Getting and staying connected is crucial for Colorado residents, but navigating your connectivity options can be challenging. This guide will rank the top 10 consumer internet providers available throughout Colorado. We evaluate network speeds and performance, pricing models, geographical availability and other key metrics to showcase the leaders across cable, DSL, fiber, fixed wireless and satellite. Whether bundled with other services or internet-only, read on to find the ideal provider to meet your household‘s needs!
Ranking Methodology
Our rankings focus exclusively on major broadband internet providers offering residential service to consumer households throughout Colorado:
Speeds – Max download/upload speeds available show a provider‘s technical capabilities and upside. Actual speeds can vary depending on neighborhood infrastructure.
Pricing – We consider entry-level advertised pricing for an internet-only package without add-ons. Some providers offer temporary discounts for the first 12 months.
Coverage – We assess statewide availability and footprint reach for a provider‘s service network balanced with concentration in major population centers.
Satisfaction – Customer satisfaction rankings from third parties highlight quality and support.
Our Picks – Given these factors, we summarize the best providers overall and for specific connectivity scenarios.
With the top players covered, let‘s count down Colorado‘s top internet providers!
1. Xfinity
Known nationally for fast gigabit connections and broad service areas, Xfinity by Comcast tops our list as the best overall provider available to Colorado households.
Speeds
Xfinity leverages fiber infrastructure in select neighborhoods to deliver speeds up to 1000 Mbps down and 35 Mbps up. More commonly they offer cable packages from 100-800+ Mbps down depending on location.
Pricing
Standalone internet packages start at $40/month for 100 Mbps speeds with special discounts sometimes available for the first year. Gigabit plans start at $80/month.
Coverage
We estimate Xfinity has Colorado household availability around:
- 75-80% in Denver/Boulder/Colorado Springs metros
- 50-60% in central & northern cities like Fort Collins and Grand Junction
- 30-40% in southern towns like Pueblo and Durango
- Reaches many rural mountain communities with cable
Satisfaction
Despite some complaints around customer service, Xfinity internet gets solid ratings for performance and speed competitiveness. As Colorado‘s largest provider, their coverage can’t be matched statewide.
👍 Our Take: With widely available gigabit fiber connectivity and advanced cable speeds at reasonable rates, Xfinity is our top pick overall. The one downside is no uniform statewide pricing.
2. CenturyLink
Another market staple, CenturyLink takes our #2 spot by leveraging both fiber and DSL to provide solid internet options for Colorado households.
Speeds
Fiber cities can see symmetrical speeds up to 940 Mbps down and up. Legacy DSL maxes lower at just 40 Mbps down, although they market speeds “up to 100 Mbps” in some areas. Rural connections dip as low as 10-20 Mbps.
Pricing
CenturyLink internet pricing starts around $30/month for DSL packages and $65/month for entry fiber tiers. Discounts sometimes offered for bundling plans with Prism TV.
Coverage
We estimate CenturyLink availability in Colorado as:
- 50-60% in Denver/Colorado Springs metros
- 30-50% in northern cities like Fort Collins and Grand Junction
- 20-40% across various southern rural towns
Satisfaction
CenturyLink consistently ranks below cable providers for customer satisfaction due to complaints around unreliable rural DSL speeds. But their fiber service offers a competitive option to Xfinity gig.
👍 Our Take: CenturyLink fiber delivers blazing speeds where available. But inconsistent rural DSL network quality holds them back from topping our list. Shop carefully based on your location.
3. Rise Broadband – Best Fixed Wireless pick!
While Rise Broadband doesn’t have the massive coverage footprint to match Xfinity or CenturyLink, their fixed wireless technology fills critical rural gaps. For Colorado residents lacking quality wired options, Rise Broadband should be your first look for antenna-based connectivity.
Speeds
Rise Broadband’s fixed wireless antennas typically provide between 15-100+ Mbps depending on signal strength and obstacles between antennas. This outpaces legacy DSL by magnitudes.
Pricing
Plans start at $30/month for speeds up to 15 Mbps and increase from there based on your selected data cap package. Unlimited data plans cost extra. All hardware and standard installation included.
Coverage
Rise Broadband publishes coverage maps showingsignal strength to predict speeds for a given address. Their antennas provide service to select rural areas across western and southern Colorado.
Satisfaction
Satisfaction is generally high from previous DSL users who upgrade to Rise Broadband’s faster, more reliable wireless links. Support response times could improve.
👍 Our Take: If you struggles with slow rural DSL, Rise Broadband’s fixed speeds are game changing despite needing direct antenna links. Their unlimited data option makes them our rural pick.
4. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
Wireless carrier T-Mobile shakes up the marketplace by leveraging their expanding 5G network to deliver home internet connectivity. For the right household, it could simplify your connectivity.
Speeds
T-Mobile advertises typical download speeds of 100+ Mbps by aggregating 5G and 4G LTE signals, but you’re at the mercy of cell tower congestion. Top speeds rival entry cable packages.
Pricing
$50/month with all hardware included and no initiation fees, contracts or data caps. Adding mobile phone plans can discount the rate further.
Coverage
Since it relies on cellular signals, coverage mimics T-Mobile’s mobile footprint reaching 93% of Colorado’s population concentrated in major metros. Availability may be scattered in rural zones.
Satisfaction
Early reviews are mixed citing inconsistent speeds due to tower deprioritization. But satisfaction is higher among cord cutters freed from cable bundles.
👍 Our Take: T-Mobile Home Internet simplifies connectivity with straight-forward 5G-powered plans. Just be wary of speed variability and confirm signal at your location.
5. HughesNet – Best Satellite Pick!
When wired internet options disappear in Colorado‘s most remote areas, satellite provider HughesNet offers a literal lifeline to connectivity. Despite higher latencies than other technologies, their expanding satellite capacity keeps improving speeds.
Speeds
HughesNet‘s latest satellite technology advances performance, now offering plans from 25 Mbps up to 50 Mbps down. But latency caused by roundtrip signals to space remains high from 600ms to 900ms.
Pricing
Plans start at $60/month with caps from 40GB to 50GB of data before speeds throttle. Getting unlimited data raises prices to $150/month making it HughesNet‘s biggest drawback.
Coverage
The benefit of satellite is availability to any household with a view of the southern sky for dish placement. This makes HughesNet an option across all of Colorado‘s rural and mountain locales.
Satisfaction
Reviews are mixed citing reliability challenges from weather disruptions. And congestion from oversubscribed neighborhoods leads to peak slowdowns. But it offers a connection when no other service exists.
👍 Our Take: Dated technology and data caps make HughesNet far from a perfect solution. But their expanding satellite capacity provides essential rural lifelines.
6. Viasat – Runner-up Satellite Pick!
Following closely behind HughesNet, rapidly growing satellite ISP Viasat is launching advanced new satellites to improve speeds, coverage and capacity for rural broadband.
Speeds
Viasat‘s latest satellite enables speeds up to 100 Mbps down and 10 Mbps with lower latency than HughesNet. Their premium plans advertise 200 Mbps now with a revamped antenna.
Pricing
Plans start at $60/month for up to 35 Mbps down, capping at around 100 GB of data. Unlimited data bumps pricing to $150/month. Installation and equipment fees add one-time costs.
Coverage
Like all geo-stationary satellite internet providers, Viasat can deliver internet to any Colorado household with an unobstructed view to the southern sky.
Satisfaction
Viasat gets mixed reactions from customers comparing them closely to HughesNet. While speeds mark an improvement, rural users feel impacts from data oversubscription.
👍 Our Take: Viasat gives HughesNet real competition with satellite speeds rivaling rural cable. But data caps remain prohibitive for power users.
7. Spectrum
Despite a smaller Colorado footprint than giants like Xfinity and CenturyLink, Spectrum by Charter makes our list by offering solid cable internet speeds at reasonable costs.
Speeds
Leveraging hybrid fiber-coaxial network lines, Spectrum delivers download speeds ranging from 100 Mbps up to 1 Gbps depending on your plan tier and local line quality.
Pricing
Internet plans start at $50/month for speeds up to 200 Mbps. Getting faster 500 Mbps and 1 Gbps plans raises rates to $80/month and up. Bundle discounts available if adding TV and phone services.
Coverage
Spectrum publishes availability for specific Colorado addresses showing mixed coverage:
- Minimal presence in Denver/Boulder/Colorado Springs metros
- Pockets between 20-40% in cities like Fort Collins, Grand Junction and Durango
- Reaches many small rural mountain towns
Satisfaction
Reviews show typical cable internet pros and cons – decent speeds with reliability dings around peak congestion. Support ratings lag other providers. No major standout wins or fails.
👍 Our Take: If available in your area, Spectrum provides capable cable speeds. But confirm competitive pricing against providers like Xfinity with broader service.
8. Starry Internet
Denver residents have a new disruptor to consider for home connectivity powered by next generation fixed wireless technology. Starry Internet eliminates hidden fees delivering large building-wide WiFi with a single flat-rate bill.
Speeds
Starry‘s wireless network technologycurrently offers speeds up to 200 Mbps down and 100 Mbps up – on par with entry-level cable service. Their plan indicates this will reach gigabit speeds in coming years.
Pricing
The Starry plan keeps things simple at$50/month flat with no contracts, equipment fees, data caps or other nickel-and-diming tricks. Taxes included to prevent surprise bill creep.
Coverage
Since the service originates from local rooftop antennas broadcasting fixed wireless signals, availability depends on buildings installing Starry‘s proprietary equipment. Reach so far includes high density areas in downtown and central Denver.
Satisfaction
Early reviews praise their simplified pricing model and quality connectivity compared to dealing with deceptive major ISPs. But availability remains extremely limited until they equip more buildings.
👍 Our Take: Denver apartment dwellers should strongly consider Starry‘s competitively priced speeds and customer friendly approach – if they can get the service installed in their building.
9. Quantum Fiber
We close our list with an emerging next generation fiber optic provider rapidly building out networks across Colorado. Quantum Fiber currently offers multi-gigabit speed fiber in select metro Denver neighborhoods.
Speeds
Quantum Fiber is trailblazing by offering symmetrical speeds up to an incredible 940 Mbps up and down. This allows extraordinary bandwidth for simultaneous streaming, video calls and more.
Pricing
Quantum advertises $30 as their starting speed tier with typical plans ranging $40-$60/month. No contracts and 100% speed guaranteed or it‘s free the next month.
Coverage
Since Quantum crews must actively build fiber lines, availability stands extremely limited for now. Select neighborhoods qualify in Denver metro suburbs like Littleton, Centennial and Highlands Ranch. Future expansion aims for Boulder/Colorado Springs and beyond.
Satisfaction
Early reviews glow over Quantum‘s quality fiber build approach paired with excellent customer service. Their largest complaint: availability is still extremely restricted.
👍 Our Take: Quantum Fiber is one to watch as they rapidly expand multi-gig fiber. Availability remains highly limited but provides a blueprint for fiber done right.
Closing Thoughts on Finding the Best Internet Provider in Colorado
We hope this guide has helped summarize the core wired and wireless internet providers available to Colorado households today. Getting connected no longer means just choosing between slow DSL and your local cable company.
Newer technologies like fixed wireless, 5G home internet and low orbit satellites are expanding options for rural users historically stuck in digital divides. And areas with fiber enjoy breakneck multi-gigabit speeds unheard of just five years back.
It pays to monitor coverage rollouts and new move-in deals as providers aggressively compete for your business. This guide aims to equip you with the knowledge needed to make the most informed choice balancing speed, price and reliability as Colorado charges ahead as a high-tech destination.
So whether you cherish scenic mountain views or downtown Denver vibes, having the right internet provider enhances connecting to the people and passions that fill your address with life. We hope our top 10 list helps you discover the provider fulfilling your home’s needs! Let us know in the comments if we missed one worth recognizing.
