11 Best Internet Providers in Iron County, MI

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

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

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 Iron County ratings may vary and are shown below.

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3. Iron County, MI Internet Service Providers
   

Who is the Best Internet Provider in Iron County, MI?

Highline is the best internet provider in Iron County based on Michigan customer satisfaction ratings and reviews. Based on our extensive and unbiased survey, Highline had the best reviews at the local, state, and national levels versus all available providers in Iron County, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. Unfortunately, Highline is an option for 9.91% of the county.

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Iron County, Michigan, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Iron County

Local, State, and National Ratings for all Iron County Internet Providers

Based on 51 reviews from Michigan internet customers, Highline is the best internet service provider for Iron County residents. Highline was rated at an average of 5.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Up.net wins for second-place in Michigan, with 4.00 out of 5 stars and 23.1% coverage in Iron County.

At a national level, based on 1978 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Astrea is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.00 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Iron County?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the county, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Astrea. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, Iron River Co-Op TV, Astrea, and Highline 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 Iron County

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Highline	1,000 Mbps
	Astrea	1,000 Mbps
	Up.net	1,000 Mbps
	Iron River Co-Op TV	1,000 Mbps
	Verizon	300 Mbps
	AT&T	100 Mbps
	EarthLink	100 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	Bug Tussel Wireless	50 Mbps
	Fast-Air Internet	30 Mbps
	EAN	25 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Iron County

Based on data reported by Iron County ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the county are available through Iron River Co-Op TV, Astrea, and Highline. These internet providers offer speeds up to 1,000 Mbps in Iron County. 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 county rated their satisfaction with internet speed highest with Astrea. This indicates Astrea reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Iron County?

Michigan customers rate Astrea 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.

Astrea received a local rating of 4.00 out of 5, which is lower than the average across all internet providers in the country. Highline is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Iron County customers with an average price rating of 5.00 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Iron County

Iron 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 Iron County below, including the metrics used and how Iron County compares to the rest of Michigan and nation.

Iron County ISP Report Card: C-

	Metric (hover for details)	Iron County	Michigan	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Iron County that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	20.87%	44.81%	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.	711 Mbps	2,523 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 Iron County.	5.5	6.5	6.8

 

Iron County Digital Connectivity Index: 24 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Iron County	Michigan	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.	2.1	2.5	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.	8%	12%	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.	88%	95%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	82%	90%	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.	50%	72%	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.	53%	73%	76%

Iron County ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Iron County is C-, which is worse than other counties. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Iron County is high with a score of 24 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Iron County have done a poor job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Iron 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.

82% of Iron County households have an internet connection despite having 96.37% availability. 50% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 14% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 3% 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 50% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 53% subscribe to it. A low number of Iron 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 Iron County?

How Much Speed does a Iron County Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Iron County is 2.1, which is smaller than the Michigan average of 2.5 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Iron County's average household income is $53,117 which is much lower than the Michigan average of $80,476 and much lower than the national average of $90,606. Homes with fewer people living in them and with lower incomes tend to indicate fewer devices being used less often.

Iron County also has 9% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the Michigan average of 15%. Additionally, 8% of residents work from home, which is lower than the 12% of residents in Michigan who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Iron County has a very low need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Iron County households are much more technology-disengaged. 88% of households have some sort of computing device, 75% 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 Iron County?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Iron County?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Iron County?

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

Which ISP Should You Choose in Iron 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 Iron County is Highline.
• The fastest internet provider should be Iron River Co-Op TV, Astrea, and Highline. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, Astrea may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in Iron County is Astrea.
• HughesNet, T-Mobile Home Internet, and Viasat has the broadest coverage in Iron 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 Iron County compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Iron 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 Iron County's C- ISP Report Card and 24 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.