For a stable connection at a stable price, try Quantum Fiber. Formerly branded as CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber gets you a solid deal with speeds of up to 940Mbps, unlimited data, no contract, and a Price for Life guarantee. If you sign up with the $50-per-month, 500Mbps plan, you always pay $50 a month for the length of your service, with no seasonal price hikes on the horizon.
Best Quantum Fiber internet plan for most people: Up to 500Mbps; 500Mbps for $50.00/mo.
Of Quantum Fiber's two plans, we suggest the 500Mbps plan. It's cost effective (10 cents per Mbps) and gives you a massive buffer to handle basically anything a typical household needs and more. Having 500Mbps makes it a breeze to stream, game, download large files, and work from home—even all at the same time.
If you don’t need the fastest internet now but hope to scale up in the future, Orbitel Communications could be the way to go. Orbitel offers speeds as low as 250Mbps and as high as 1Gbps, giving you plenty of options depending on your connectivity needs.
All Orbitel plans include unlimited data, so you never have to worry about connection throttling or overage charges if you use too much internet throughout the month. Orbitel also offers a mesh Wi-Fi system called Smart Wi-Fi, though you have to pay extra for it.
Orbitel prices run more expensive than other providers like Quantum Fiber. Luckily, Orbitel participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program. You can get as much as $30 off Orbitel residential internet if you're eligible for the ACP.
Best Orbitel Communications internet plan for most people: 500 Mbps; 500Mbps for $69.95/mo.
500Mbps is the perfect speed for most households, and Orbitel backs that up by describing its 500 Mbps plan as "great for several users, video streaming, sharing large files, gaming, and more." In other words, whether you're making Zoom calls, playing Call of Duty, or booking a hot air balloon ride over an app, the 500Mbps plan has you covered.
Get this plan if you live in a rural part of Maricopa where no other internet options are available. Satellite internet is much slower and more expensive than fiber, cable, and fixed wireless internet, but it’s the way to go for many rural Americans living in the country.
Viasat has some advantages. Speeds top out at 100Mbps, making it faster than many fixed wireless options, and you technically get unlimited data, so you can enjoy activities like gaming and streaming. Just be aware that you have a monthly cap on high-speed data; the exact amount you get depends on the plan you sign up for.
As another boon, Viasat offers free pro installation. That means you don’t have to suffer through trying to install a satellite internet system yourself. Hallelujah.
Best Viasat internet plan for most people: Up to 100 Mbps; 100Mbps for $199.99/mo.
According to Viasat, this plan is suitable for "email, web browsing, social networking, video streaming, and more for the whole family." In other words, with this plan, you can visit cacti and citrus tree husbandry sites to your heart's content—but given satellite’s speed limitations, you may experience recurring slowdowns if you invite 10 of your closest friends over to play an MMORPG.