Best ISPs in Mankato, MN

According to CNET, Internet spectrum ranks as the best overall provider in Mankatowith coverage covering about 90% of the city, according to the FCC. As a cable provider, Spectrum offers download speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second, with plans starting at $50 for 500 megabits per second. However, upload speeds will not match those of fiber optic providers such as True fiberswhich ranks first in speed in the area.
Fidium Fiber offers the fastest speeds in Mankato, with symmetrical download and upload speeds of up to 2000 Mbps. Its fiber plans are competitively priced starting at $25 per month, which translates to just four cents per Mbps. Coverage all around 82% of the cityFidium Fiber may not be available at every address, but it provides an excellent option where it is available.

For residents on a budget, most providers in Mankato start around $45-$50 per month for at least 100Mbps down. Fidium Fiber’s entry-level plan is $25 a month for 100Mbps, though the price increases to $70 after the first year. Spectrum offers a similar deal of $50 for 500Mbps, which also goes up after 12 months. Fixed wireless options, such as Midco, offer cheaper plans starting at $39, but top out at 100Mbps.

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Mankato

The best internet deals and the best promotions in Mankato depend on what discounts are available during a given time period. Most deals are short-lived, but we’re often on the lookout for the latest deals.

Premium ISPs, such as Spectrum and Fidium Fiber, may offer lower introductory rates. However, others, including T-Mobile and Verizon Home Internet, have the same standard rates year-round. Verizon recently launched a new series of streaming add-ons and bundles for just $10 extra per month, which could sweeten the deal for potential 5G internet customers.

For a more extensive list of promotions, see our guide to the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

What is 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 include video conferencing, video streaming or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a fast connection with reliable download and upload speeds. Here’s an overview of recommended minimum download speeds for different apps, according to the FCC. Note that these are guidelines only: Internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, see our guide to how much internet speed do you really need?.

• 0 to 5 Mbps lets you handle the basics – surfing the web, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40 Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100 Mbps should provide a single person with enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one or two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
• 500 to 1000 Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best ISPs in Mankato

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest ones smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen toolit is not practical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what is our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability, and speed database that draws from our own historical ISP data, peer data, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission on FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we’re looking at every ISP that provides service in an area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power to gauge how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent change; all information provided is accurate at the time of publication.

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

1. Does the provider offer relatively fast internet access?
2. Are customers getting decent value for what they pay?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

While the answer to these questions is often layered and complex, the vendors that come closest to saying yes to all three are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also take into account things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively easy. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

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

ISPs in Mankato FAQ