- AT&T Fiber: Also a great fiber internet pick (Read Review)
- EarthLink: Best customer service (Read Review)
- CenturyLink: Best for price lock (Read Review)
- Viasat: Best rural internet (Read Review)
What are the best cell phone providers in Illinois?
You’ve probably heard of Verizon and T-Mobile, two cell phone carriers we recommend if you live in Illinois. Another (newer) option is Xfinity Mobile, which ends up being an excellent deal if you already have Xfinity internet.
If you’re looking for a budget pick, check out mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) like Visible and Mint. These tend to cost less but use the Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T network.
- Verizon Wireless: Best nationwide coverage (Read Review)
- T-Mobile: Best 4G LTE and 5G speeds (Read Review)
- Xfinity Mobile: Best mobile + internet bundle (Read Review)
- Visible Wireless: Cheapest family plan (Read Review)
- Mint Mobile: Cheapest unlimited data plan (Read Review)
FAQ
Here’s what folks in Illinois are asking about TV, internet, and cell phone service.
Verizon offers its 5G Home Internet in Chicago, Illinois, and 4G LTE Home Internet services in more rural areas of the state.
TV providers in Illinois include Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum, DISH, DIRECTV, and RCN. You also have your long list of streaming services to choose from, including our favorites Fubo TV, YouTube TV, Netflix, and Hulu.
Our TV experts recommend Xfinity, Spectrum, and RCN as the best cable TV providers in Illinois. These three companies tend to offer a large variety of channels at reasonable prices.
Yes, well, kind of. AT&T lets you bundle DIRECTV satellite TV service with its DSL internet in Chicago. Some parts of the city may also have AT&T Fiber internet as an option.
We recommend Xfinity, AT&T Fiber, Spectrum, RCN, WOW!, or Google Fiber as great ISPs for gaming in Chicago.
All six of these internet providers offer excellent speeds to keep up with your gaming needs, from skill shots to patch downloads. We recommend starting with a download speed of at least 75 to 100 Mbps—more if you share your internet with a fellow gamer.
If you hope to become the next Twitch sensation, fiber internet is your best bet thanks to its symmetrical download and upload speeds.
If you’re working from home in Chicago, check out ISPs like AT&T Fiber, RCN, WOW!, Google Fiber, or Xfinity. All of these offer large data caps and reliable speeds so you don’t suddenly lose connection during an important Zoom meeting.
Speaking of internet speeds for Zoom, make sure you get an internet plan with download speeds of at least 100 Mbps if you’re working from home. This gives you a buffer so your fellow housemates can use the internet while you work—and you should get enough upload speed to let you turn your video on. (Just don’t forget to smooth your bedhead.)
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