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

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in Near West 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.

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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 Near West Side ratings may vary and are shown below.

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

Zentro Internet is the best internet provider in Near West Side based on Chicago customer satisfaction ratings and reviews. Based on our extensive and unbiased survey, Zentro Internet had the best reviews at the local, state, and national levels versus all available providers in Near West Side, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. Unfortunately, Zentro Internet is an option for 34.69% of the neighborhood.

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

Top Rated Internet Providers in Near West Side

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

Based on 306 reviews from Chicago internet customers, Zentro Internet is the best internet service provider for Near West Side residents. Zentro Internet was rated at an average of 3.80 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. AT&T wins for second-place in Chicago, with 3.50 out of 5 stars and 90.4% coverage in Near West Side.

At a national level, based on 4340 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Zentro Internet is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 3.97 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Near West Side?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the neighborhood, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Zentro Internet. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, XFINITY from Comcast 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 Near West Side

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

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Near West Side

Based on data reported by Near West Side ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the neighborhood are available through XFINITY from Comcast. The company offers speeds up to 5,000 Mbps in Near West Side. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 1,798 Mbps if they're willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

Additionally, 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 West Side?

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

Zentro Internet received a local rating of 3.75 out of 5, which is much lower than the average across all internet providers in the country. AT&T is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Near West Side customers with an average price rating of 3.50 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Near West Side

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

Near West Side ISP Report Card: B

	Metric (hover for details)	Near West Side	Illinois	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Near West Side that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	33.42%	36.25%	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.	2,171 Mbps	2,718 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 Near West Side.	7.6	7.3	6.8

 

Near West Side Digital Connectivity Index: 58 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Near West 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.	1.9	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.	22%	15%	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.	88%	91%	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%	78%	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.	78%	78%	76%

Near West Side ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Near West Side is B, which is better than other neighborhoods. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Near West Side is high with a score of 58 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Near West Side have done a average job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Near West 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.

88% of Near West Side households have an internet connection despite having 95.35% availability. 74% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 8% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 6% 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, 78% subscribe to it. A large amount of Near West 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 West Side?

How Much Speed does a Near West Side Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Near West Side is 1.9, which is smaller than the Chicago average of 2.7 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Near West Side's average household income is $105,159 which is higher than the Chicago average of $100,111 and much 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.

Near West Side also has 18% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is higher than the Chicago average of 16%. Additionally, 22% of residents work from home, which is higher than the 15% of residents in Chicago who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Near West Side has a high need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Near West Side households are more technology-engaged. 95% of households have some sort of computing device, 84% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 94% 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 West Side?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Near West Side?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Near West Side?

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

Which ISP Should You Choose in Near West 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 West Side is Zentro.
• 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 West Side is Zentro.
• Viasat, T-Mobile Home Internet, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in Near West 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 West Side compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Near West 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 West Side's B ISP Report Card and 58 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.