10 Best Internet Providers in Sterling, IL

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

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

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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 Sterling ratings may vary and are shown below.

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3. Sterling, IL Internet Service Providers

Who is the Best Internet Provider in Sterling, IL?

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

Top Rated Internet Providers in Sterling

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

Based on 247 reviews from Illinois internet customers, T-Mobile Home Internet is the best internet service provider for Sterling residents. T-Mobile Home Internet was rated at an average of 4.08 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Verizon wins for second-place in Illinois, with 4.14 out of 5 stars and 73.1% coverage in Sterling.

At a national level, based on 4223 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.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Sterling?

Data Reported to FCC by ISPs: Average Maximum Available in Sterling

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	SURF Internet	2,000 Mbps
	XFINITY from Comcast	1,200 Mbps
	Nextlink	500 Mbps
	Verizon	300 Mbps
	Rise Broadband	250 Mbps
	JCWIFI.com	200 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	US Cellular	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	AT&T	25 Mbps
	EarthLink	25 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Sterling

Based on data reported by Sterling ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through XFINITY from Comcast. The company offers speeds up to 1,200 Mbps in Sterling. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 1,200 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 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.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Sterling?

Illinois customers rate Verizon 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.

Verizon received a local rating of 4.29 out of 5, which is higher than the average across all internet providers in the country. SURF Internet is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Sterling customers with an average price rating of 4.25 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Sterling

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

Sterling ISP Report Card: C+

	Metric (hover for details)	Sterling	Illinois	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Sterling that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	64.78%	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.	1,157 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 Sterling.	5.2	7.1	6.8

 

Sterling Digital Connectivity Index: 41 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Sterling	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.	2.3	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.	4%	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.	68%	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.	68%	75%	76%

Sterling ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Sterling is C+, which is comparable to other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Sterling is high with a score of 41 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Sterling have done a average job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Sterling 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 Sterling households have an internet connection despite having 99.76% availability. 68% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 10% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 4% 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 Sterling 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 Sterling?

How Much Speed does a Sterling Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Sterling is 2.3, which is smaller than the Illinois average of 2.6 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Sterling's average household income is $69,676 which is lower than the Illinois average of $93,298 and about average for 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.

Sterling also has 11% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the Illinois average of 16%. Additionally, 4% 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 Sterling has a low need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Sterling 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 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 Sterling?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Sterling?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Sterling?

According to the most recently submitted data by internet service providers to the FCC, there are currently no DSL providers available in Sterling, IL.

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

Which ISP Should You Choose in Sterling?

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 Sterling is T-Mobile Home Internet.
• The fastest internet provider should be XFINITY from Comcast. 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 Sterling is Verizon.
• Viasat, Rise Broadband, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in Sterling, 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 Sterling compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Sterling 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 Sterling's C+ ISP Report Card and 41 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.

Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews for Internet Service Providers in Illinois