Best Internet Providers in Alpena, Michigan

What is the best internet provider in Alpena?

Spectrum is generally the best internet provider for most households in Alpena, thanks to the wide availability and high speeds. Spectrum service isn’t available everywhere in Alpena, so T-Mobile Home Internet or Verizon 5G Home Internet are also good choices, depending on what you can get in your area. T-Mobile and Verizon also offer discounts on internet plans for eligible mobile customers, so they may be worth considering if you already have a mobile plan through one of these companies.

We’ve also found the best options if you’re looking for the lowest prices or the fastest speeds. The cheapest, widely available wired internet plan in Alpena is Spectrum’s $50 per month 500 Mbps option. Spectrum also offers the fastest internet speed in Alpena, with a 1,000 Mbps plan starting at $70 per month, available throughout the city.

Best internet in Alpena, Michigan

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Alpena

• Bug Tussel: Bug Tussel offers fixed wireless coverage in Alpena with plans starting at $40 per month for 5 Mbps. That’s much slower than the FCC definition for broadband, which requires download speeds of at least 100 Mbps. Bug Tussel’s 100 Mbps plan costs $150 per month, but the maximum available speeds vary depending on location. Bug Tussel focuses on rural areas with few other internet options.
• Ridge Tower Network: If you can see the Ridge Tower Network antenna towers on Manning Hill, chances are you can get a fixed wireless connection from the local ISP. The residential plans offer 20 Mbps for $60 per month or 50 Mbps for $100 per month. There are no data limits. Consider this an option if you can’t get a good wired connection or a cheaper or faster fixed wireless connection.
• Satellite internet: Satellite Internet from Starlink, Viasat, and Hughesnet is best suited for rural or remote homes that don’t have strong service from a wired or fixed wireless ISP. If Spectrum isn’t reaching your home and 5G home internet from Verizon or T-Mobile isn’t working, look into this.

Cheap internet options in Alpena

Expect to pay at least $50 per month for home internet in Alpena. Spectrum’s widespread 500Mbps cable plan costs $50 per month, but the price will increase after the first year. The exception to the $50 rule is if you are bundling. Verizon and T-Mobile offer discounts on Internet and mobile bundles, and Spectrum offers a $20 discount for bundling with TV services or two mobile lines.

What is the cheapest internet subscription in Alpena?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

This is how you find internet deals and promotions in Alpena

The best internet deals and top promotions in Alpena depend on what discounts are available at any given time. Most offers are short-lived, but we regularly review the latest offers.

Alpena Internet providers, such as Spectrum, may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including Frontier and Verizon 5G Home internet, tend to have the same standard prices year-round.

For a more comprehensive list of promos, check out our guide to the best internet deals.

How fast is Alpena broadband?

Ookla doesn’t have data available for Alpena’s broadband speeds, but don’t expect to get more than a gig download speed, which is the fastest available plan from Spectrum’s widespread cable network. Other residential ISPs in Alpena achieve much slower speeds. If you sign up for Spectrum’s entry-level 500 Mbps plan, you can expect your internet speed potential to be higher than the general speeds for the state. A recent one Ookla speed test report found that Michigan has an average download speed of 229 Mbps for wired internet such as cable and fiber.

Fastest internet plans in Alpena

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What is a good internet speed?

Most internet plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that’s suitable for video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here you will find an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for different applications, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Please note that these are guidelines only and internet speed, service and performance will vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, see our guide to how much internet speed you really need.

• With 0 to 5 Mbps you can handle the basics: surfing the web, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40 Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100 Mbps should give a single user enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
• With 100 to 500 Mbps, one to two users can simultaneously participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
• With 500 to 1,000 Mbps, three or more users can perform high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Alpena

Internet providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router, or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every Internet provider in a given city. What is our approach? For starters, we use a proprietary pricing, availability, and speed database that’s based on our own historical ISP data, partner data, and Federal Communications Commission card information at FCC.gov.

It doesn’t stop there: we go to the FCC’s website to check our data and make sure we’re taking into account every ISP that provides service in an area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look to sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to evaluate how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate at the time of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably high internet speeds?
• Do customers get a good price for what they pay?
• Are customers satisfied with their service?

The answers to these questions are often layered and complex, but the providers that come closest to ‘yes’ to all three questions are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look at the subscriptions with the lowest monthly amount, but we also take into account things such as price increases, equipment costs and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively easy. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and take into account real-world speed data from sources such as Ookla And FCC reports.

Visit our page on how we test ISPs to explore our process in more depth.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Alpena?

Alpena residents don’t have much choice when it comes to home internet. Spectrum covers most of the city and offers up to gig speeds, making it the runaway favorite among ISPs in a city with very little competition. If you can’t get Spectrum or aren’t happy with the company, contact Verizon or T-Mobile for 5G home internet. Rural residents with few options can see if Ridge Tower Network or Bug Tussel offer a fixed wireless connection or contact satellite providers such as Hughesnet and Starlink.

Internet providers in Alpena Frequently asked questions