Internet Providers in Kansas City, Missouri

Widely Available Internet Providers in Kansas City, MO

When deciding between internet providers, the best provider is one you can get. 

Kansas City actually has four main internet providers, which is above average for the US. The main internet providers in Kansas City are Spectrum, Xfinity, ATT, and Google Fiber. These all have their pros and cons, and both Spectrum and ATT offer two types of internet.

Spectrum: Spectrum offers cable, which is fast, and fiber which is extremely fast. But, fiber isn’t available everywhere. Spectrum tends to get periodic negative reviews, more than the other two, but this is offset by prices that are often lower, especially for the speed you get. Spectrum is available primarily on the west side of town, with one of the eastern boundaries being Hardy Ave. It’s a cable provider so you’ll either be able to get this or Xfinity somewhere in town.

Xfinity: Xfinity is the other cable provider. Unlike Spectrum, Xfinity doesn’t also offer fiber in most of Kansas City, but Xfinity cable is so fast you probably won’t notice. Xfinity is one of the fastest providers in the US, and consistently increases speeds to stay competitive in this area. Customer service is good, and uptime is reliable. The one negative that Xfinity tends to get is that pricing is a bit higher than average. 

ATT: ATT offers a DSL/fiber hybrid type of service they call IPBB. It’s like a fast DSL, or average cable service in terms of speed. ATT also offers fiber in Kansas City, but not everywhere. Although Google fiber tends to be the popular option for fiber, often customers are actually happier with ATT fiber, if you need the speed and symmetrical connection. Prices might be slightly higher, but service tends to be reliable, and customer service is better than other brands. 

Google fiber: Kansas city was one of the first places to offer this service, and it’s available nearly everywhere. Google fiber offers only fiber, which is faster than most people need, but customers are generally happy with it. Customers report best success with Google fiber when combining the service with Google’s mesh wifi system. 

Best Internet in Kansas City, MO

Which should you get? ATT is a great combination of price, speed, and customer service. Google fiber is probably the most likely fiber connection, if you definitely need the speed. And Spectrum is probably the best ratio of price to speed. Xfinity is great for no-frills reliable fast speeds. Keep in mind that it’s really only a 3-way decision since you almost certainly cannot get both Xfinity and Spectrum. So your options are one of those, and then both of the other two.

Alternative Internet providers in Kansas City, MO

These brands offer service to about 90% of Kansas City residents, but there are a few notable alternatives. The alternatives aren’t available everywhere, but it could be worth a look if you’re looking to move on from the big four brands. 

Always On and Wisper ISP offer fixed wireless, which operates a bit like a home wifi network. 

Whisper offers service as far north as Edgerton, and down into Kansas City, but the service area starts to get patchy south and west of 1-70 and is very intermittent west of Watkins. But if you’re in the north or east parts of town it could be a great option.

Always On actually primarily offers service in Idaho. Broadbandnow’s database is based on the FCC, but local results indicate limited service from this provider. 

For 5G connections, there is Verizon and T mobile home internet. These might be familiar brands, since they’re two of the big 4 cell phone providers. They provide their 5G service via cell towers, which means it’s similar to a fast and good data plan for your phone. 5G is generally available anywhere you can get cell service. 

Starlink is the final great option for Kansas City. Although our provider cards above don’t distinguish between it and other satellite options, the user experience is very different. Traditional satellite internet has a lot of “lag” caused by high latency, and Starlink does not, because the satellites themselves are much closer to earth. Your experience with it will be similar to 5G or even a decent wired connection. 

Which is the best internet option in Kansas City? In city areas where you can get either cable provider and also ATT and Google fiber, you’ll likely have similar satisfaction with Xfinity, ATT, and Google fiber. These are all fast, relatively reliable, but not your cheapest option. If you’re looking for the best ratio of speed to price, Spectrum is your best bet. But it’s a case of you get what you pay for. People with Google fiber or Xfinity for example don’t mind paying more for speed and reliability.