9 Best Internet Providers in Rhea County, TN

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

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

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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 Rhea County ratings may vary and are shown below.

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Who is the Best Internet Provider in Rhea County, TN?

Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative is the highest-rated internet provider in Rhea County based on 128 Tennessee customer reviews, and Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative 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 Rhea County, Tennessee, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Rhea County

Local, State, and National Ratings for all Rhea County Internet Providers

Based on 128 reviews from Tennessee internet customers, Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative is the best internet service provider for Rhea County residents. Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative was rated at an average of 5.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. EPB Power wins for second-place in Tennessee, with 3.50 out of 5 stars and 7.4% coverage in Rhea County.

At a national level, based on 3772 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.36 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Rhea County?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the county, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, EPB Power 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 Rhea County

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	EPB Power	25,000 Mbps
	EarthLink	5,000 Mbps
	AT&T	5,000 Mbps
	Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative	1,000 Mbps
	Spectrum	1,000 Mbps
	Verizon	300 Mbps
	Spring City Cable	250 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps
	US Cellular	10 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Rhea County

Based on data reported by Rhea County ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the county are available through EPB Power. The company offers speeds up to 25,000 Mbps in Rhea County. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 25,000 Mbps if they're willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

Additionally, actual customers in the county rated their satisfaction with internet speed highest with Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative. This indicates Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Rhea County?

Tennessee customers rate Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative 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.

Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative received a local rating of 5.00 out of 5, which is higher than the average across all internet providers in the country. EPB Power is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Rhea County customers with an average price rating of 3.50 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Rhea County

Rhea County 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 county 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 Rhea County below, including the metrics used and how Rhea County compares to the rest of Tennessee and nation.

Rhea County ISP Report Card: B-

	Metric (hover for details)	Rhea County	Tennessee	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Rhea County that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	57.74%	80.72%	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.	2,691 Mbps	4,747 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 Rhea County.	4.9	7.0	6.8

 

Rhea County Digital Connectivity Index: 45 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Rhea County	Tennessee	USA
	Average Household SizeA larger household size in a county indicates that there will be a greater need for bandwidth due to simultaneous usage, multiple devices, and network congestion.	2.5	2.5	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.	7%	12%	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%	94%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	89%	88%	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.	61%	72%	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.	61%	73%	76%

Rhea County ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Rhea County is B-, which is worse than other counties. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Rhea County is high with a score of 45 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Rhea County have done a average job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Rhea County ISP Report Card evaluates the county on availability and speed metrics compared to other counties in the United States. ISP Infrastructure can vary greatly and on its own isn’t a perfect measure of what a county 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.

89% of Rhea County households have an internet connection despite having 99.41% availability. 61% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 9% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 2% 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 61% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 61% subscribe to it. A low number of Rhea County 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 Counties Compare to Rhea County?

How Much Speed does a Rhea County Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Rhea County is 2.5, which is smaller than the Tennessee average of 2.5 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Rhea County's average household income is $58,978 which is lower than the Tennessee average of $76,490 and lower than the national average of $90,606. Homes with fewer people living in them and with lower incomes tend to indicate fewer devices being used less often.

Rhea County also has 14% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the Tennessee average of 15%. Additionally, 7% of residents work from home, which is lower than the 12% of residents in Tennessee who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Rhea County has an average need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Rhea County households are about average when it comes to technological engagement. 93% of households have some sort of computing device, 73% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 91% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Rhea County?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Rhea County?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Rhea County?

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in Rhea County?

Which ISP Should You Choose in Rhea County?

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

To see how Rhea County 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 Rhea County's B- ISP Report Card and 45 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.