Best Internet Providers in Sterling, IL
All 10 providers, ranked by coverage, speed and customer ratings
Find internet availability by address in Sterling, IL
Sterling has 10 internet service providers, they are sorted by coverage, available speed, and customer rating from our unbiased internet provider report. Cable, Fiber, Fixed Wireless, and DSL 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 Sterling.
Ranks compare Sterling with the 3,338 US towns of 10,000 to 24,999 people, the tiers of our fastest-cities rankings.
The Best Internet in Sterling, IL at a Glance
Sterling Internet Providers, Ranked by Coverage, Speed and Customer Ratings
XFINITY
Connection
Customer Rating
Cable
Surf
Connection
Customer Rating
Fiber
Rise Broadband
Connection
Customer Rating
Fixed Wireless
Verizon
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 Sterling ratings may vary and are shown below.
Who is the Best Internet Provider in Sterling, IL?
T-Mobile Home Internet is the best internet provider in Sterling 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 Sterling, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. T-Mobile Home Internet is an option for 71.46% 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 Sterling?
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 Sterling
- XFINITY - cable coverage map
- Surf - fiber 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
- JCWIFI.com - fixed wireless coverage map
- Nextlink - fixed wireless coverage map
- AT&T - fixed wireless coverage map
- EarthLink - fixed wireless coverage map
- AT&T - dsl coverage map
- EarthLink - dsl coverage map
How Sterling Compares to Places Its Size
Sterling's report card score is in the bottom 14% and its connectivity index is in the bottom 23%.
| Measure | Sterling | Rank among US towns of 10,000 to 24,999 people | Whiteside County | Illinois | US | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISP Report Card inputs: what providers offer here | ||||||
| Fiber availability | 71.9% | bottom 41% | 85.7% | 47.6% | 71.5% | 115 places at 100.0% |
| Average top speed | 1,239 Mbps | bottom 16% | 2,448 Mbps | 3,187 Mbps | 3,486 Mbps | Middle Valley, TN and Red Bank, TN and 1 more (25,000 Mbps) |
| Providers at a typical address | 4.4 | bottom 6% | 5 | 7.3 | 7.1 | Joshua, TX (13.3) |
| Connectivity index inputs: how much households need and use the internet | ||||||
| People per household | 2.3 | bottom 20% | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.7 | North Bay Shore, NY (4.7) |
| Workers who work from home | 7% | bottom 19% | 7% | 16% | 15% | Brambleton, VA (51%) |
| Homes with a computer, tablet or phone | 95% | bottom 43% | 93% | 95% | 96% | 86 places at 100% |
| Homes with internet | 89% | bottom 30% | 87% | 91% | 91% | 11 places at 100% |
| Homes on fiber, cable or DSL | 73% | bottom 36% | 66% | 75% | 76% | Klahanie, WA and Short Hills, NJ and 1 more (96%) |
| More about the households here | ||||||
| Homes with a desktop or laptop | 75% | bottom 30% | 74% | 81% | 81% | Stone Ridge, VA and West University Place, TX and 1 more (100%) |
| Median household income | $70,488 | bottom 30% | $70,747 | $95,616 | $93,246 | West University Place, TX ($249,707) |
| Residents in school (6th grade to college) | 13% | bottom 38% | 13% | 16% | 16% | Stanford, CA (84%) |
Fiber reaches 71.9% of homes in Sterling, against 85.7% across Whiteside County and 47.6% across Illinois. Households in Sterling are smaller than the US average (2.3 people against 2.7); 7% of workers work from home (US 15%); and the median household income is $70,488 (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 Sterling
Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Sterling?
Surf Fiber in Sterling, IL
Availability:
64.8%
Customer Rating:
(20)
Avg. Download Speed
1,013 Mbps
SURF Internet offers Fiber service to 64.8% of Sterling homes. Across the city, Surf Fiber is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 1,013 Mbps, with speeds from 1,000 Mpbs up to 2,000 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds are symmetrical, meaning they are exactly the same as download speeds for Surf Fiber.
Sand Prarie Fiber in Sterling, IL
Availability:
8.0%
Customer Rating:
(0)
Avg. Download Speed
1,000 Mbps
Sand Prarie offers Fiber service to 8.0% of Sterling 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 Sterling?
Rise Broadband Fixed Wireless in Sterling, IL
Availability:
97.5%
Customer Rating:
(15)
Avg. Download Speed
97 Mbps
Rise Broadband offers Fixed Wireless service to 97.5% of Sterling homes. Across the city, Rise Broadband Fixed Wireless is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 97 Mbps, with speeds from 10 Mpbs up to 250 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 1.0 and as high as 50, with an average of 19 Mbps throughout the city.
Verizon Fixed Wireless in Sterling, IL
Availability:
82.3%
Customer Rating:
(362)
Avg. Download Speed
251 Mbps
Verizon offers Fixed Wireless service to 82.3% of Sterling homes. Across the city, Verizon Fixed Wireless is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 251 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 18 Mbps throughout the city.
T-Mobile Home Internet Fixed Wireless in Sterling, IL
Availability:
71.5%
Customer Rating:
(342)
Avg. Download Speed
47 Mbps
T-Mobile Home Internet offers Fixed Wireless service to 71.5% of Sterling homes. Across the city, T-Mobile Home Internet Fixed Wireless is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 47 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 8.0 Mbps throughout the city.
EarthLink Fixed Wireless in Sterling, IL
Availability:
5.3%
Customer Rating:
(4)
Avg. Download Speed
25 Mbps
EarthLink offers Fixed Wireless service to 5.3% of Sterling homes. Across the city, EarthLink Fixed Wireless has speeds up to 25 Mbps
AT&T Fixed Wireless in Sterling, IL
Availability:
5.3%
Customer Rating:
(205)
Avg. Download Speed
25 Mbps
AT&T offers Fixed Wireless service to 5.3% of Sterling homes. Across the city, AT&T Fixed Wireless has speeds up to 25 Mbps
JCWIFI.com Fixed Wireless in Sterling, IL
Availability:
3.4%
Customer Rating:
(1)
Avg. Download Speed
200 Mbps
JCWIFI.com offers Fixed Wireless service to 3.4% of Sterling homes. Across the city, JCWIFI.com Fixed Wireless is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 200 Mbps
Nextlink Fixed Wireless in Sterling, IL
Availability:
3.0%
Customer Rating:
(14)
Avg. Download Speed
182 Mbps
Nextlink offers Fixed Wireless service to 3.0% of Sterling homes. Across the city, Nextlink Fixed Wireless is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 182 Mbps, with speeds from 100 Mpbs up to 500 Mbps depending on the address. Upload speeds differ from download speeds, and are as low 20 and as high as 200, with an average of 55 Mbps throughout the city.
Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Sterling?
XFINITY Cable in Sterling, IL
Availability:
94.0%
Customer Rating:
(2077)
Avg. Download Speed
1,253 Mbps
XFINITY from Comcast offers Cable service to 94.0% of Sterling homes. Across the city, XFINITY Cable is the only type of service available from the company, with speeds up to 1,253 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 49 Mbps throughout the city.
Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Sterling?
EarthLink DSL in Sterling, IL
Availability:
1.3%
Customer Rating:
(5)
Avg. Download Speed
10 Mbps
EarthLink offers DSL service to 1.3% of Sterling homes. Across the city, EarthLink DSL has speeds up to 10 Mbps
AT&T DSL in Sterling, IL
Availability:
1.3%
Customer Rating:
(304)
Avg. Download Speed
10 Mbps
AT&T offers DSL service to 1.3% of Sterling homes. Across the city, AT&T DSL has speeds up to 10 Mbps
Internet in Sterling by Neighborhood and ZIP Code
Sterling has 1 ZIP code with its own page. Each row links to that place’s page.
Neighborhoods in Sterling
| Neighborhood | People | Homes with fiber | Average top speed | Providers at a typical address | Report card | Connectivity |
|---|
ZIP codes in Sterling
| ZIP code | People | Homes with fiber | Average top speed | Providers at a typical address | Report card | Connectivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61081 | 21,093 | 71.2% | 1,245 Mbps | 4.4 | C | 48/100 |
How Sterling Compares to Nearby Places
The 10 places nearest to Sterling that have their own pages are all within 10 miles. Among them, Rock Falls has the most homes with fiber (88.4%) and Woosung the fewest (21.1%); Sterling has 71.9%.
| Place | People | Homes with fiber | Average top speed | Providers at a typical address | Report card | Connectivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling (this page) | 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 |
| Nelson | 800 | 44.0% | 4,016 Mbps | 5.3 | C+ | 30/100 |
| Coleta | 581 | 100.0% | 1,084 Mbps | 4.4 | B- | 34/100 |
| 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 |
| Yeoward Addition | 396 | 84.3% | 5,854 Mbps | 4.2 | B- | 48/100 |
| Round Grove | 239 | 100.0% | 1,000 Mbps | 5.5 | B | 31/100 |
| Galt | 143 | 0.0% | 1,866 Mbps | 5.1 | C- | 50/100 |
Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Sterling?
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, XFINITY from Comcast 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 Sterling
| XFINITY from Comcast | 2,000 |
|---|---|
| SURF Internet | 2,000 |
| Sand Prarie | 1,000 |
| Nextlink | 500 |
| Verizon | 300 |
| Rise Broadband | 250 |
| JCWIFI.com | 200 |
| Viasat | 100 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | 100 |
| HughesNet | 25 |
| AT&T | 25 |
| EarthLink | 25 |
How fast is your internet?
Test your connection here and see it next to the speeds providers advertise in Sterling. It takes about 20 seconds and, on a fast line, can move a few hundred MB of data.
Customer Ratings for Sterling Internet Providers
Based on 294 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 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 82.3% coverage in Sterling.
At a national level, based on 4666 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 Sterling Internet Providers
The table below shows average customer ratings from customers in Sterling, Illinois, and customers throughout the country.
| ISP / Tech Type | Sterling Overall | Illinois Overall | National Overall | For Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile Home Internet | (0) | (18) | (342) | View Plans | ||
| Verizon | (1) | (9) | (816) | View Plans | ||
| JCWIFI.com | (0) | (1) | (1) | 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 | ||
| Nextlink | (0) | (0) | (19) | View Plans | ||
| HughesNet | (0) | (0) |  (25) | View Plans | ||
| Sand Prarie | (0) | (0) | (0) | View Plans |
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 2,000 Mbps in Sterling. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 1,253 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 | Sterling Speed | Illinois Speed | National Speed | For Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile Home Internet | (0) | (18) | (342) | View Plans | ||
| JCWIFI.com | (0) | (1) | (1) | View Plans | ||
| Surf | (0) | (4) | (25) | View Plans | ||
| Verizon | (1) | (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 | ||
| Nextlink | (0) | (0) | (19) | 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 Sterling?
Of the providers in Sterling, customers rate Verizon the best for price. Data comes from customers rating their satisfaction with pricing: in Sterling 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 Sterling, Illinois, and the United States rated the affordability of their internet service.
Rated Affordability in Sterling
| ISP / Tech Type | Sterling Affordability | Illinois Affordability | National Affordability | For Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon | (1) | (9) | (816) | View Plans | ||
| Surf | (0) | (4) | (25) | View Plans | ||
| JCWIFI.com | (0) | (1) | (1) | 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 | ||
| Nextlink | (0) | (0) | (19) | 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 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, available to 97.5% 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.