Best Internet Providers in Omaha, Nebraska

What is the best internet provider in Omaha?

While fiber options are harder to come by in the area, fast cable internet is available virtually everywhere through Cox Communications, so Cox is our pick for the best internet service provider in Omaha. Cox has been the only company offering high-speed internet in the Omaha area for a long time, but now you'll have a few other good options to compare it with. If you'd rather try out a fiber connection or an upstart 5G home internet provider, Quantum Fiber and T-Mobile are also available in the area.

For those wanting cheap internet service, check out T-Mobile Home Internet or Verizon 5G Home Internet. While both ISPs offer a $50 monthly plan, eligible mobile customers can pay only $30-$35 for service. If speed is what you need, Cox's 2-gigabit plan is the fastest speed you'll find in Omaha, costing $150 per month.

Best internet in Omaha, Nebraska

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Omaha

• Nextlink: Serving about 46% of Omaha households, Nextlink is a decent option for fixed wireless internet. Its plans start at $60 per month for 50Mbps and go up to 500Mbps for $130. You can also add home phone service to any Nextlink plan. 
• Satellite internet: No matter where you live in Omaha -- or anywhere in the country for that matter -- you'll have access to satellite internet. That said, it should be viewed as a last resort. Satellite internet is slower than other connection types, costs a lot more and typically requires a two-year commitment. HughesNet and Viasat used to be the only choices for satellite, but Elon Musk's Starlink has staked out its claim in recent years. It offers much faster speeds than the other two and doesn't require contracts, but you'll have to pay a hefty $599 fee upfront for the equipment. Starlink's availability map shows that the service is currently available in Omaha. 
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon's fixed wireless service is similar to T-Mobile's -- an internet connection is sent to your house through the company's cellular network -- but it's only available to about 1 in 4 Omaha residents. Two plans are available: 50 to 300Mbps for $50 per month or 300 to 1000Mbps for $70. You can also cut those prices by $15-$25 if you're subscribed to a 5G mobile plan with Verizon. The only thing that kept Verizon out of one of our top spots was availability.

Cheap internet options in Omaha

The average starting price for internet service in Omaha is on the high side at $56 per month. While you won't find any providers offering a base plan lower than $50, ISPs like T-Mobile and Verizon offer discounts to eligible mobile customers, meaning you might only have to pay $30-$35 per month for service. If you want the best value, go with Quantum Fiber's $50 plan, which grants you speeds up to 500Mbps.

Most of the providers we've mentioned also participate in the Federal Communication Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program, which gives eligible low-income households a $30 monthly discount (or up to $75 for households on tribal lands) for high-speed internet. You can use the ACP toward any internet plan -- not just the cheapest ones -- from participating providers. 

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Omaha

The best internet deals and top promotions in Omaha depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Omaha internet providers, such as Cox, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including T-Mobile and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide on the best internet deals. 

How fast is Omaha broadband?

While Omaha has the 39th largest population in the country, its median internet speed is 71st with 209 megabits per second download, according to Ookla.

Cox offers the fastest service in Omaha: 2 gigabits per second for $150 per month. Other than Cox, Quantum Fiber and Verizon are the only internet providers in Omaha that currently offer gig speeds. After that, there's a steep dropoff to Quantum Fiber's base plan, which maxes out at 500Mbps. 

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s 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 accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

• 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics: browsing the internet, sending and receiving email and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Omaha

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov. 

I doesn’t end there: We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication. 

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

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? 
• Do customers get decent value for what they're paying? 
• Are customers happy with their service? 

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

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

What's the final word on internet providers in Omaha?

Omaha residents have less options than most cities when it comes to internet. The market is dominated by Cox's cable internet for high-speed plans, but newcomers like T-Mobile and Verizon have introduced some more competition in the past couple years. 

Internet providers in Omaha FAQs