Internet Providers in Chicago, Illinois

Best Internet Providers in Chicago, IL

We recommend AT&T Fiber as the best home internet provider for most users in Chicago. Not to be confused with AT&T’s IPBB offering, AT&T Internet, AT&T Fiber is the brand’s lightning-fast fiber-optic internet service. It can reach speeds of up to 5 Gbps.

If AT&T Fiber isn’t available in your area of Chicago, look for Astound Broadband Powered by RCN. Formerly just RCN, the broadband provider is a longtime favorite of Chicago locals, and it offers fiber internet in some parts of the city. Its cable options aren’t as quick as its fiber connections, of course, but they’re still worth considering if they’re available in your area.

If you don’t have access to AT&T Fiber or Astound Broadband, your next-best option is the city’s ubiquitous cable provider, Xfinity. Xfinity offers speeds of up to 1 Gbps on a cable connection. Its internet-only plans start at $30 per month, and its bundles start at $55 per month.

Also worth noting is Google’s Webpass product. The service uses fiber for most of its network, but it connects to individual homes using a wireless signal. It’s an exciting technology, but we recommend you choose a fully fiber network that connects all the way to your home — like AT&T Fiber.

Fastest Internet Providers in Chicago, IL

AT&T Internet is the fastest of Chicago’s broadband home internet companies. It offers speeds of up to 5 Gbps — more than enough for even the most bandwidth-hungry households.

When shopping for internet, consider how much speed you’ll actually need on your home Wi-Fi. More is always better, of course, but it’s not always cost-effective. Once you get past 1 Gbps, you’re not going to notice much difference in your internet speed with typical use. Keep in mind that fiber networks offer faster upload speeds than cable or DSL ones. Download speed is usually the most important thing, but certain activities — such as video chatting or broadcasting your own stream — demand decent upload speeds.

Internet Availability in Chicago, IL

Chicago is well served by some very fast broadband internet providers, but your options will depend on what neighborhood you live in — and sometimes your exact address. The main difference you’ll see will be the availability of AT&T Fiber and Astound Powered by RCN. (The availability of Xfinity, on the other hand, won’t change much. You can get Xfinity service at virtually any address in the city.)

Where is AT&T Fiber available, and where can you get Astound Powered by RCN in Chicago?

Generally, AT&T Fiber is more widely available on the North Side of Chicago than it is on the South Side. The best-covered areas are mostly found along I-90 as it heads northwest out of downtown. AT&T has great fiber availability in neighborhoods like West Bucktown, Logan Square, Grayland, Albany Park, Montrose, Portage Park, and Northwood Park. Coverage is a little spotter closer to Lake Michigan, in areas such as Ravenswood and the Near North Side, but it’s still worth checking availability at your address if you live in those areas.

Coverage beyond those areas isn’t great. The Loop, Near West Side, and Near South Side don’t have a ton of access to AT&T Fiber, nor do most neighborhoods south or west of those areas.

Frustratingly, Astound Powered by RCN’s fiber internet footprint has a fair amount of overlap with AT&T’s. It does, however, offer fiber service in some areas that aren’t served well by AT&T — most notably the Near North Side, the Loop, West Loop, and the Near South Side. Astound’s cable internet options — which, although not as fast as its fiber offerings, are still very well regarded — are more widely available. Astound covers pretty much the entire North Side of Chicago. It handles a fair bit of the South Side, too, covering most areas between the Dan Ryan Expressway and Lake Michigan as far south as Hyde Park. Don’t expect to see it in neighborhoods on the western side of Chicago though.