Fast internet is essential for every cord cutter that wants to have a quality streaming experience. Popular streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu work best on high speed – or broadband – Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as cable or fiber.
Local Residential ISP Providers
This coverage data set is created by crunching millions of rows of data coming from the NTIA and FCC. Here are the best-of-the-best Internet Service Providers (ISPs) available in the area today.
DSL/Cable
CenturyLink has widespread DSL/Cable coverage in Box Elder, SD. Plans start at $45+ per month depending on bundling options, available specials and speed guarantees.
Download Speeds (Mbps):Upload Speeds (Mbps):
844-603-6493 Check Availability →
Call 844-603-6493 now to set up service or learn more about CenturyLink’s plans.
Fiber
CenturyLink Fiber has widespread Fiber coverage in Box Elder, SD. Plans start at $45+ per month depending on bundling options, available specials and speed guarantees.
Download Speeds (Mbps):Upload Speeds (Mbps):
844-603-6493 Check Availability →
Call 844-603-6493 now to set up service or learn more about CenturyLink Fiber’s plans.
Satellite
HughesNet has widespread Satellite coverage in Box Elder, SD. Plans start at $40+ per month depending on bundling options, available specials and speed guarantees.
Download Speeds (Mbps):Upload Speeds (Mbps):
855-962-4136 Check Availability →
Call 855-962-4136 now to set up service or learn more about HughesNet’s plans.
Midcontinent CommunicationsCable
Midcontinent Communications has widespread Midcontinent Communications coverage in this area. Midcontinent Communications has a maximum download speed of 1000 Mbps.
Vast BroadbandCable
Vast Broadband has widespread Vast Broadband coverage in this area. Vast Broadband has a maximum download speed of 200 Mbps.
Golden West TelecommunicationsFiber
Golden West Telecommunications has widespread Golden West Telecommunications coverage in this area. Golden West Telecommunications has a maximum download speed of 100 Mbps.
Satellite
Viasat has widespread Viasat coverage in this area. Viasat has a maximum download speed of 100 Mbps.
Vast BroadbandFiber
Vast Broadband has widespread Vast Broadband coverage in this area. Vast Broadband has a maximum download speed of 100 Mbps.
West River Cooperative Telephone CompanyFiber
West River Cooperative Telephone Company has widespread West River Cooperative Telephone Company coverage in this area. West River Cooperative Telephone Company has a maximum download speed of 50 Mbps.
Golden West TelecommunicationsDSL
Golden West Telecommunications has widespread Golden West Telecommunications coverage in this area. Golden West Telecommunications has a maximum download speed of 29 Mbps.
City of Faith Telephone CompanyDSL
City of Faith Telephone Company has widespread City of Faith Telephone Company coverage in this area. City of Faith Telephone Company has a maximum download speed of 25 Mbps.
City of Faith Telephone CompanyFiber
City of Faith Telephone Company has widespread City of Faith Telephone Company coverage in this area. City of Faith Telephone Company has a maximum download speed of 25 Mbps.
Satellite
Skycasters has widespread Skycasters coverage in this area. Skycasters has a maximum download speed of 2 Mbps.
Comparing Broadband Data Nationwide
Over 92% of the United States has wired residential broadband coverage, and even more has access to satellite. The average download speed nationwide is 45 Mbps, with fiber customers seeing by far the fastest speeds. However, unfortunately only about 29% of the US has access to fiber.
| Technology | Average Download Speed | Average Upload Speed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satellite slowest | 25 Mbps | 3 Mbps | It is widely available, but offers slower speeds due to a far-traveling signal. |
| DSL low-range | 89 Mbps | 6 Mbps | Provides internet service via phone cables and is up to ten times faster than dial-up service. |
| Cable high-range | 89 Mbps | 6 Mbps | Provides internet speeds faster than DSL through the same cables used for cable TV. |
| Fiber fastest | 761 Mbps | 741 Mbps | Fiber relies on glass strands to relay digital code and is much faster than both DSL and cable. |
Download speed is by far the most important metric (besides price) for cord cutters that plan to stream their TV. Focus on a provider with the best average download speed, and you shouldn't have any issues with buffering videos or slow internet. If you are the only one in your home, and will only stream shows occasionally, then any internet speed other than dial-up will be fine. However, if you have kids streaming alongside the parents, you will need at least 20 Mbps for a decent quality streaming experience. These types of speeds are only available with broadband ISPs like Cable, DSL or Fiber.
Streaming Internet Requirements
Most streaming services require fast internet and a good streaming device. Many services will work fine on DSL connections, but will occasionally be choppy. You will most likely not be able to get uninterrupted HD-quality TV on DSL or Satellite. Cable and Fiber are by far your best options if your home plans on utilizing streaming services regularly.
It is also highly advisable to get a quality wireless router that suits your home's size, especially if you plan on watching sports.
Here are the types of things you can do at certain ISP download speeds:
- 5 Mpbs: Browsing the internet; ideal for 1 person
- 10 Mpbs: HD video streaming or gaming; ideal for 1-2 people
- 20 Mpbs: Frequent gaming or Ultra HD streaming; ideal for 2-4 people
- 40+ Mpbs: Simultaneous HD streaming and gaming; ideal for a family (4+ people)
Beware of Bandwidth Limits!
Hidden in some high speed internet contracts are bandwidth caps that can easily be breached if your household streams a lot of content. It is definitely important to look into this before choosing an ISP for your streaming needs. Most of the time once you go over your allotted bandwidth amount, you will be charged a fee for any overages.
As for a real world example: My household of 5 (3 kids & 2 adults) will usually go through about 450GB of internet traffic a month.
