Best Internet Providers in Madison, Wisconsin

What is the best internet provider in Madison?

CNET’s top pick for the best internet provider in Madison is AT&T Fiber. The provider offers a wide variety of plan options, transparent pricing and the fastest internet in the area with speeds of up to 5,000Mbps.

If AT&T Fiber isn’t available at your address, Spectrum is another reliable choice with citywide coverage and plans starting at $30 per month. Be warned, however, that Spectrum’s prices increase after the first year. But Spectrum isn’t the only solid alternative. You also have wireless internet options from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, offering flexibility and reasonable pricing that goes even lower when bundled with a phone plan.

Madison also has a somewhat unique offering from Telephone & Data Systems. This fiber network is used by two ISPs in the area: TDS and US Cellular. It offers fast speeds and reasonable prices, but the network has greater availability in surrounding communities than within the city itself. In Madison, you get US Cellular’s fixed wireless service, which offers lower speeds and comes with data caps, but you can get 5G or 5G+ service rather than the 4G networks, depending on whether your address is eligible.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

All available Madison residential internet providers

• AT&T Internet: AT&T’s fiber game is strong in Madison but doesn’t reach every part of town. AT&T Internet Air covers more ground. It costs $60 a month for whatever speed you can get at your location, typically up to 300Mbps, depending on your location. The price-to-speed ratio won’t be appealing if you have a faster and cheaper option.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: With speeds up to 1,000Mbps in some parts of the country, Verizon is working hard to convince buyers that fixed wireless is the way to go for home internet. The company’s coverage map shows a mix of its latest 5G networks alongside slower 4G LTE coverage across Madison. The area east of Lake Mendota and Lake Monona has the widest 5G Ultra Wideband coverage. Typical Verizon home internet speeds in Madison will range from 100 to 300Mbps starting at $50 a month. The biggest challenge is finding an open slot, so T-Mobile edged Verizon as our pick for Madison’s best fixed wireless provider.
• TDS Telecom: TDS covers a small portion of Madison proper, but it’s well worth mentioning for those in communities around Madison. TDS delivers fiber to places like Middleton, Monona and Waunakee. Prices start at $40 a month for a 600Mbps plan, with plans going all the way up to 2,000Mbps in some areas. You have the option to rent a router for $12 a month. There’s a $50 installation fee, but a good chance you can get that waived. Be sure to check out the TDS price-for-life plans. They’re more expensive over the first two years but will keep your price locked in for the long haul. 
• US Cellular: US Cellular is a sister company of TDS Telecom. It offers fixed wireless internet in Madison for $60 a month with an autopay discount. That pricing puts it in contention with T-Mobile and Verizon’s home internet plans. Some of US Cellular’s service areas can get up to 300Mbps speeds, but your mileage could vary considerably depending on your location. The biggest turn-off is that US Cellular will throttle your speeds after 600GB of high-speed data with its Home Internet Everywhere plan. After that, you’ll get bumped down to a painfully slow 1.5Mbps. Keep an eye on the plan terms. US Cellular may offer to cover equipment costs via a credit spread over a 36-month installment contract. It’s all a bit confusing, so you’ll likely do better with another ISP with simpler or faster plans with no throttling.   
• Satellite internet: Rural residents with few internet options should check into satellite providers Starlink, Viasat and Hughesnet. These likely won’t be your first choice if you live in town and have access to fiber, cable or fixed wireless from T-Mobile or Verizon. If you’re big on traveling (let’s say you’re heading south for the winter) and still need to stay connected, check into Starlink’s on-the-go plan. It’s pricey, but it will help you stay online when you’ve taken on the role of a digital nomad.

Madison broadband at a glance

There isn’t a ton of ISP competition in Madison. Most residents will be weighing the decision between AT&T Fiber or Spectrum cable. Spectrum has some tempting introductory deals, while AT&T’s fiber service offers reasonable pricing and fast upload speeds to go with the download speeds. Live in the areas around Madison like Sun Prairie, Middleton and Cottage Grove? Check into fiber from TDS Telecom, though you might be better off calling rather than using their website.

Pricing details on Madison home internet service

The average starting price for internet service in Madison is around $50, but there are ways to shave some bucks off that figure. Bargain hunters can look to bundle phone plans with home internet service to get deals. For example, with T-Mobile, you can get down to $35 a month. TDS Telecom offers 600Mbps speeds for as low as $40 a month for the first two years. Most Madison residents will be looking at around $50 for decent speeds. 

Cheap internet options in the Madison metro area

Spectrum’s 100Mbps plans start at $30 a month. Meanwhile, AT&T’s fiber plans start at $55 a month, which is still budget-friendly, especially considering the company’s assurance that it won’t hike your fee after the first year. If you’re in a surrounding community, look into TDS Telecom’s fiber plans starting at $40 a month for the first two years.

What’s the cheapest internet plan in Madison?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

Fastest internet providers in Madison

The ISPs in Madison run the gamut when it comes to speeds. Speedtest by Ookla calculates Madison’s median download speed for fixed internet at a respectable 306Mbps. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Depending on your location, service from the likes of T-Mobile, Verizon or US Cellular may be fast or slow. Spectrum’s cable plans cover a lot of ground from 300Mbps on up to near-gig speeds. AT&T Fiber brings the heat with multi-gigabit fiber plans, although many people will opt to save money and stick with 1,000Mbps or below. If you’re eyeing that speed level, see if TDS services your address with its 1,000Mbps plan for $50 a month.

On the other hand, you may be an intense gamer. Or maybe you’re uploading huge files. Maybe you share your internet connection with several other people who are just as demanding as you are. It might be time to shop for a multi-gig plan. In Madison, that means AT&T Fiber, which offers speeds of up to 5,000Mbps in some parts of town. It comes with a hefty price tag of $245 a month. Too much? Check out the 2,000Mbps plan instead for $145.

What are the fastest internet plans in Madison?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Madison

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov. 

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 publication.

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

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

The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but 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, although 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.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Madison?

One of the biggest challenges with picking an ISP in Madison is the patchwork nature of coverage from the leading providers. Yes, AT&T Fiber is fast, but what if it doesn’t service your address? Your next option will likely be Spectrum for a cable connection, but don’t count out fixed wireless from Verizon or T-Mobile. If you’re in a good location for one of those, you might find you’re happy with the speeds and even happier with the phone bundle discount. Finally, TDS Telecom is worth a look for residents of surrounding communities who want fast, reliable fiber. 

Internet providers in Madison FAQs