9 Best Internet Providers in Ottawa, IL

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

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

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 Ottawa ratings may vary and are shown below.

1. Internet Providers
   

 » 

2. Illinois
   

 » 

3. Ottawa, IL Internet Service Providers
   

Who is the Best Internet Provider in Ottawa, IL?

SURF Internet is the highest-rated internet provider in Ottawa based on 94 Illinois customer reviews, and SURF Internet has the highest rating nationwide. The provider information above and the information immediately below can help you decide. Compare provider ratings and review counts above. The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Ottawa, Illinois, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Ottawa

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

Based on 94 reviews from Illinois internet customers, SURF Internet is the best internet service provider for Ottawa residents. SURF Internet was rated at an average of 5.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Verizon wins for second-place in Illinois, with 4.10 out of 5 stars and 68.3% coverage in Ottawa.

At a national level, based on 2091 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, SURF Internet is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 3.96 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Ottawa?

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

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	SURF Internet	1,000 Mbps
	Mediacom	1,000 Mbps
	Community Fiber Solutions (CFS)	400 Mbps
	Verizon	300 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	AT&T	100 Mbps
	EarthLink	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	Rise Broadband	50 Mbps
	ClearSKY Systems	25 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Ottawa

Based on data reported by Ottawa ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through Mediacom. The company offers speeds up to 1,000 Mbps in Ottawa. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 966 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 SURF Internet. This indicates Surf reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Ottawa?

Illinois customers rate SURF Internet 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.

SURF Internet received a local rating of 5.00 out of 5, which is higher than the average across all internet providers in the country. Verizon is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Ottawa customers with an average price rating of 4.00 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Ottawa

Ottawa 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 Ottawa below, including the metrics used and how Ottawa compares to the rest of Illinois and nation.

Ottawa ISP Report Card: B-

	Metric (hover for details)	Ottawa	Illinois	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Ottawa that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	44.41%	44.05%	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.	966 Mbps	2,791 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 Ottawa.	8.8	7.1	6.8

 

Ottawa Digital Connectivity Index: 42 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Ottawa	Illinois	USA
	Average Household SizeA larger household size in a city indicates that there will be a greater need for bandwidth due to simultaneous usage, multiple devices, and network congestion.	2.4	2.6	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.	5%	14%	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.	93%	95%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	85%	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.	66%	74%	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.	66%	75%	76%

Ottawa ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Ottawa is B-, which is comparable to other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Ottawa is high with a score of 42 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Ottawa have done a average job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Ottawa 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.

85% of Ottawa households have an internet connection despite having 99.85% availability. 66% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 10% have satellite, 1% 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 66% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 66% subscribe to it. A moderate amount of Ottawa 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 Ottawa?

How Much Speed does a Ottawa Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Ottawa is 2.4, which is smaller than the Illinois average of 2.6 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Ottawa's average household income is $79,185 which is about average for the Illinois average of $93,298 and 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.

Ottawa also has 13% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the Illinois average of 16%. Additionally, 5% of residents work from home, which is lower than the 14% of residents in Illinois who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Ottawa has a low need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Ottawa households are about average when it comes to technological engagement. 93% of households have some sort of computing device, 75% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 90% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Ottawa?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Ottawa?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Ottawa?

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

Which ISP Should You Choose in Ottawa?

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 Ottawa is Surf.
• The fastest internet provider should be Mediacom. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, SURF Internet may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in Ottawa is Surf.
• HughesNet, Mediacom, and Viasat has the broadest coverage in Ottawa, 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 Ottawa compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Ottawa 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 Ottawa's B- ISP Report Card and 42 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.