9 Best Internet Providers in Grand Forks County, ND

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in Grand Forks County, ND for most people based on high speed internet coverage, speeds, and customer reviews. Click below to see all providers in your county.

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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 Grand Forks County ratings may vary and are shown below.

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Who is the Best Internet Provider in Grand Forks County, ND?

Polar Communications is the best internet provider in Grand Forks County based on North Dakota customer satisfaction ratings and reviews. Based on our extensive and unbiased survey, Polar Communications had the best reviews at the local, state, and national levels versus all available providers in Grand Forks County, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. Unfortunately, Polar Communications is an option for 9.95% of the county.

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Grand Forks County, North Dakota, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Grand Forks County

Local, State, and National Ratings for all Grand Forks County Internet Providers

Based on 11 reviews from North Dakota internet customers, Polar Communications is the best internet service provider for Grand Forks County residents. Polar Communications was rated at an average of 4.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Midco wins for second-place in North Dakota, with 3.89 out of 5 stars and 91.6% coverage in Grand Forks County.

At a national level, based on 2227 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Bluepeak is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 3.70 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Grand Forks County?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the county, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Polar Communications. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, Bluepeak 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 Grand Forks County

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Bluepeak	5,000 Mbps
	Midco	5,000 Mbps
	Polar Communications	1,000 Mbps
	Centurylink	1,000 Mbps
	Quantum Fiber	940 Mbps
	Verizon	300 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	AT&T	100 Mbps
	EarthLink	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Grand Forks County

Based on data reported by Grand Forks County ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the county are available through Bluepeak. The company offers speeds up to 5,000 Mbps in Grand Forks County. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 5,000 Mbps if they're willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

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

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Grand Forks County?

North Dakota customers rate Midco 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.

Midco received a local rating of 3.56 out of 5, which is much lower than the average across all internet providers in the country. Polar Communications is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Grand Forks County customers with an average price rating of 3.00 out of 5.

The chart and graph below show how customers in Grand Forks County, North Dakota, and the United States rated the affordability of their internet service.

Rated Affordability in Grand Forks County

Grand Forks County 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 county 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 Grand Forks County below, including the metrics used and how Grand Forks County compares to the rest of North Dakota and nation.

Grand Forks County ISP Report Card: B

	Metric (hover for details)	Grand Forks County	North Dakota	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Grand Forks County that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	66.89%	69.21%	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.	3,692 Mbps	2,404 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 Grand Forks County.	5.7	5.0	6.8

 

Grand Forks County Digital Connectivity Index: 53 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Grand Forks County	North Dakota	USA
	Average Household SizeA larger household size in a county indicates that there will be a greater need for bandwidth due to simultaneous usage, multiple devices, and network congestion.	2.3	2.4	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.	6%	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.	95%	95%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	87%	88%	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.	74%	76%	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.	81%	78%	76%

Grand Forks County ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Grand Forks County is B, which is much better than other counties. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Grand Forks County is high with a score of 53 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Grand Forks County have done a average job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Grand Forks County ISP Report Card evaluates the county on availability and speed metrics compared to other counties in the United States. ISP Infrastructure can vary greatly and on its own isn’t a perfect measure of what a county 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.

87% of Grand Forks County households have an internet connection despite having 91.74% availability. 74% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 6% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 7% 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 74% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 81% subscribe to it. A very large amount of Grand Forks County 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 Counties Compare to Grand Forks County?

How Much Speed does a Grand Forks County Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Grand Forks County is 2.3, which is smaller than the North Dakota average of 2.4 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Grand Forks County's average household income is $79,065 which is higher than the North Dakota average of $83,632 and higher than 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.

Grand Forks County also has 23% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is higher than the North Dakota average of 17%. Additionally, 6% of residents work from home, which is lower than the 8% of residents in North Dakota who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Grand Forks County has an average need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Grand Forks County households are more technology-engaged. 95% of households have some sort of computing device, 88% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 92% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Grand Forks County?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Grand Forks County?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Grand Forks County?

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in Grand Forks County?

Which ISP Should You Choose in Grand Forks County?

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 Grand Forks County is Polar Communications.
• The fastest internet provider should be Bluepeak. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, Polar Communications may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in Grand Forks County is Midco.
• Viasat, Midco, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in Grand Forks County, 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 Grand Forks County compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Grand Forks County 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 Grand Forks County's B ISP Report Card and 53 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.