Best Internet Providers in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Our Experts
What is the best internet provider in Eau Claire?
Thanks to its wide coverage and reasonable prices, CNET recommends Spectrum as the best internet service provider in Eau Claire. Spectrum offers plans ranging in price from $50 to $80, plus speeds up to 1 gigabit and a free modem on all tiers.
AT&T Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet are also available at select households in Eau Claire and are worth checking out if Spectrum doesn't serve your address. Or if you live in rural portions of the area and can't access these big-name providers, West Wisconsin Telecom is another solid option for residential broadband.
The average starting cost for home internet in Eau Claire is $56 per month, but a few ISPs offer plans cheaper than that. Mediacom's Prime Internet 100 is the most affordable service in the area, costing only $35 monthly, but it's offered only to a limited percentage of the town. You'll be better off with either Spectrum or Verizon 5G Home Internet, both offering $50 plans with download speeds up to 300 megabits per second.
If you're hunting for the speediest connection, AT&T Fiber is the fastest provider in this small Wisconsin city. AT&T Fiber offers two multi-gigabit plans: 2,000Mbps for $125 or 5,000Mbps for $225 monthly.
Our methodology
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Eau Claire across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider's website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what's available in Eau Claire. The prices referenced within this article's text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month -- a standard industry offering. Discounts and promotions might also be available for signing a term contract or bundling multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, in 2024
Spectrum
Best internet provider in Eau Claire, WI
Our take - The FCC reports that Spectrum serves over 91% of addresses in the Eau Claire area, but that's not the only advantage of this cable giant. Spectrum offers three plans under its network, ranging in download speed from 300Mbps to 1,000Mbps. Prices start at $50 per month, and all of Spectrum's plans include unlimited data and a free modem.
T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless internet in Eau Claire, WI
Our take - Although Verizon and T-Mobile offer fixed wireless services in Eau Claire, the latter offers a wider network. T-Mobile Home Internet costs $60 per month for download speeds up to 245Mbps and comes with no data caps, equipment fees or required contracts. Plus, eligible mobile customers can save $20 monthly on their bill.
AT&T Fiber
Best fiber internet provider in Eau Claire, WI
Our take - AT&T Fiber is Eau Claire's fastest ISP, offering symmetrical speeds up to 5 gigabits for all serviceable customers under its fiber network. Customers can choose between five plans, ranging in price from $55 to $225. Just make sure you're not getting stuck with this provider's much slower DSL service, AT&T Home Internet.
Eau Claire internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Home Internet Read full review | DSL hybrid | $55 | 10-100Mbps | None | 1.5TB | None | 7.4 |
|
AT&T Fiber Read full review | Fiber | $55-$225 | 300-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Mediacom Read full review | Cable | $35-$70 | 100-1,000Mbps | $14 modem | 350-3,000GB | None | 6.4 |
|
Spectrum Read full review | Cable | $50-$80 | 500-1,000Mbps | Free modem; $5 router (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $60 ($40 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max mobile customers) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
| West Wisconsin Telecom | Fiber | $89-$159 | 300-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | N/A |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Eau Claire?
| Provider | Starting monthly price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mediacom Prime Internet 100 Read full review | $35 | 100Mbps | $14 |
|
Spectrum Internet Read full review | $50 | 300Mbps | $5 (optional) |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plan) | 300Mbps | None |
|
AT&T Home Internet Read full review | $55 | 100Mbps | None |
|
AT&T Fiber Read full review | $55 | 300Mbps | None |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | $60 ($40 with eligible mobile plan) | 245Mbps | None |
| West Wisconsin Telecom Internet 300 | $89 | 300Mbps | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Eau Claire
The best internet deals and top promotions in Eau Claire depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Eau Claire internet providers, such as Spectrum and Mediacom, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, such as AT&T and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Photo by William Reagan/Getty Images
Fastest internet plans in Eau Claire
| Provider | Starting monthly price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Fiber 5000 Read full review | $225 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
AT&T Fiber 2000 Read full review | $125 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
AT&T Fiber 1000 Read full review | $80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Mediacom 1 Gig Read full review | $70 | 1,000Mbps | 50Mbps | 3,000GB | Cable |
|
Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review | $80 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
|
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review | $70 ($45 with eligible mobile plan) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
| West Wisconsin Telecom Internet 1 Gig | $159 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
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, 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 Eau Claire
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
But it 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 answers to those questions are 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 also 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.
Internet providers in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Eau Claire?
Spectrum is Eau Claire's best internet provider, thanks to its wide coverage map and simple service details. Spectrum also offers some of the area's lowest prices for home internet.
Is fiber internet available in Eau Claire?
Fiber connectivity is available to about 18% of households in Eau Claire. AT&T Fiber is the largest fiber provider in the area, but select households may also be serviceable for fiber internet under local provider West Wisconsin Telecom.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Eau Claire?
Technically, Mediacom offers the cheapest plan in Eau Claire, costing $35 monthly for 100Mbps of speed. However, serviceability is limited -- only 11% of addresses can access Mediacom's network. Spectrum and Verizon 5G Home Internet are much more available in Eau Claire, and both of these ISPs offer $50 plans for 300Mbps.
Which internet provider in Eau Claire offers the fastest plan?
AT&T Fiber is the largest fiber provider and fastest ISP in Eau Claire. Most customers can get 5 gigabits of speed -- or 5,000Mbps -- for $225 per month.
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