Have you recently moved to the heart of Western Montana and are looking for a reliable internet provider in Missoula?
Missoula, along with Bozeman, is poised to become a Regional Tech Hub by securing millions in funding from the Economic Development Administration.
High-speed internet access in Missoula is, therefore, an absolute necessity. Several internet service providers offer a wide range of internet connections, including fiber, fixed wireless, and satellite, to fill the connectivity gap.
In this in-depth blog, we have analyzed the top Missoula internet providers based on various factors, like speeds, cost, features, and coverage, to help you choose the right provider for your home or business.
Residential Internet Providers in Missoula, MT
Nearly 91.8% of the households in Missoula are subscribed to an internet package and 88.1% of them get 100 Mbps of speed or higher.
Internet providers in Missoula offer a variety of speeds, starting from 10 Mbps, and going up to multi-gig speeds for an average monthly fee of $75.
Spectrum, CenturyLink, and EarthLink are among the top home internet providers in Missoula, MT. For rates as low as $49.99 per month, you can get download speeds of up to 5,000 Mbps on DSL, cable, and fiber networks.
The 10 best Missoula internet providers for whole-home connectivity are as follows:
| Providers | Download Speed | Type | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink | 30 – 1,000 Mbps | Fiber, DSL | $55.00 – $75.00/mo. |
| Viasat | 25 – 150 Mbps | Satellite | $99.99/mo. |
| Starlink | 25 – 220 Mbps | Satellite | $90.00 – $120.00/mo. |
| Hughesnet | 50 – 100 Mbps | Satellite | $49.99 – $94.99/mo. |
| Spectrum | 300 – 1,000 Mbps | Cable | $49.99 – $79.99/mo. |
| Verizon 5G | 100 – 300 Mbps | Fixed Wireless | $50.00 – $70.00/mo. |
| EarthLink | 100 – 5,000 Mbps | Fiber, Fixed Wireless | $59.95 – $189.95/mo. |
| Grizzly Broadband | 10 – 1,000 Mbps | Fiber, Fixed Wireless | $70.00 – $130.00/mo. |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | 72 – 245 Mbps | Fixed Wireless | $50.00 – $70.00/mo. |
| Blackfoot Communications | 15 – 1,000 Mbps | Fiber, DSL | $63.00 – $135.00/mo. |
**The speed and prices may vary based on your zip code.
Business Internet Providers in Missoula, MT
The healthcare and retail industries are some of the biggest employers in Missoula, MT. Around 28.7% of the city’s workforce is employed in these 2 sectors. In both industries, there is a growing demand for fast and affordable internet connections for research and development, and marketing and finance.
Missoula Internet providers offer exclusive business plans with faster speeds, lower rates, and additional perks, like advanced cybersecurity, business emails/domains, and wireless internet backup, to meet the needs of small-to-medium-sized businesses.
Earthlink offers up to 5,000 Mbps, starting at $69.95/month. In addition to satellite internet, T-Mobile and Spectrum provide economical corporate internet choices.
| Providers | Download Speed | Type | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| EarthLink | 50 – 5,000 Mbps | Fiber, DSL | $69.95 – $169.95/mo. |
| CenturyLink | 100 – 1,000 Mbps | Fiber, DSL | $55.00 – $75.00/mo. |
| Viasat | 50 – 100 Mbps | Satellite | $49.99 – $159.99/mo. |
| Verizon | 100 – 400 Mbps | Fixed Wireless | $69.00 – $199.00/mo. |
| Starlink | 40 – 220 Mbps | Satellite | $140.00 – $500.00/mo. |
| Hughesnet | 50 – 100 Mbps | Satellite | $59.99 – $104.99/mo. |
| Spectrum | 300 – 1,000 Mbps | Cable | $64.99 – $164.99/mo. |
| Grizzly Broadband | 10 – 1,000 Mbps | Fiber, Fixed Wireless | $70.00 – $130.00/mo |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | 77 – 292 Mbps | Fixed Wireless | $50.00 – $70.00/mo. |
| Blackfoot Communications | 25 – 1,000 Mbps | DSL, Fiber | $100.00 – $155.00/mo. |
High-Speed Fiber Internet in Missoula, MT
Fiber is the latest, fastest, and most reliable internet connection. However, due to its high construction and maintenance costs, it is not widely available in the country. The same is the case in Missoula.
According to the U.S. News and World Report, 20.44% of Missoula has access to fiber internet. EarthLink delivers the highest speeds of up to 5 Gbps in Missoula.
While other fiber internet providers in Missoula, MT, are offering up to gigabit upload and download speeds, TDS Fiber intends to disrupt things. It is building a state-of-the-art fiber network in Missoula to deliver up to 8 Gbps symmetrical speeds.
The top 5 fiber internet providers in Missoula are as follows.
| Providers | Download Speed | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| EarthLink | 100 – 5,000 Mbps | $59.95 – $189.95/mo. |
| CenturyLink | 940 Mbps | $75.00/mo. |
| Blackfoot Communications | 100 – 1,000 Mbps | $65.00 – $135.00/mo. |
| Grizzly Broadband | 100 – 1,000 Mbps | $80.00 – $130.00/mo. |
| TDS Fiber | 300 – 8,000 Mbps | $49.99 – $295.00/mo. |
Internet Speeds in Missoula, MT
The median download speed in Missoula is 222.46 Mbps, which is 104.85 Mbps faster than the state average (in Montana). Conversely, the median upload speed in Missoula is 11.51 Mbps, which is 4.17 Mbps slower than the average in Montanna.
Consumer-generated speed test results indicate that around 88.1% of the users can access 100+ Mbps internet speeds. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), this is now the new standard for broadband speeds. 100 Mbps of download speed is enough
to cover most internet activities, like HD video streaming, multi-player online gaming, and heavy file sharing. So, it is wise to look for internet plans that offer this speed or even faster, depending on your requirements.
Fortunately, the top 3 Missoula internet providers mentioned above offer minimum broadband speeds at affordable prices to support essential online activities for home and business internet users.
Internet Coverage in Missoula, MT
The U.S. has more than 2,881 internet service providers, covering downtowns to suburbs of the cities. Missoula has 17 internet service providers, which provide approximately 91.8% of broadband coverage.
The fiber internet is only available in a selected few neighborhoods of the city, meaning that eight in ten residents are unable to purchase a fiber internet plan. Earthlink, CenturyLink, Blackfoot Communications, and Grizzly Broadband are actively offering fiber Internet in Missoula.
All the satellite internet providers are available in the city. Hughesnet, Starlink, and Viasat cover 100% of Missoula. Since their connections are not dependent upon wires, they provide internet where wired service providers face infrastructural challenges.
Spectrum is the second most widely available internet provider in Missoula, offering cable connections to 90% of the city.
The following table lists the coverage of every internet provider in Missoula.
| Providers | Citywide Coverage | Internet Type |
|---|---|---|
| Viasat | 100% | Satellite |
| Hughesnet | 100% | Satellite |
| Starlink | 100% | Satellite |
| Spectrum | 92.29% | Cable |
| CenturyLink | 67.62% | Fiber, DSL |
| EarthLink | 51.55% | Fiber, DSL |
| Verizon | 42.20% | Fixed Wireless |
| Grizzly Broadband | 34.24% | Fiber, Fixed Wireless |
| T-Mobile 5G Home Internet | 26.75% | Fixed Wireless |
| Blackfoot Communications | 14.15% | Fiber, DSL |
Best Internet Provider in Missoula, MT
Missoula is a metropolitan city with many internet options and connection types. After assessing each Internet provider’s plans, price, coverage, and speed, Earthlink and Spectrum are two of the top internet providers in Missoula.
Earthlink offers internet plans from 100 to 5,000 Mbps, with a minimum price of $59.95 per month. Although Earthlink offers fiber internet with a higher speed range than Spectrum, we can not declare Earthlink as the top internet provider in Missoula because of its limited coverage in the city.
On the other hand, Spectrum provides internet access via a Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial (HFC) connection. It utilizes the best Internet infrastructure and connects homes and businesses to fiber-optic connections over coaxial lines.
Spectrum plans are affordable, and the speed range is from 300 to 1,000 Mbps. Their rates start at $49.99/ month, which is reasonable for fast speeds such as 300 Mbps. In addition to faster speeds and lower prices, Spectrum has better coverage than any other internet provider in Missoula.
Based on the above factors, Spectrum is the best option for people residing in Missoula City.
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