7 Best Internet Providers in Central, AR

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in Central, AR for most people based on high speed internet coverage, speeds, and customer reviews. Click below to see all providers in your city.

All Providers

Speed and technology may vary by address for all providers. Please note we may have a financial relationship with some of the providers above, which does not impact the customer ratings displayed. Customer ratings listed above are national ratings, local Central ratings may vary and are shown below.

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3. Central, AR Internet Service Providers
   

Who is the Best Internet Provider in Central, AR?

Optimum is the best internet provider in Central based on Arkansas customer satisfaction ratings and reviews. Based on our extensive and unbiased survey, Optimum had the best reviews at the local, state, and national levels versus all available providers in Central, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. Optimum is an option for 70.18% of the city.

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Central, Arkansas, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Central

Local, State, and National Ratings for all Central Internet Providers

Based on 39 reviews from Arkansas internet customers, Optimum is the best internet service provider for Central residents. Optimum was rated at an average of 3.63 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. T-Mobile Home Internet wins for second-place in Arkansas, with 3.00 out of 5 stars and 92.5% coverage in Central.

At a national level, based on 2222 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, South Central Connect is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 3.89 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Central?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the city, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Optimum. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, CATC and South Central Connect should have faster speeds at a local level. While we typically put more weight on real-world customer ratings, we display both satisfaction and technical maximum information for customers to decide for themselves.

Data Reported to FCC by ISPs: Average Maximum Available in Central

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	South Central Connect	1,000 Mbps
	CATC	1,000 Mbps
	Optimum	940 Mbps
	Verizon	300 Mbps
	AT&T	100 Mbps
	EarthLink	100 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Central

Based on data reported by Central ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through CATC and South Central Connect. These internet providers offer speeds up to 1,000 Mbps in Central. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 1,000 Mbps if they're willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

Additionally, actual customers in the city rated their satisfaction with internet speed highest with Optimum. This indicates Optimum reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Central?

Arkansas customers rate Optimum as the cheapest internet service provider in state. Data comes from customers in the state rating their satisfaction with pricing. This feedback is valuable because it considers price changes and whether the speeds paid for are worth it.

Optimum received a local rating of 3.00 out of 5, which is much lower than the average across all internet providers in the country. T-Mobile Home Internet is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Central customers with an average price rating of 3.00 out of 5.

The chart and graph below show how customers in Central, Arkansas, and the United States rated the affordability of their internet service.

Rated Affordability in Central

Central Internet Health Assessment

ISP Reports evaluates the technological infrastructure across the United States. This includes assessing a grade for ISP providers and infrastructure in the city and setting an index number for the digital connectivity of its residents. You can view the ISP Report Card and the Digital Connectivity Index for Central below, including the metrics used and how Central compares to the rest of Arkansas and nation.

Central ISP Report Card: C+

	Metric (hover for details)	Central	Arkansas	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Central that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	95.18%	72.95%	67.25%
	Average Download SpeedThe maximum download speed most households can get on average. This is measured by availability in a block group and weighted by the population in that area.	997 Mbps	2,552 Mbps	3,293 Mbps
	Provider CountThe number of providers available for most people. This is a weighted average by block rather than a total for Central.	4.2	6.4	6.8

 

Central Digital Connectivity Index: 28 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Central	Arkansas	USA
	Average Household SizeA larger household size in a city indicates that there will be a greater need for bandwidth due to simultaneous usage, multiple devices, and network congestion.	2.2	2.6	2.7
	Work From Home PercentA higher percent of the population working from home indicates bandwidth requirements being more widely needed rather than consolidated to commercial portions of the city.	1%	8%	14%
	Households with DevicesA higher percentage of households with computing devices in the home indicates a higher level of infrastructure needed to support those households.	93%	93%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	88%	85%	90%
	Households with BroadbandA higher percentage of households with a broadband connection (defined as speeds above 25 Mbps) indicates heavier usage needs within these households.	54%	64%	75%
	Broadband Usage vs. AvailabilityThis measures what percentage of households who have a broadband connection to their home actually have an active subscription to that service.	54%	65%	76%

Central ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Central is C+, which is worse than other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Central is high with a score of 28 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Central have done a poor job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Central ISP Report Card evaluates the city on availability and speed metrics compared to other cities in the United States. ISP Infrastructure can vary greatly and on its own isn’t a perfect measure of what a city needs. Please see our ISP Report Card along with the Digital Connectivity Index above to evaluate how well the connectivity demand is met by the existing infrastructure.

88% of Central households have an internet connection despite having 100.00% availability. 54% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 17% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 1% of households have internet but don’t pay for a subscription because it’s subsidized by the Affordable Connectivity Program.

As you can see in the table above, while 54% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 54% subscribe to it. A low number of Central residents are taking advantage of the available internet infrastructure.

For more details, please visit our ISP Report Card and Digital Connectivity Index pages.

How do Neighboring Cities Compare to Central?

How Much Speed does a Central Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Central is 2.2, which is smaller than the Arkansas average of 2.6 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Central's average household income is $75,763 which is much higher than the Arkansas average of $66,162 and about average for the national average of $90,606. Homes with fewer people living in them and with higher incomes tend to indicate a fairly average device usage pattern.

Central also has 6% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the Arkansas average of 15%. Additionally, 1% of residents work from home, which is lower than the 8% of residents in Arkansas who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Central has a very low need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Central households are about average when it comes to technological engagement. 93% of households have some sort of computing device, 75% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 91% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Central?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Central?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Central?

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in Central?

Which ISP Should You Choose in Central?

The right ISP for you depends upon your needs, but in general we can make the following suggestions:

• The best all-around internet service provider in Central is Optimum.
• The fastest internet provider should be CATC and South Central Connect. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, Optimum may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in Central is Optimum.
• Viasat, T-Mobile Home Internet, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in Central, and is most likely to cover your home. To find out exactly what's available at your home, please use our address search tool.

How does Central compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Central stacks up on the national level, it's useful to look at some other cities with similarly sized populations. Below you can see a list of these cities and how they compare to Central's C+ ISP Report Card and 28 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.