Best Internet Providers in Sioux Falls, South Dakota – CNET

What is the best internet provider in Sioux Falls?

Bluepeak is the best internet service provider in Sioux Falls, offering the fastest and cheapest plans in the area. It has fiber and cable internet connections in the city, and while fiber is clearly the better value, Bluepeak’s cable plans are also a solid option. 

If your home is in the half of Sioux Falls that can’t get Bluepeak, Midco has the broadest coverage in the city and is an excellent backup option. Like Bluepeak, it has both fiber and cable connections available. It’s on the pricier side, but you can often find discounts for new customers.

T-Mobile Home Internet is another option worth considering. The fixed wireless provider only has one plan available for $50 a month, but everything you need is included in that price, and T-Mobile guarantees it won’t ever increase it.

Our methodology

Speed range

1,000 – 5,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $100 per month

Our take – Bluepeak is only available to about half of Sioux Falls — entirely on the south side of the city — but it’s one of the best values you’ll find anywhere in the country. It offers cable and fiber internet and has the fastest and cheapest plans in the city. Its fiber plans start at just $50 for 1,000Mbps upload and download speeds, one of the lowest prices I’ve seen for that kind of speed. 

Connection

Fiber

Speed range

1,000 – 5,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $100 per month

Speed range

250 – 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$49 – $79 per month

Our take – Midco is a regional internet provider serving the Great Plains region and offering fiber and cable connections in Sioux Falls. Altogether, it covers 99% of households in the area. Prices are slightly higher than in other cities, but customers are largely happy: Midco earned the highest satisfaction score of any ISP in Sioux Falls in a recent J.D. Power survey. 

Connection

Cable

Speed range

250 – 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$49 – $79 per month

Speed range

72 – 245 Mbps

Price range

$50 per month

Our take – If you can’t get Bluepeak at your address and want something cheaper than Midco, T-Mobile Home Internet is a nice compromise. It uses a fixed wireless connection, so don’t expect the same fast speeds as Midco or Bluepeak, but it’s still plenty for most people. T-Mobile’s biggest selling point is its price-lock guarantee: no matter how long you keep your service, it will never exceed $50 a month. 

. . .

Check with T-Mobile

Speed range

72 – 245 Mbps

Price range

$50 per month

Connection

Fixed wireless Show more details

Sioux Falls internet providers compared

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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s the cheapest internet plan in Sioux Falls?

sioux-falls-idaho sioux-falls-idaho

Provider Starting price Max download speed Max upload speed Data cap Connection type Bluepeak 5 Gig $100 5,000Mbps 5,000Mbps None Fiber Bluepeak 2 Gig $65 2,000Mbps 2,000Mbps None Fiber Bluepeak 1 Gig $50 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps None Fiber Midco Fiber Internet Gig $100 1,000Mbps 1,000Mbps None Fiber

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines — and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Sioux Falls

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. Are customers happy with their service?

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Internet providers in Sioux Falls FAQs

What is the best internet service provider in Sioux Falls?

Yes, fiber internet is available to 37% of Sioux Falls homes, according to FCC data. Bluepeak and Midco both offer fiber internet in the city. 

Who is the cheapest internet provider in Sioux Falls?

Bluepeak offers the fastest internet plan in Sioux Falls, with download and upload speeds up to 5,000Mbps. 

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