8 Best Internet Providers in Near North Side, Chicago, IL

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in Near North Side, Chicago, IL for most people based on high speed internet coverage, speeds, and customer reviews. Click below to see all providers in your neighborhood.

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 Near North Side ratings may vary and are shown below.

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3. Near North Side, Chicago, IL Internet Service Providers

Who is the Best Internet Provider in Near North Side, Chicago, IL?

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Near North Side, Illinois, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Near North Side

Local, State, and National Ratings for all Near North Side Internet Providers

Based on 305 reviews from Illinois internet customers, XFINITY from Comcast is the best internet service provider for Near North Side residents. XFINITY from Comcast was rated at an average of 3.16 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Astound Broadband wins for second-place in Illinois, with 4.00 out of 5 stars and 93.7% coverage in Near North Side.

At a national level, based on 4671 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Google Fiber is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Near North Side?

Data Reported to FCC by ISPs: Average Maximum Available in Near North Side

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	AT&T	5,000 Mbps
	EarthLink	5,000 Mbps
	Zentro Internet	2,000 Mbps
	XFINITY from Comcast	2,000 Mbps
	Astound Broadband	1,500 Mbps
	Google Fiber	1,000 Mbps
	Verizon	1,000 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Near North Side

Based on data reported by Near North Side ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the neighborhood are available through XFINITY from Comcast. The company offers speeds up to 2,000 Mbps in Near North Side. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 1,876 Mbps if they’re willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

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

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Near North Side?

Illinois customers rate Astound Broadband 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.

Astound Broadband received a local rating of 4.50 out of 5, which is higher than the average across all internet providers in the country. XFINITY from Comcast is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Near North Side customers with an average price rating of 3.75 out of 5.

The chart and graph below show how customers in Near North Side, Illinois, and the United States rated the affordability of their internet service.

Rated Affordability in Near North Side

Near North Side 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 neighborhood 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 Near North Side below, including the metrics used and how Near North Side compares to the rest of Chicago and nation.

Near North Side ISP Report Card: B

	Metric (hover for details)	Near North Side	Illinois	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Near North Side that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	62.53%	40.13%	71.53%
	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.	2,766 Mbps	2,907 Mbps	3,583 Mbps
	Provider CountThe number of providers available for most people. This is a weighted average by block rather than a total for Near North Side.	9.2	7.5	7.1

 

Near North Side Digital Connectivity Index: 68 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Near North Side	Illinois	USA
	Average Household SizeA larger household size in a neighborhood indicates that there will be a greater need for bandwidth due to simultaneous usage, multiple devices, and network congestion.	1.6	2.7	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.	32%	17%	15%
	Households with DevicesA higher percentage of households with computing devices in the home indicates a higher level of infrastructure needed to support those households.	98%	96%	96%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	91%	92%	91%
	Households with BroadbandA higher percentage of households with a broadband connection (defined as speeds above 25 Mbps) indicates heavier usage needs within these households.	82%	78%	76%
	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.	86%	79%	77%

Near North Side ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Near North Side is B, which is much better than other neighborhoods. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Near North Side is high with a score of 68 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Near North Side have done a good job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Near North Side ISP Report Card evaluates the neighborhood on availability and speed metrics compared to other neighborhoods in the United States. ISP Infrastructure can vary greatly and on its own isn’t a perfect measure of what a neighborhood 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.

91% of Near North Side households have an internet connection despite having 96.06% availability. 82% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 7% 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 82% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 86% subscribe to it. A very large amount of Near North Side 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 Neighborhoods Compare to Near North Side?

How Much Speed does a Near North Side Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Near North Side is 1.6, which is smaller than the Chicago average of 2.7 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Near North Side’s average household income is $140,914 which is much higher than the Chicago average of $102,722 and much higher than the national average of $93,246. Homes with fewer people living in them and with higher incomes tend to indicate a fairly average device usage pattern.

Near North Side also has 13% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the Chicago average of 16%. Additionally, 32% of residents work from home, which is higher than the 17% of residents in Chicago who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Near North Side has a high need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Near North Side households are much more technology-engaged. 98% of households have some sort of computing device, 93% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 98% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Near North Side?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Near North Side?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Near North Side?

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in Near North Side?

Which ISP Should You Choose in Near North Side?

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 Near North Side is XFINITY.
• The fastest internet provider should be XFINITY from Comcast. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, Zentro Internet may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in Near North Side is Astound Broadband.
• AT&T, EarthLink, Viasat, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in Near North Side, 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 Near North Side compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Near North Side 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 Near North Side’s B ISP Report Card and 68 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.

Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews for Internet Service Providers in Near North Side