If you’re one of the millions living in Chicago, you’re one of the lucky ones. The city offers its residents a choice from a variety of providers. Residents can find high-speed and reliable internet connections at affordable prices.
In today’s day and age, this variety is necessary. Every one of us needs access to a stable broadband connection for a number of reasons. Whether you work from home, study from home, or stream your favorite TV shows, an internet connection is a must.
Chicago has thirty-two internet service providers in the city. To help you narrow down the choices, we have listed the top internet providers in the city. However, before we get to that, take a minute to understand the types of connections that are available to you.
Types of Connections Available In Chicago
Choosing the right ISP can be a lot easier if you understand some of the technical jargon. ISPs in Chicago offer its residents internet services through five different technologies. By learning what they are, you can make a better choice for your household.
Satellite Internet
Satellite connections are available all over the USA. If you have a view of the southern sky, you can get access to a satellite connection. While the connection is widely available, there are some concerns you would have to deal with. Because the data has to travel between satellites, there can be some serious delays and lags when you use the internet. But, if you live in a rural and unconnected area, this may be the only choice available for you.
In most cases, a representative from the ISP will visit your house to install a dish on the roof that connects to the satellites. Once the connection is established, your household will be connected to the internet. Today, satellite connections offer speeds of up to 100 Mbps, with increased reliability.
Fixed Wireless Internet
Fixed wireless internet connections are an alternative for rural and underserved areas. ISPs offering fixed wireless install an antenna, smaller than the ones used for satellite, at your residence. This antenna links up with the wireless hubs on the ground in your area to create an internet connection.
For a stable connection, you are required to place the dish under an open sky. Physical obstructions such as trees, hills, and other structures can act as a barrier and reduce the quality of the connection. The farther away your house is from the wireless hub, the lower the speed of the connection.
Internet Protocol Broadband (IPBB)
IPBB is a type of DSL connection, marketed by AT&T. This term is used to describe the technology which is a hybrid of DSL variants. Simply put, IPBB is just another way to describe a fast DSL internet connection. The connection can offer a speed between 25 Mbps to 100 Mbps but is slower than cable and fiber connections.
Cable Internet
Cable internet offers its users a high-speed connection by using cable TV infrastructure. As ISPs use the existing coaxial cables, they do not have to install new ones. This makes the connection easily available in most urban and suburban areas.
Cable connections can offer high internet speeds of up to 300 Mbps in download speeds. But, is only capable of offering 50 Mbps when it comes to uploads. The connection is widely available in Chicago and can be purchased at affordable prices.
Fiber Internet
Fiber internet is the fastest type of connection on the market. Its one drawback is that it isn’t widely available. Laying the infrastructure, to provide more users with fiber internet connections is very expensive. And ISPs are trying their best to increase fiber coverage gradually.
Fiber internet uses fiber-optic cables to transmit data between devices. The speeds can reach up to 70% of light speed and offer speeds of up to 1 Gbps. With such high speeds you can perform any task, regardless of the number of devices and members there are in your household.
Internet Providers in Chicago
Now that we understand what types of connections there are available, we can discuss the choices available. Every ISP differs from the others in some ways, whether it’s the prices, bundled packages, services, or availability in your area. Read on to see the connections offered by the listed ISPs.
Xfinity
Xfinity, a division of Comcast, offers customers reliable and fast internet and is one of the largest internet service providers in the USA. Their services are accessible to customers in over thirty-nine states and to millions of people in Chicago, Florida, and Illinois. Despite all the existing competition, Xfinity shows no signs of slowing down.
Xfinity Internet is offered through a cable to its subscribers by using a fiber-coaxial cable. The connection makes use of fiber-optic lines up until the last mile, from where it uses coaxial cable to reach your doorstep. Xfinity also offers Wi-Fi capabilities with the help of the xFi Gateway. The advanced xFi Gateway device also offers users security from cyber threats.
Xfinity offers a wide variety of speed tiers to its customers, starting from 50 Mbps to 1200 Mbps. Not only is it capable of offering download speeds of 1 Gbps, but also offers a consistent and stable connection at all times. All of the internet packages offer a fixed monthly price when subscribers sign up with Xfinity for a one-year agreement, exclusive of equipment, installation, taxes, and other applicable charges.
| package | Speeds | Price/mo. |
| Connect | 50 Mbps | $20 |
| Connect More | 100 Mbps | $40 |
| Fast | 300 Mbps | $50 |
| Superfast | 600 Mbps | $50 |
| Ultrafast | 900 Mbps | $60 |
| Gigabit | 1200 Mbps | $70 |
From the tables you can see Xfinity by Comcast offers various speeds to suit your needs. Their cheapest package, Connect, is suitable for up to four devices and can be used to download music, stream videos, and video chat. On the other hand, their fastest connection, Gigabit, allows you to connect to as many devices as you have, quickly download large files, connect to your household devices, play games online, and stream to your heart’s content.
Xfinity does offer all of its packages with a data allowance of 1.2TB. For standard users, this allowance is more than sufficient to stream your favorite TV shows, download files, and do other standard activities. If by any unlikely chance, users consume all of the data, Xfinity will not charge you the first time you exceed this limit in the twelve-month period. If the users exceed the limit, they will be charged $10 for every 50GB.
AT&T
AT&T is the largest telecommunications company in the world and offers internet packages through various connections. Its footprint expands over twenty-one states and offers neighborhoods practical options. Once you subscribe with AT&T for a broadband connection, they offer free access to its various public hotspots.
AT&T has quickly become one of the best ISPs offering fiber internet connections. But, it is only available in select areas. AT&T Fiber offers a range of packages, with symmetrical speeds. This means that the connection offers fast download and upload speeds to the users by using pure fiber cables, with unlimited data.
AT&T Internet is delivered to households by using a mix of technologies, mainly, VDSL2, ADSL2+, G.Fast, and Ethernet. This IPBB connection is faster than traditional DSL, offering fast download speeds that travel across a hybrid fiber-coaxial cable. However, the connection doesn’t offer the same speed for uploads. For internet packages higher than 100Mbps, AT&T offers unlimited data. You can pay the fixed, listed cost when you sign a 12-month agreement. For further information regarding AT&T internet prices, refer to the table below.
| Connection | Package | Speeds | Price |
| AT&T Internet | Internet 25, 50, 75 Mbps | 25, 50, 75 Mbps | $55 per month for 12 mos. |
| Internet 100 Mbps | 100 Mbps | $55 per month for 12 mos. | |
| AT&T Fiber | Fiber 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | $55 per month |
| Fiber 500 Mbps | 500 Mbps | $65 per month | |
| Fiber 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps | $80 per month |
HughesNet
If you live far away from the hustle of the city, HughesNet may be the answer to your internet needs. HughesNet has been offering satellite connections to the US government, military, and businesses. In 1996, it began to offer satellite internet to small businesses and residences as well. In 2012, the service not only got its current name but also began offering broadband speeds via satellite connections.
As of today, HughesNet has the largest consumer base of any other company. The reason for their success is their dedication to providing broadband satellite connections to people in rural and underserved areas. If there is no connection available to you, HughesNet can come to your rescue. To see if satellite broadband is available in your area, let BuyTVInternetPhone help you.
HughesNet Gen 5 offers four different packages that differ on the basis of their data allowance. For all four data tiers, you receive download speeds of 25Mbps and upload speeds of 3Mbps, as per the broadband criteria defined by Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This connection allows you to send emails, download files, stream videos, and video chat.
The satellite modem offered by HughesNet also has a built-in wifi router. You can access the strong connection throughout your house which allows you to connect multiple devices. In addition, the router offers security from all possible cyber threats.
With HughesNet Gen 5, every subscriber can take advantage of the Bonus Zone. The Bonus Zone offers you a 50 GB data allowance between 2 am to 8 am. So, if you have to download a large file, this is the perfect time to do so.
WOW!
WideOpenWest, or WOW!, is the sixth-largest cable operator in the US and offers broadband internet services along with cable TV and landline. You can find WOW’s fiber-rich cable broadband across nine states. Their limited coverage, allows them to focus on their smaller customer base and offer them quality service.
The availability of their speed tiers varies from one area to the other. The high-speed and reliable broadband connections ensure that you don’t face any lags. Additionally, with every plan, you get a data allowance of 3TB! That is a lot of data for a single household and sets aside the need to worry about the monthly consumption.
WOW internet packages offer download speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 1000 Mbps. Starting at just $19.99 per month, the Fast package, is sufficient for small households. You can stream videos, work from home, study online, and connect a couple of devices without any issues. With the Lightning Fast package, you don’t have to worry about anything. Connect as many devices as you need, link your Smart home devices, and download large files easily.
To ensure that your entire house is connected to the internet, you can also choose to install Amazon’s Eero. With the Whole Home Wi-Fi, sleek devices are placed at strategic points throughout your house, to cover up any dead spots. You can avail of this for an additional $9.99 with any of the broadband cable packages.
| Package | Speeds | Price |
| Fast | 100 Mbps | $19.99 per month |
| Super Fast | 200 Mbps | $29.99 per month |
| Ultra Fast | 500 Mbps | $44.99 per month |
| Lightning Fast | 1000 Mbps | $54.99 per month |
How To Make Your Choice
If you are living in Chicago, you have a lot of ISPs at the tip of your fingers. We hope that our guide can help you make an educated choice when you decide to sign up for an internet package.
Remember, that you cannot make your decision solely based on the price of the internet package. You need to take into consideration:
- the type of connection
- the data allowance
- the download and upload speeds
- whether the ISP is available in your area
- and yes, the price of the package
Once you understand your needs, your choices will become clear. Whether you live in a sprawling urban city, or far away in an underserved area, an internet connection is available to you. With just a bit of research, you can find a reliable service, even if find yourself in the wilderness. If you have any questions, you can always contact BuyTVInternetPhone at 1-855-349-9328.