7 Best Internet Providers in Houghton, IA

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in Houghton, IA 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 Houghton ratings may vary and are shown below.

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3. Houghton, IA Internet Service Providers
   

Who is the Best Internet Provider in Houghton, IA?

Dobson Fiber is the highest-rated internet provider in Houghton based on 14 Iowa customer reviews, and Dobson Fiber has the highest rating nationwide. The provider information above and the information immediately below can help you decide. Compare provider ratings and review counts above. The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Houghton, Iowa, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Houghton

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

Based on 14 reviews from Iowa internet customers, Dobson Fiber is the best internet service provider for Houghton residents. Dobson Fiber was rated at an average of 3.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Windstream wins for second-place in Iowa, with 4.33 out of 5 stars and 100.0% coverage in Houghton.

At a national level, based on 434 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Dobson Fiber is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.51 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Houghton?

Based on both FCC data and unbiased customer ratings in Houghton, the fastest internet in the city comes from Dobson Fiber.

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

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Dobson Fiber	1,000 Mbps
	Nextlink	1,000 Mbps
	Windstream	1,000 Mbps
	KCTC	1,000 Mbps
	Liberty Communications	500 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	US Cellular	25 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Houghton

Based on data reported by Houghton ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through Dobson Fiber. The company offers speeds up to 1,000 Mbps in Houghton. 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.

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

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Houghton?

Iowa customers rate Dobson Fiber 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.

Dobson Fiber 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 Houghton customers with an average price rating of 4.00 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Houghton

Houghton 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 Houghton below, including the metrics used and how Houghton compares to the rest of Iowa and nation.

Houghton ISP Report Card: C

	Metric (hover for details)	Houghton	Iowa	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Houghton that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	8.93%	78.64%	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.	851 Mbps	2,759 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 Houghton.	6.6	7.3	6.8

 

Houghton Digital Connectivity Index: 44 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Houghton	Iowa	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.	2.7	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.	10%	11%	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.	89%	94%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	85%	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.	57%	71%	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.	57%	71%	76%

Houghton ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Houghton is C, which is worse than other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Houghton is high with a score of 44 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Houghton have done a average job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Houghton 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.

85% of Houghton households have an internet connection despite having 100.00% availability. 57% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 13% 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 57% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 57% subscribe to it. A low number of Houghton 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 Houghton?

How Much Speed does a Houghton Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Houghton is 2.7, which is larger than the Iowa average of 2.4 and larger than the national average of 2.7. Houghton's average household income is $99,482 which is much higher than the Iowa average of $80,609 and much higher than the national average of $90,606. Homes with more people living in them and with higher incomes tend to indicate more devices being used more often.

Houghton also has 24% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is higher than the Iowa average of 16%. Additionally, 10% of residents work from home, which is lower than the 11% of residents in Iowa who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Houghton has an average need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Houghton households are more technology-disengaged. 89% of households have some sort of computing device, 81% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 81% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Houghton?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Houghton?

According to the most recently submitted data by internet service providers to the FCC, there are currently no cable providers available in Houghton, IA.

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Houghton?

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

Which ISP Should You Choose in Houghton?

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 Houghton is Dobson Fiber.
• The fastest internet provider should be Dobson Fiber. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, Dobson Fiber may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in Houghton is Dobson Fiber.
• HughesNet, KCTC, Viasat, and Windstream has the broadest coverage in Houghton, 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 Houghton compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Houghton 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 Houghton's C ISP Report Card and 44 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.