Best Internet Providers in Nelson, IL
All 10 providers, ranked by coverage, speed and customer ratings
Find internet availability by address in Nelson, IL
Nelson has 10 internet service providers, they are sorted by coverage, available speed, and customer rating from our unbiased internet provider report. Cable, Fiber, DSL, and Fixed Wireless internet are available in the city. Reviews are grouped by provider and the type of service they offer, covering all 4 available internet technologies in Nelson.
Ranks compare Nelson with the 31,388 US places under 1,000 people, the tiers of our fastest-cities rankings.
The Best Internet in Nelson, IL at a Glance
Nelson Internet Providers, Ranked by Coverage, Speed and Customer Ratings
Brightspeed
Connection
Customer Rating
DSL
XFINITY
Connection
Customer Rating
Cable
Surf
Connection
Customer Rating
Fiber
EarthLink
Connection
Customer Rating
Fixed Wireless
Providers with less than 1% coverage in this city are excluded from the list. To see if one of these providers is available at your home, please use the address search above.
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 Nelson ratings may vary and are shown below.
Who is the Best Internet Provider in Nelson, IL?
T-Mobile Home Internet is the best internet provider in Nelson based on Illinois customer satisfaction ratings and reviews. Based on our extensive and unbiased survey, T-Mobile Home Internet had the best reviews at the local, state, and national levels versus all available providers in Nelson, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. T-Mobile Home Internet is an option for 99.00% of the city.
Click here to get T-Mobile Home Internet
or call 1-833-601-2935
Which Providers are Available at my Home in Nelson?
Coverage changes block by block. Pick a provider and a technology to see where its service reaches: the darker the area, the larger the share of homes it covers. For your exact address, use the address search above.
Coverage map for each provider in Nelson
- Surf - fiber coverage map
- XFINITY - cable coverage map
- Verizon - fixed wireless coverage map
- Rise Broadband - fixed wireless coverage map
- Sand Prarie - fiber coverage map
- T-Mobile Home Internet - fixed wireless coverage map
- Brightspeed - dsl coverage map
- AT&T - fixed wireless coverage map
- EarthLink - fixed wireless coverage map
- LR Communications - fixed wireless coverage map
How Nelson Compares to Places Its Size
Nelson's report card score is in the top 32% and its connectivity index is in the bottom 29%.
| Measure | Nelson | Rank among US places under 1,000 people | Lee County | Illinois | US | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISP Report Card inputs: what providers offer here | ||||||
| Fiber availability | 44.0% | bottom 39% | 55.3% | 47.6% | 71.5% | 6,946 places at 100.0% |
| Average top speed | 4,016 Mbps | top 9% | 4,656 Mbps | 3,187 Mbps | 3,486 Mbps | Fairmount, TN and Falling Water, TN and 5 more (25,000 Mbps) |
| Providers at a typical address | 5.3 | top 30% | 6 | 7.3 | 7.1 | Los Prados, PR (15.1) |
| Connectivity index inputs: how much households need and use the internet | ||||||
| People per household | 2.1 | bottom 15% | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.7 | Paguate, NM (13.4) |
| Workers who work from home | 4% | bottom 20% | 6% | 16% | 15% | Boys Town, NE (100%) |
| Homes with a computer, tablet or phone | 93% | top 47% | 93% | 95% | 96% | 1,494 places at 100% |
| Homes with internet | 86% | top 50% | 89% | 91% | 91% | 370 places at 100% |
| Homes on fiber, cable or DSL | 64% | top 37% | 65% | 75% | 76% | 23 places at 100% |
| More about the households here | ||||||
| Homes with a desktop or laptop | 74% | top 43% | 76% | 81% | 81% | 72 places at 100% |
| Median household income | $76,950 | top 37% | $77,432 | $95,616 | $93,246 | 22 places at $250,001 |
| Residents in school (6th grade to college) | 9% | bottom 29% | 12% | 16% | 16% | University at Buffalo, NY (100%) |
Fiber reaches 44.0% of homes in Nelson, against 55.3% across Lee County and 47.6% across Illinois. Households in Nelson are smaller than the US average (2.1 people against 2.7); 4% of workers work from home (US 15%); and the median household income is $76,950 (US $93,246).
Our demographic data is sourced from the latest 5-year release of the American Community Survey by the US Census Bureau.
Fiber, 5G, Cable and DSL Internet in Nelson
Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Nelson?
Surf Fiber in Nelson, IL
Availability:
39.0%
Customer Rating:
(20)
Avg. Download Speed
8,000 Mbps
SURF Internet offers Fiber service to 39.0% of Nelson homes. Across the city, Surf Fiber is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 8,000 Mbps
Sand Prarie Fiber in Nelson, IL
Availability:
5.0%
Customer Rating:
(0)
Avg. Download Speed
1,000 Mbps
Sand Prarie offers Fiber service to 5.0% of Nelson homes. Across the city, Sand Prarie Fiber is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 1,000 Mbps
Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in Nelson?
T-Mobile Home Internet Fixed Wireless in Nelson, IL
Availability:
99.0%
Customer Rating:
(342)
Avg. Download Speed
48 Mbps
T-Mobile Home Internet offers Fixed Wireless service to 99.0% of Nelson homes. Across the city, T-Mobile Home Internet Fixed Wireless is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 48 Mbps, with speeds from 25 Mpbs up to 100 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 3.0 and as high as 20, with an average of 8.3 Mbps throughout the city.
Rise Broadband Fixed Wireless in Nelson, IL
Availability:
98.0%
Customer Rating:
(15)
Avg. Download Speed
52 Mbps
Rise Broadband offers Fixed Wireless service to 98.0% of Nelson homes. Across the city, Rise Broadband Fixed Wireless is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 52 Mbps, with speeds from 25 Mpbs up to 100 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 5.0 and as high as 20, with an average of 10 Mbps throughout the city.
Verizon Fixed Wireless in Nelson, IL
Availability:
97.3%
Customer Rating:
(362)
Avg. Download Speed
292 Mbps
Verizon offers Fixed Wireless service to 97.3% of Nelson homes. Across the city, Verizon Fixed Wireless is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 292 Mbps, with speeds from 25 Mpbs up to 300 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 6.0 and as high as 20, with an average of 20 Mbps throughout the city.
EarthLink Fixed Wireless in Nelson, IL
Availability:
40.8%
Customer Rating:
(4)
Avg. Download Speed
27 Mbps
EarthLink offers Fixed Wireless service to 40.8% of Nelson homes. Across the city, EarthLink Fixed Wireless is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 27 Mbps, with speeds from 25 Mpbs up to 100 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 3.0 and as high as 20, with an average of 3.5 Mbps throughout the city.
AT&T Fixed Wireless in Nelson, IL
Availability:
40.8%
Customer Rating:
(205)
Avg. Download Speed
27 Mbps
AT&T offers Fixed Wireless service to 40.8% of Nelson homes. Across the city, AT&T Fixed Wireless is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 27 Mbps, with speeds from 25 Mpbs up to 100 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 3.0 and as high as 20, with an average of 3.5 Mbps throughout the city.
LR Communications Fixed Wireless in Nelson, IL
Availability:
2.8%
Customer Rating:
(2)
Avg. Download Speed
50 Mbps
LR Communications offers Fixed Wireless service to 2.8% of Nelson homes. Across the city, LR Communications Fixed Wireless is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 50 Mbps
Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Nelson?
XFINITY Cable in Nelson, IL
Availability:
43.3%
Customer Rating:
(2077)
Avg. Download Speed
1,954 Mbps
XFINITY from Comcast offers Cable service to 43.3% of Nelson homes. Across the city, XFINITY Cable is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 1,954 Mbps, with speeds from 1,200 Mpbs up to 2,000 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 35 and as high as 250, with an average of 238 Mbps throughout the city.
Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Nelson?
Brightspeed DSL in Nelson, IL
Availability:
61.5%
Customer Rating:
(43)
Avg. Download Speed
38 Mbps
Brightspeed offers DSL service to 61.5% of Nelson homes. Across the city, Brightspeed DSL is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 38 Mbps, with speeds from 10 Mpbs up to 100 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 1.0 and as high as 10, with an average of 3.9 Mbps throughout the city.
Internet in Nelson by Neighborhood and ZIP Code
Each row links to that place’s page.
Neighborhoods in Nelson
| Neighborhood | People | Homes with fiber | Average top speed | Providers at a typical address | Report card | Connectivity |
|---|
ZIP codes in Nelson
| ZIP code | People | Homes with fiber | Average top speed | Providers at a typical address | Report card | Connectivity |
|---|
How Nelson Compares to Nearby Places
The 10 places nearest to Nelson that have their own pages are all within 9 miles. Among them, Rock Falls has the most homes with fiber (88.4%) and Woosung the fewest (21.1%); Nelson has 44.0%.
| Place | People | Homes with fiber | Average top speed | Providers at a typical address | Report card | Connectivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson (this page) | 800 | 44.0% | 4,016 Mbps | 5.3 | C+ | 30/100 |
| Dixon | 20,605 | 66.4% | 5,684 Mbps | 6.3 | B | 41/100 |
| Sterling | 19,642 | 71.9% | 1,239 Mbps | 4.4 | C | 49/100 |
| Rock Falls | 12,628 | 88.4% | 1,804 Mbps | 5 | B- | 41/100 |
| Woosung | 1,055 | 21.1% | 2,255 Mbps | 6.1 | C+ | 44/100 |
| Como | 551 | 57.7% | 2,525 Mbps | 6.3 | B- | 51/100 |
| Penrose | 524 | 59.5% | 653 Mbps | 4.5 | C- | 34/100 |
| Harmon | 464 | 0.0% | 93 Mbps | 3.8 | D- | 40/100 |
| Prairieville | 457 | 66.3% | 4,976 Mbps | 7 | B | 38/100 |
| Yeoward Addition | 396 | 84.3% | 5,854 Mbps | 4.2 | B- | 48/100 |
| Galt | 143 | 0.0% | 1,866 Mbps | 5.1 | C- | 50/100 |
Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Nelson?
According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by T-Mobile Home Internet. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, SURF Internet 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 Nelson
| SURF Internet | 8,000 |
|---|---|
| XFINITY from Comcast | 2,000 |
| Sand Prarie | 1,000 |
| Verizon | 300 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | 100 |
| Viasat | 100 |
| Rise Broadband | 100 |
| Brightspeed | 100 |
| AT&T | 100 |
| EarthLink | 100 |
| LR Communications | 50 |
| HughesNet | 25 |
How fast is your internet?
Test your connection here and see it next to the speeds providers advertise in Nelson. It takes about 20 seconds and, on a fast line, can move a few hundred MB of data.
Customer Ratings for Nelson Internet Providers
Based on 295 reviews from Illinois internet customers, T-Mobile Home Internet is the best internet service provider for Nelson residents. T-Mobile Home Internet was rated at an average of 3.94 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Verizon wins for second-place in Illinois, with 4.00 out of 5 stars and 97.3% coverage in Nelson.
At a national level, based on 4724 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, T-Mobile Home Internet is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.02 out of 5.
Local, State, and National Ratings for all Nelson Internet Providers
The table below shows average customer ratings from customers in Nelson, Illinois, and customers throughout the country.
| ISP / Tech Type | Nelson Overall | Illinois Overall | National Overall | For Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LR Communications | (0) | (2) | (2) | View Plans | ||
| T-Mobile Home Internet | (0) | (18) | (342) | View Plans | ||
| Verizon | (0) | (9) | (816) | View Plans | ||
| Surf | (0) | (4) | (25) | View Plans | ||
| Rise Broadband | (0) | (1) | (18) | View Plans | ||
| AT&T | (0) | (51) | (1051) | View Plans | ||
| Viasat | (0) |  (1) |  (12) | View Plans | ||
| XFINITY | (0) | (210) | (2379) | View Plans | ||
| EarthLink | (0) | (0) | (15) | View Plans | ||
| Brightspeed | (0) | (0) | (76) | View Plans | ||
| HughesNet | (0) | (0) | (25) | View Plans | ||
| Sand Prarie | (0) | (0) | (0) | View Plans |
Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Nelson
Based on data reported by Nelson ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through SURF Internet. The company offers speeds up to 8,000 Mbps in Nelson. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 8,000 Mbps if they’re willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.
However, actual customers rated their satisfaction with internet speed highest with T-Mobile Home Internet. This indicates T-Mobile Home Internet reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.
| ISP / Tech Type | Nelson Speed | Illinois Speed | National Speed | For Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LR Communications | (0) | (2) | (2) | View Plans | ||
| T-Mobile Home Internet | (0) | (18) | (342) | View Plans | ||
| Surf | (0) | (4) | (25) | View Plans | ||
| Verizon | (0) | (9) | (816) | View Plans | ||
| XFINITY | (0) | (210) | (2379) | View Plans | ||
| Rise Broadband | (0) | (1) | (18) | View Plans | ||
| AT&T | (0) | (51) | (1051) | View Plans | ||
| Viasat | (0) | (1) | (12) | View Plans | ||
| Brightspeed | (0) | (0) | (76) | View Plans | ||
| EarthLink | (0) | (0) | (15) | View Plans | ||
| HughesNet | (0) | (0) | (25) | View Plans | ||
| Sand Prarie | (0) | (0) | (0) | View Plans |
Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Nelson?
Of the providers in Nelson, customers rate Verizon the best for price. Data comes from customers rating their satisfaction with pricing: in Nelson where enough of them have reviewed a provider, otherwise across Illinois or the country. This feedback is valuable because it considers price changes and whether the speeds paid for are worth it.
Verizon is rated 4.00 out of 5 for price, which is higher than the average across all internet providers in the country. SURF Internet is rated second for affordability, with an average price rating of 4.25 out of 5.
The table below shows how customers in Nelson, Illinois, and the United States rated the affordability of their internet service.
Rated Affordability in Nelson
| ISP / Tech Type | Nelson Affordability | Illinois Affordability | National Affordability | For Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LR Communications | (0) | (2) | (2) | View Plans | ||
| Verizon | (0) | (9) | (816) | View Plans | ||
| Surf | (0) | (4) | (25) | View Plans | ||
| T-Mobile Home Internet | (0) | (18) | (342) | View Plans | ||
| AT&T | (0) | (51) | (1051) | View Plans | ||
| Rise Broadband | (0) |  (1) | (18) | View Plans | ||
| Viasat | (0) | (1) | (12) | View Plans | ||
| XFINITY | (0) | (210) | (2379) | View Plans | ||
| Brightspeed | (0) | (0) | (76) | View Plans | ||
| EarthLink | (0) | (0) | (15) | View Plans | ||
| HughesNet | (0) | (0) | (25) | View Plans | ||
| Sand Prarie | (0) | (0) | (0) | View Plans |
Customer Reviews for Internet Service Providers in Illinois
Customer Reviews
ISPReports User
Pavlov Media Fiber
November 13, 2026 Carol
McDonough Telephone Cooperative Fiber
October 26, 2026 Fast, friendly service. Appreciate being able to get quick help by calling. Actually get a person on the phone
ISPReports User
McDonough Telephone Cooperative Fiber
October 09, 2026 61438
McDonough Telephone Cooperative Fiber
October 08, 2026 MTC has been a great internet for my family. Rather it be gaming system speed, or just watching tv in multiple rooms, The internet seems to run smoothly. I very seldom have internet interruption. When we do it is usually due to storm taking out a pole, or upgrading the system. It usually has been a short time when it does happen.
ISPReports User
MTC Technologies Fiber
October 08, 2026 Rate your provider
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Which ISP Should You Choose in Nelson?
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 Nelson is T-Mobile Home Internet.
- The fastest internet provider should be SURF Internet. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, T-Mobile Home Internet may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
- The most affordable internet provider in Nelson is Verizon.
- Viasat, T-Mobile Home Internet, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in Nelson, available to 99.0% of homes, and is most likely to cover your home. To find out exactly what’s available at your home, please use our address search tool.