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Best Internet Providers in Iowa City, Iowa

Written by  Joe Supan
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Joe Supan Senior Writer
Joe Supan is a senior writer for CNET covering home technology, broadband, and moving. Prior to joining CNET, Joe led MyMove's moving coverage and reported on broadband policy, the digital divide, and privacy issues for the broadband marketplace Allconnect. He has been featured as a guest columnist on Broadband Breakfast, and his work has been referenced by the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, National Geographic, Yahoo! Finance and more.
CNET staff -- not advertisers, partners or business interests -- determine how we review the products and services we cover. If you buy through our links, we may get paid. Reviews ethics statement
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What is the best internet provider in Iowa City, Iowa?

ImOn Communications is the best internet provider in Iowa City. The local Iowa company offers service throughout most of the city, and while it isn't cheap, it provides excellent value. Unlike many other options in the area, ImOn is refreshingly customer-friendly and free of things like hidden fees and data caps.

If you want to pay the lowest prices possible, Mediacom offers the cheapest internet in Iowa City. Prices start at just $20 a month, although Mediacom charges $15 monthly for modem rental, and all of its plans increase in price after one or two years. 

Metronet is the fastest internet provider in Iowa City, with symmetrical upload and download speeds up to 5,000Mbps -- five times faster than any other provider in the city. Another good option for high-speed internet is T-Mobile Home Internet, which offers wireless internet for $50-$70 monthly. T-Mobile cellphone customers can save $10 to $20 monthly by bundling with home internet service.

Best internet in Iowa City, Iowa

Iowa City internet providers compared

Provider Internet technologyMonthly price rangeSpeed rangeMonthly equipment costsData capContractCNET review score
CenturyLink
Read full review
DSL$55Up to 100Mbps$15 (optional)NoneNone6.7
ImOn Communications Fiber$49-$69200-1,000MbpsNoneNoneNoneN/A
Mediacom
Read full review
Cable$20-$60250-1,000Mbps$15350GB-UnlimitedNone6.4
Metronet
Read full review
Fiber$35-$110*150-5,000MbpsNone (but all plans include an additional $13 monthly Tech Assure fee)NoneNone6.9
Quantum Fiber Fiber$50-$75500-940MbpsNoneNoneNone6.7
Rise Broadband
Read full review
Fixed wireless$5525-50MbpsNoneNoneNone6.2
T-Mobile Home Internet
Read full review
Fixed wireless$50-$70 ($35-$55 with mobile plans)87-415MbpsNoneNoneNone7.4
Verizon 5G Home Internet
Read full review
Fixed wireless$50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers)100-300MbpsNoneNoneNone7.2
Show more (4 items)

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s the cheapest internet plan in Iowa City?

Provider Starting priceMax download speedMonthly equipment fee
Metronet
Read full review
$35150MbpsNone (but there's an additional $13 monthly Tech Assure fee)
Mediacom Internet 250
Read full review
$20250Mbps$15
Mediacom Internet 500
Read full review
$45500Mbps$15
Metronet
Read full review
$45500MbpsNone (but there's an additional $13 monthly Tech Assure fee)
Quantum Fiber $50500MbpsNone
Verizon 5G Home Internet
Read full review
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans)100MbpsNone
Show more (2 items)

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

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How to find internet deals and promotions in Iowa City

The best internet deals and top promotions in Iowa City depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

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How many members of your household use the internet?

Iowa City internet providers, such as Mediacom, Verizon 5G Home Internet and ImOn Communications, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including Metronet and Quantum Fiber, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals

Fastest internet plans in Iowa City

Provider Starting priceMax download speedMax upload speedData capConnection type
Metronet 5 Gb
Read full review
$1105,000Mbps5,000MbpsNoneFiber
Metronet 2 Gb
Read full review
$70 2,000Mbps2,000MbpsNoneFiber
Metronet 1 Gb
Read full review
$50 1,000Mbps1,000MbpsNoneFiber
Mediacom 1 Gig
Read full review
$601,000Mbps64Mbps3,000GB-unlimitedCable
ImOn Communications 1Gig $691,000Mbps1,000MbpsNoneFiber
Quantum Fiber $75940Mbps940MbpsNoneFiber
Show more (2 items)

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines -- and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

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

  • 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics -- browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
  • 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
  • 40 to 100Mbps should give one person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
  • 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
  • 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Iowa City

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

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

  1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
  2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
  3. Are customers happy with their service?

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Internet providers in Iowa City FAQs

What is the best internet service provider in Iowa City?

ImOn Communications is the best internet service provider in Iowa City. At the starting price of $49 a month, you’ll get fast, symmetrical speeds, and ImOn doesn’t nickel and dime you with hidden fees and price increases. 

Is fiber internet available in Iowa City?

Yes, fiber internet is available to 69% of Iowa City residents, according to FCC data. ImOn Communications, Metronet and Quantum Fiber all operate in the city.

What is the cheapest internet provider in Iowa City?

Mediacom is the cheapest internet provider in Iowa City, with plans starting at $35 a month. That noted, Mediacom includes a $14 monthly charge for modem rental, and all of its plans increase in price after one or two years.

Which internet provider in Iowa City offers the fastest plan?

Metronet offers the fastest plan in Iowa City, with symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 5,000Mbps.

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