Best internet providers in Chicago, Illinois

Here we’ll break down our top picks, with more in-depth analysis of AT&T, Xfinity, and Abound, our gold, silver, and bronze medalists for the Chicago area.

#1: AT&T internet

AT&T is our top pick, with the combination of price, speed, reliability, and impeccable customer service vaulting it to the top of our charts. As it expands its fiber footprint, allowing for speedy upload and download speeds, there’s hope for anyone looking to hop on the AT&T train.

Unfortunately, as only about 60% of the Chicago area is currently viable for fiber connectivity, not every address will be able to obtain the high speeds and reliable internet afforded by a fiber connection. If that’s the case with you, other services will have what you need—AT&T no longer offers DSL to new customers, so if you can’t get fiber, consider another option in your area.

Read our full AT&T internet review.

#2: Xfinity internet

Speed and reliability are benchmarks for Xfinity, which consistently ranks high in performance metrics, and lucky for you, it covers nearly 96% of the Chicago area. $25 a month can get you internet speeds up to 200 Mbps, more than enough speed for streaming, downloading HD videos, music, gaming, etc. Offering several options for bundling internet, home phone, home security, and TV, Xfinity offers a home to anyone who wants a single bill that covers everything at the end of the month.

In the past, Xfinity was criticized for having poor customer service, not exactly what a paying customer wants to hear before committing at least a year to a company, but it seems to be improving in that department.

Read our full Xfinity internet review.

#3: Astound Broadband internet

Though Astound scores higher than Xfinity with both our staff and customers, limited availability knocks it down to third on our list, though it’s still a fantastic option for the Chicago area. Offering speeds of up to 300 Mbps for only $25 a month, anyone looking for a budget-friendly deal will find Astound, well, astounding. You can also bundle TV and internet under one plan. The best part is there are no contracts required, and the price is locked in for two years if you take advantage of the current promotion of their website.

There are some disclaimers on Astound’s website that are worth reading through; Astound will provide the modem for free but stipulates that “additional equipment” may be required to reach promised internet speeds, though it doesn’t clarify if a basic modem will accomplish that. Covering just under 60% of the Chicago area, Astound is a great option if your address is viable, though eventual price hikes are a real possibility.

Read our full Astound internet review.

Aside from our top three, there are several other providers in the Chicago area. T-Mobile offers fixed wireless plans to nearly 96% of the area, and if you already have a T-Mobile phone plan, consider adding internet to form a bundle and nab the accompanying savings. Same applies to Verizon, though it’s not as widely available (covers only 60% of the area).

There are several satellite providers that cover 100% of the Chicago area, including Starlink, HughesNet, and Viasat. Overall, our impression of satellite internet is that it’s a growing industry with several hang-ups in its current constitution that make it either unreliable, unaffordable, or technologically restrictive. High upfront equipment costs, high latency, required contracts, and more limit its appeal to a wider audience; future technological advances may change that, but as of now, there are too many simpler, more affordable, less restrictive options in your area to recommend satellite internet with any confidence. If you’d still like to take a dive into the satellite internet pool, Starlink is the highest rated by our staff.

If you’re looking for speedy internet for multi-family residences, Zentro is the leading provider in that arena, mostly covering residential towers and highrises. It only covers about 2% of the Chicago area, but if you live downtown, in a multi-apartment, multi-story building, Zentro has great deals and high speeds, with its basic package starting at $29 a month.

Technically, Xfinity comes in as the cheapest option in the Windy City, with plans starting as low as $20 a month, should your address fall into an area offering that price. These areas seem to be centralized around high-competition pockets in the city, where Xfinity is competing with other companies such as T-Mobile and AT&T, hoping to gain an edge by offering a lower price.

Astound, however, isn’t far behind, and if your address is viable, we’d recommend it over Xfinity, at least for the first two years (with their current two year price-lock promotion). Price hikes aren’t uncommon with Astound, but there aren’t any multi-year contract obligations, so if you’d like to swap Astound for a better deal if they threaten a price hike, more power to you!

Most of the complaints we hear and see are leveled at T-Mobile’s phone service, relevant here because the signals are the same for home Wi-Fi. You could experience reduced efficiency if you live in a building with thick walls, but no customer complaints were aimed at this specifically.

With that said, some customers love T-Mobile for its speeds and reliability, so it’s a mixed bag here.

Xfinity, AT&T, and Astound Broadband seemed to be the most appealing options for Chicago residents. Xfinity’s price, speed, and reliability marked high with customers, though widespread outages that last several hours do seem to peeve some consumers. Sentiment about AT&T, already known for its excellent customer service, was also very positive. Though Astound Broadband will eventually hit you with a price hike, customer sentiment was still mostly positive as the company seemed willing to accommodate customers after the first year…with a little “persuasion.”

As of December, 2022, Illinois received a huge boost of over $250 million to increase broadband infrastructure across the state.

According to Lily Ogburn, a reporter in the Chicago area: “In light of the new funding, which has yet to be distributed, community advocates in Evanston and Chicago are hoping to bring attention to bridging the digital divide, or unequal access to internet and devices.” (2)

Chicago is hoping to get a chunk of that windfall, and could theoretically expand its internet infrastructure across the city, specifically to assist lower-earning families and those without proper devices or internet connectivity.

After acquiring FastMesh (2), Astound Broadband is looking to expand to more multiple dwelling units in the Chicago area. If more residential buildings are built in the downtown Chicago area, Astound can increase its footprint, as it is the go-to provider of web services and internet connections for high-density apartment living in the area.