Best Internet Providers in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Our Experts
What is the best internet provider in Grand Rapids?
AT&T Fiber is the best internet provider in Grand Rapids. It’s the only fiber provider widely available in the area, offering symmetrical upload and download speeds ideal for anyone who does a lot of videoconferencing or online gaming. Unlike many internet service providers, there are no hidden fees, data caps or price increases.
If you’re looking for the lowest prices, Xfinity has the cheapest internet in Grand Rapids, but prices increase on all plans after a year or two (and sometimes three). Still, Xfinity received above-average customer satisfaction scores, and it has a variety of plans that fit every need.
If you can’t get AT&T Fiber and don’t want to worry about Xfinity’s confusing pricing structure, T-Mobile Home Internet is a refreshingly straightforward option. The fixed wireless provider includes everything you need in its single $50 monthly plan, and it guarantees it won’t ever raise your rates.
Our methodology
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Grand Rapids across many 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 Grand Rapids. 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. Other discounts and promotions might also be available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Grand Rapids, Michigan
AT&T Fiber
Best internet provider in Grand Rapids, MI
Our take - AT&T Fiber was CNET’s pick for the best fiber internet provider nationwide, which essentially makes it the best internet provider overall. It has symmetrical upload and download speeds -- a necessity for gamers and remote workers -- and has none of the sneaky tricks that internet providers are known for. That’s why AT&T earned the highest score of any provider in the 2023 American Customer Satisfaction Index survey.
Xfinity
Cheapest internet in Grand Rapids, MI
Our take - If you want to pay the lowest prices possible, Xfinity's cable internet plans start at just $20 a month -- less than half of what any other ISP in the area charges. If that sounds too good to be true, it sort of is. Xfinity's plans increase significantly after a year or two (and sometimes both). But even with those price hikes, Xfinity still has an above-average customer satisfaction score from the ACSI.
T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless internet in Grand Rapids, MI
Our take - The main selling point for T-Mobile's fixed wireless internet is its simplicity. It only offers one plan, and everything you need is included in the $50 monthly price -- no equipment fees, no contracts and no price increases. Its speeds don't reach the same heights as AT&T or Xfinity, and wireless internet is more susceptible to network disruption, but T-Mobile still has plenty of horsepower for smaller households.
Grand Rapids internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Fiber Read full review | Fiber | $55-$250 | 300-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
AT&T Internet Read full review | DSL | $55 | Up to 140Mbps | None | 1.5TB on some plans | None | 7.4 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
|
Xfinity Read full review | Cable | $20-$85 | 75-1,200Mbps | $15 (included in most plans) | 1.2TB | Optional | 7 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other available internet providers in Grand Rapids
- Satellite internet: You can get satellite internet at virtually every address in the country, but it’s only your best option in rural areas without any other connection types available. HughesNet and Viasat are the traditional satellite ISPs, and both come with high prices, slow speeds and low data caps. Starlink is a newer option from SpaceX that provides faster speeds, but you’ll still pay a much higher price than AT&T, Xfinity and T-Mobile.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: It’s only available to around 1 in 5 Grand Rapids households, but Verizon 5G Home Internet is a solid option for fixed wireless internet in the area. Its speeds go up to 1,000Mbps at some addresses, and you can save an extra $15 to $25 a month when you bundle with an eligible Verizon Wireless plan.
Cheap internet options in Grand Rapids
Xfinity is by far the cheapest internet provider in Grand Rapids, with plans of $20 and $35 a month available almost everywhere in the city. Those prices more than double by the third year of service, but when you factor in the savings from the first couple of years, they’re still a decent deal. Low-income households can also take advantage of the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides a $30 monthly subsidy towards home internet service.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Grand Rapids?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Xfinity Connect Read full review | $20 | 75Mbps | $15 (optional) |
|
Xfinity Connect More Read full review | $35 | 200Mbps | $15 (optional) |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 300Mbps | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Grand Rapids
The best internet deals and the top promotions in Grand Rapids depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Grand Rapids internet providers, such as Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including AT&T Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
How fast is Grand Rapids broadband?
Nearly every address in Grand Rapids has access to fast internet. 99.7% of the city can get 250/25Mbps speeds, compared to 85.5% for Michigan and 87.3% for the country as a whole. That’s also ahead of other cities in the state, like Lansing (96.9%) and Detroit (98.9%).
Fastest internet plans in Grand Rapids
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Internet 5000 Read full review | $250 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
AT&T Internet 2000 Read full review | $150 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review | $85 | 1,200Mbps | 35Mbps | 1.2TB | Cable |
|
AT&T Internet 1000 Read full review | $80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Read full review | $60 | 1,000Mbps | 20Mbps | 1.2TB | Cable |
|
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review | $70 ($45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
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 person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Grand Rapids
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. So what's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
This guide leverages an in-house artificial intelligence tool called RAMP, which is trained on our own writing and uses our database to generate content about specific internet service providers that our writers can use in determining and presenting our picks for a given guide. Check CNET’s AI policy for more information about how our teams use (and don’t use) AI tools.
Because our database is not exhaustive, we go to the FCC's website to check the primary data for ourselves and make sure we're considering every ISP that provides service in an area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we input local addresses on provider websites to find the specific options available to 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 our prepublication fact-check.
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, you can visit our how we test ISPs page.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Grand Rapids?
Almost every household in Grand Rapids has access to at least one high-speed internet provider, but some are still better than others. AT&T Fiber is the best of the bunch, with fast, symmetrical speeds, straightforward pricing and excellent customer satisfaction scores. If you can’t get AT&T Fiber at your address, Xfinity and T-Mobile Home Internet are good backup options, but they each have drawbacks.
Internet providers in Grand Rapids FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Grand Rapids?
AT&T Fiber is the best internet service provider in Grand Rapids, offering symmetrical upload and download speeds, unlimited data, no contracts and the highest internet provider score in the 2023 American Customer Satisfaction Index survey. Speeds go up to 5,000Mbps in Grand Rapids, and you can also get discounts when you bundle with eligible cellphone plans.
Is fiber internet available in Grand Rapids?
Yes, fiber internet is available to 40% of households in Grand Rapids, almost entirely through AT&T Fiber.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Grand Rapids?
Xfinity is the cheapest internet provider in Grand Rapids, with plans starting at $20 a month for 75/10Mbps speeds. That said, the price increases in the second and third years of service.
Which internet provider in Grand Rapids offers the fastest plan?
The internet provider in Grand Rapids that offers the fastest plan is AT&T Fiber, with maximum upload and download speeds of 5,000Mbps.
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