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6 Best Internet Providers in Nelson, MN

Find internet availability by address in Nelson, MN

Jump to: Best Internet Provider | Availability Maps | Customer Reviews | Nelson ISP Report Card | Business Internet in Nelson

Nelson ISP Report at a Glance
ISP grade Nelson ISP Report Card C-
Average speed Download Speed for Most Households 762 Mbps
ISP count Number of Internet Service Providers 6
Customer review count Real Nelson Customer Ratings 0

This page reflects the most recent FCC update from January 06, 2026, based on the Broadband Data Collection as of June 30, 2025.

Data update information

This page reflects the most recent FCC update from January 06, 2026, based on the Broadband Data Collection as of June 30, 2025.

Nelson has 6 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.

Nelson overview

Nelson has 6 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.

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Centurylink

Centurylink logo

Availability:

82.0%

Customer Rating:

3.3 of 5 stars

(176)

View Plans

1-844-526-6307 Price: $50.00 - $75.00 / mo.

Connection

Availability

Avg. Download Speed InfoThe highest download speed available in Nelson.

Max Download Speed InfoCalculated from the maximum speeds available to most Nelson residents, weighted by user distribution.

Customer Rating

DSL

82.0%

49 Mbps

100 Mbps

DSL: 3.0 of 5 stars

(101)

Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association

Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association logo

Availability:

83.9%

Customer Rating:

0.0 of 5 stars

(0)

View Plans

Price: Starting at $74.95 / mo.

Connection

Availability

Avg. Download Speed InfoThe highest download speed available in Nelson.

Max Download Speed InfoCalculated from the maximum speeds available to most Nelson residents, weighted by user distribution.

Customer Rating

Fiber

75.5%

1,000 Mbps

1,000 Mbps

Fiber: 0.0 of 5 stars

(0)

Fixed Wireless

20.4%

10 Mbps

10 Mbps

Wireless: 0.0 of 5 stars

(0)

Arvig

Arvig logo

Availability:

29.0%

Customer Rating:

4.0 of 5 stars

(2)

View Plans

Price: Starting at $55.00 / mo.

Connection

Availability

Avg. Download Speed InfoThe highest download speed available in Nelson.

Max Download Speed InfoCalculated from the maximum speeds available to most Nelson residents, weighted by user distribution.

Customer Rating

Fiber

10.0%

1,000 Mbps

1,000 Mbps

Fiber: 3.0 of 5 stars

(1)

DSL

29.0%

14 Mbps

25 Mbps

DSL: 0.0 of 5 stars

(0)

Spectrum

Spectrum logo

Availability:

4.5%

Customer Rating:

3.3 of 5 stars

(1,936)

View Plans

1-877-411-1381 Price: $30.00 - $120.00 / mo.

Connection

Availability

Avg. Download Speed InfoThe highest download speed available in Nelson.

Max Download Speed InfoCalculated from the maximum speeds available to most Nelson residents, weighted by user distribution.

Customer Rating

Cable

4.5%

1,000 Mbps

1,000 Mbps

Cable: 3.2 of 5 stars

(1,618)

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


T-Mobile Home Internet

T-Mobile Home Internet logo

Availability:

97.1%

Customer Rating:

4.0 of 5 stars

(341)

View Plans

1-833-601-2935 Price: $55.00 - $105.00 / mo.

Connection

Availability

Avg. Download Speed InfoThe highest download speed available in Nelson.

Max Download Speed InfoCalculated from the maximum speeds available to most Nelson residents, weighted by user distribution.

Customer Rating

Fixed Wireless

97.1%

29 Mbps

100 Mbps

Wireless: 3.9 of 5 stars

(204)

GigFire

GigFire logo

Availability:

14.3%

Customer Rating:

3.0 of 5 stars

(1)

View Plans

Price: Starting at $70.00 / mo.

Connection

Availability

Avg. Download Speed InfoThe highest download speed available in Nelson.

Max Download Speed InfoCalculated from the maximum speeds available to most Nelson residents, weighted by user distribution.

Customer Rating

Fixed Wireless

14.3%

150 Mbps

150 Mbps

Wireless: 0.0 of 5 stars

(0)

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.

Satellite providers, which generally offer 100% coverage across the United States, are available for Nelson residents as well. Some of the top satellite options include Dish Network, DirecTV, HughesNet, Viasat, and Starlink. These providers offer varied services and pricing, giving residents flexibility in choosing the best option for their location and needs.

Dish

Dish logo

Availability:

100%

Customer Rating:

3.6923 of 5 stars

(13)

View Plans

1-866-252-1910 Price: {{isp_price_range}}


DirecTV

DirecTV logo

Availability:

100%

Customer Rating:

4.3333 of 5 stars

(9)

View Plans

1-844-294-9501 Price: {{isp_price_range}}


Viasat

Viasat logo

Availability:

100%

Customer Rating:

1.7273 of 5 stars

(11)

View Plans

1-833-875-1370 Price: {{isp_price_range}}


HughesNet

HughesNet logo

Availability:

100%

Customer Rating:

2.4286 of 5 stars

(21)

View Plans

1-833-684-9249 Price: {{isp_price_range}}


Starlink

Starlink logo

Availability:

100%

Customer Rating:

3.9836 of 5 stars

(61)

View Plans

Price: {{isp_price_range}}

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, MN?

T-Mobile Home Internet is the best internet provider in Nelson based on Minnesota 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 97.10% of the city.

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Nelson, Minnesota, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Nelson


T-Mobile Home Internet4.504.04
Arvig4.004.13
HughesNet4.002.29
Spectrum3.673.28
  • City Rating
  • State Rating
  • National Rating

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

ISP / Tech TypeNelson OverallMinnesota OverallNational OverallFor Service
T-Mobile Home Internet (0) (4) (284)View Plans
HughesNet (0) (1) (18)View Plans
Arvig (0) (2) (2)View Plans
Spectrum (0) (9) (1738)View Plans
Centurylink (0) (10) (163)View Plans
GigFire (0) (1) (1)View Plans
Viasat (0) (0) (11)View Plans
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association (0) (0) (0)View Plans

Based on 27 reviews from Minnesota 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 4.50 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Arvig wins for second-place in Minnesota, with 4.00 out of 5 stars and 29.0% coverage in Nelson.

At a national level, based on 2217 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Arvig is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.13 out of 5.

Which Providers are Available at my Home in Nelson?

The map shows speeds per provider and where each provider is available. Click the drop-down menu to choose
a different provider.

Nelson, MN map of internet availability

Internet Availability Key

0%
10%
50%
100%

 

Speeds and coverage vary within the city, and sometimes even from block to block. The map shows speeds per provider and where each provider is available.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Nelson?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the city, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Arvig. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, Spectrum 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

Max Advertised Speed in Nelson, MN


ISP / Tech TypeMax Advertised Speed
Spectrum1,000 Mbps
Arvig1,000 Mbps
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association1,000 Mbps
GigFire150 Mbps
Centurylink100 Mbps
T-Mobile Home Internet100 Mbps
Viasat100 Mbps
HughesNet25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Nelson


Arvig5.005.00
HughesNet5.002.25
T-Mobile Home Internet4.253.96
Centurylink3.903.30
  • City Rating
  • State Rating
  • National Rating

ISP / Tech TypeNelson SpeedMinnesota SpeedNational SpeedFor Service
HughesNet (0) (1) (18)View Plans
Arvig (0) (2) (2)View Plans
T-Mobile Home Internet (0) (4) (284)View Plans
Centurylink (0) (10) (163)View Plans
Spectrum (0) (9) (1738)View Plans
GigFire (0) (1) (1)View Plans
Viasat (0) (0) (11)View Plans
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association (0) (0) (0)View Plans

Based on data reported by Nelson ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through Spectrum. The company offers speeds up to 1,000 Mbps in Nelson. 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 city rated their satisfaction with internet speed highest with Arvig. This indicates Arvig reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Nelson?

Minnesota customers rate Arvig 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.

Arvig received a local rating of 5.00 out of 5, which is higher 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 Nelson customers with an average price rating of 4.75 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Nelson


Arvig5.005.00
T-Mobile Home Internet4.754.11
GigFire4.004.00
HughesNet4.002.56
  • City Rating
  • State Rating
  • National Rating

ISP / Tech TypeNelson AffordabilityMinnesota AffordabilityNational AffordabilityFor Service
Arvig (0) (2) (2)View Plans
T-Mobile Home Internet (0) (4) (284)View Plans
GigFire (0) (1) (1)View Plans
HughesNet (0) (1) (18)View Plans
Spectrum (0) (9) (1738)View Plans
Centurylink (0) (10) (163)View Plans
Viasat (0) (0) (11)View Plans
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association (0) (0) (0)View Plans

Nelson 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 Nelson below, including the metrics used and how Nelson compares to the rest of Minnesota and nation.

Nelson ISP Report Card: C-
Metric

(hover for details)
Nelson Minnesota USA
75.48% 62.00% 67.25%
762 Mbps 3,031 Mbps 3,293 Mbps
3.3 6.3 6.8

 

Nelson Digital Connectivity Index: 50 / 100
Metric

(hover for details)
Nelson Minnesota USA
2.4 2.5 2.7
9% 16% 14%
92% 96% 95%
87% 91% 90%
68% 77% 75%
68% 77% 76%

Our demographic data is sourced from the latest 5-year release of the American Community Survey by the US Census Bureau.

Nelson ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Nelson is C-, which is comparable to other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Nelson is high with a score of 50 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Nelson have done a average job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Nelson 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.

87% of Nelson households have an internet connection despite having 100.00% availability. 68% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 10% 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 68% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 68% subscribe to it. A moderate amount of Nelson 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 Nelson?

Osakis, MN

  • ISP Report Card: C
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 33 / 100
Carlos, MN

  • ISP Report Card: C-
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 45 / 100
Alexandria, MN

  • ISP Report Card: C
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 55 / 100
Forada, MN

  • ISP Report Card: B+
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 49 / 100
Miltona, MN

  • ISP Report Card: D
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 53 / 100
Spruce Center, MN

  • ISP Report Card: D
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 44 / 100
Gutches Grove, MN

  • ISP Report Card: C-
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 36 / 100
Garfield, MN

  • ISP Report Card: C-
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 54 / 100
West Union, MN

  • ISP Report Card: D+
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 35 / 100

How Much Speed does a Nelson Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Nelson is 2.4, which is smaller than the Minnesota average of 2.5 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Nelson's average household income is $75,808 which is lower than the Minnesota average of $97,862 and about average for 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.

Nelson also has 12% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the Minnesota average of 16%. Additionally, 9% of residents work from home, which is lower than the 16% of residents in Minnesota who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Nelson has an average need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Nelson households are more technology-disengaged. 92% of households have some sort of computing device, 79% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 89% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Nelson?

Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association Fiber in Nelson, MN

Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association logo

Availability:

75.5%

Customer Rating:

 of 5 stars

(0)

Avg. Download Speed

1,000 Mbps

Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association offers Fiber service to 75.5% of Nelson homes. Across the city, Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association Fiber has speeds up to 1,000 Mbps, with speeds from 1,000 Mpbs up to 1,000 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds are symmetrical, meaning they are exactly the same as download speeds for Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association Fiber. Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association Fiber is rated other types of internet service available in Nelson from Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association in terms of customer satisfaction.

Arvig Fiber in Nelson, MN

Arvig logo

Availability:

10.0%

Customer Rating:

3.0 of 5 stars

(1)

Avg. Download Speed

1,000 Mbps

Arvig offers Fiber service to 10.0% of Nelson homes. Across the city, Arvig Fiber has speeds up to 1,000 Mbps, with speeds from 1,000 Mpbs up to 1,000 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 500 and as high as 500, with an average of 500 Mbps throughout the city. Arvig Fiber is rated lower than other types of internet service available in Nelson from Arvig in terms of customer satisfaction.

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Nelson?

Spectrum Cable in Nelson, MN

Spectrum logo

Availability:

4.5%

Customer Rating:

3.2 of 5 stars

(1,618)

Avg. Download Speed

1,000 Mbps

Spectrum offers Cable service to 4.5% of Nelson homes. Across the city, Spectrum Cable is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 1,000 Mbps, with speeds from 1,000 Mpbs up to 1,000 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 35 and as high as 35, with an average of 35 Mbps throughout the city. Spectrum Cable is rated lower than other types of internet service available in Nelson from Spectrum in terms of customer satisfaction.

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Nelson?

Centurylink DSL in Nelson, MN

Centurylink logo

Availability:

82.0%

Customer Rating:

3.0 of 5 stars

(101)

Avg. Download Speed

49 Mbps

Centurylink offers DSL service to 82.0% of Nelson homes. Across the city, Centurylink DSL is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 49 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 5.0 Mbps throughout the city. Centurylink DSL is rated lower than other types of internet service available in Nelson from Centurylink in terms of customer satisfaction.

Arvig DSL in Nelson, MN

Arvig logo

Availability:

29.0%

Customer Rating:

 of 5 stars

(0)

Avg. Download Speed

14 Mbps

Arvig offers DSL service to 29.0% of Nelson homes. Across the city, Arvig DSL has speeds up to 14 Mbps, with speeds from 10 Mpbs up to 25 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 1.0 and as high as 3.0, with an average of 1.5 Mbps throughout the city. Arvig DSL is rated other types of internet service available in Nelson from Arvig in terms of customer satisfaction.

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

T-Mobile Home Internet Fixed Wireless in Nelson, MN

T-Mobile Home Internet logo

Availability:

97.1%

Customer Rating:

 of 5 stars

(0)

Avg. Download Speed

29 Mbps

T-Mobile Home Internet offers Fixed Wireless service to 97.1% 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 29 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 3.9 Mbps throughout the city. T-Mobile Home Internet Fixed Wireless is rated other types of internet service available in Nelson from T-Mobile Home Internet in terms of customer satisfaction.

Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association Fixed Wireless in Nelson, MN

Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association logo

Availability:

20.4%

Customer Rating:

 of 5 stars

(0)

Avg. Download Speed

10 Mbps

Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association offers Fixed Wireless service to 20.4% of Nelson homes. Across the city, Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association Fixed Wireless has speeds up to 10 Mbps, with speeds from 10 Mpbs up to 10 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 1.0 and as high as 1.0, with an average of 1.0 Mbps throughout the city. Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association Fixed Wireless is rated other types of internet service available in Nelson from Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association in terms of customer satisfaction.

GigFire Fixed Wireless in Nelson, MN

GigFire logo

Availability:

14.3%

Customer Rating:

 of 5 stars

(0)

Avg. Download Speed

150 Mbps

GigFire offers Fixed Wireless service to 14.3% of Nelson homes. Across the city, GigFire Fixed Wireless is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 150 Mbps, with speeds from 150 Mpbs up to 150 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 130 and as high as 130, with an average of 130 Mbps throughout the city. GigFire Fixed Wireless is rated other types of internet service available in Nelson from GigFire in terms of customer satisfaction.

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 Spectrum. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, Arvig may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
  • The most affordable internet provider in Nelson is Arvig.
  • HughesNet, Viasat, and T-Mobile Home Internet has the broadest coverage in Nelson, 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 Nelson compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Nelson 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 Nelson's C- ISP Report Card and 50 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.

Wallace, CA

  • ISP Report Card: C-
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 38 / 100
Butterfield, MN

  • ISP Report Card: D
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 24 / 100
Butters, NC

  • ISP Report Card: B
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 19 / 100
Cadiz, IN

  • ISP Report Card: A-
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 42 / 100
Calwood, MO

  • ISP Report Card: B
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 47 / 100
Cardville, ME

  • ISP Report Card: C
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 37 / 100
Cinebar, WA

  • ISP Report Card: F
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 41 / 100
Clarion, MI

  • ISP Report Card: B
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 66 / 100
Cliffland, IA

  • ISP Report Card: A-
  • Digital Connectivity Index: 31 / 100

Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews for Internet Service Providers in Minnesota

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