CNET considers Spectrum the best internet provider in Michigan, thanks to its fast speeds, straightforward pricing, and broad availability. Plans start at $50 for 500 megabits per second and go up to 1,000Mbps.
For a more budget-friendly option, WOW Internet offers the cheapest plans in the state, starting at just $30 per month. If Spectrum or WOW aren’t available in your area, there are still excellent alternatives. Xfinity delivers Michigan’s fastest internet speeds, with 10-gigabit fiber connections available at select residential addresses. Providers like AT&T, Frontier, and T-Mobile also offer solid internet options, depending on your location and needs in the Great Lakes State.
If Spectrum and WOW aren’t available in your area, there are still plenty of great internet providers to consider. AT&T, Frontier, T-Mobile and others offer compelling internet service depending on what you’re looking for and where you live in the Great Lakes State.
Hughesnet: Thanks to a new satellite, Hughesnet recently boosted its speed and data allowances. Pricing ranges from $50 to $65 monthly for speeds up to 50 or 100Mbps and data caps of 100GB or 200GB, depending on your chosen plan. Once you’ve surpassed your data allowance, Hughesnet may slow your speeds for the remainder of the billing cycle.
Mercury Broadband: Fixed wireless providers like Mercury Broadband can typically offer faster speeds and higher data allowances than satellite internet. In the case of Mercury, speeds of 30Mbps to 150Mbps are available in most service areas, and there are no data caps to worry about. At $50 to $79 per month, the pricing is fair for what you get compared with the alternatives.
Starlink: If you want fast internet in rural Michigan, especially in the northern part of the state and the Upper Peninsula, Starlink may be your best bet. Speeds of 250Mbps or higher are available in select areas of Michigan, according to the FCC, although signing up will potentially cost you $349 to get started and $120 per month after that.
T-Mobile Home Internet: Aside from Frontier, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet may be your best option for internet in rural Michigan. Broadband coverage spans much of the state, speeds range from 72Mbps to 245Mbps and the $50-$70 per month service comes with unlimited data, no equipment fees and no contracts.
Viasat: Potential speeds are a bit higher with Viasat compared to HughesNet. Much of Michigan can get download speeds of 50Mbps or higher with Viasat. Plans start at $99 per month for unlimited data.
What about Verizon 5G Home Internet? That’s currently less of a rural option, although it could serve as a low-cost, low-hassle alternative to traditional wired internet providers in Ann Arbor, Detroit and Grand Rapids — areas where Verizon’s Ultra Wideband network is most accessible. Service is $60 per month for speeds of 85Mbps to 300Mbps, or it’s $80 per month for 300Mbps to 1Gbps. Eligible Verizon mobile customers can get the service for $35 to $45.
WOW and Xfinity have the cheapest internet plans among major broadband providers in Michigan.
Xfinity offers the fastest plan in Michigan with its Gigabit Pro tier, which features 10,000Mbps download and upload speed. That plan is available to a few households and requires a site survey before you can sign up. AT&T Fiber’s 5,000Mbps tier is a more readily available plan, which can be found in some larger Michigan metros.
High-speed internet accessibility is best in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing and other more urbanized areas of Michigan, but relatively few parts of the state could be considered lacking in broadband options or speeds.
There is room to grow when it comes to fiber internet. Only around 23% of Michigan residences are wired for fiber internet, among the lowest of any state.
A fiber-optic connection, capable of download speeds up to 7 gigabits in locations that Xfinity services in Michigan, is the gold standard. Fiber availability is limited to a very small percentage of households in the area. Otherwise, a cable internet connection is your best bet. Cable internet can’t match fiber’s speed or reliability, but it’s far more accessible and available to most households in Michigan.
According to the FCC, Verizon’s wireless home internet service is available to about a fifth of Michigan addresses. Select locations, including Ann Arbor, Detroit and Grand Rapids, will have access to Verizon’s Ultra Wideband network, which can deliver download speeds up to 1Gbps.
Verizon Fios isn’t available in Michigan.
Both providers present unique pros and cons, but Spectrum’s simple pricing and service terms give it an advantage over Xfinity. Spectrum internet comes with unlimited data, no contracts, low equipment fees and a standard pricing model while any and all of those conditions can vary with Xfinity from one market to another.
Xfinity may be the better choice for the absolute cheapest introductory pricing and a faster plan in select areas, but the customer-friendly service terms that come with Spectrum will result in a better experience for many.
