Compare Internet Providers in Lexington, KY

Find Lexington Internet Providers with the Best Deals

Lexington is world-famous for the beautiful horses at the Kentucky Horse Park and the rich bluegrass that feeds them. But when you live in the city, you know there’s so much more here. Downtown Lexington offers museums, art galleries, and  historic arts venues like The Lexington Opera House. The 23,000 seat Rupp Arena hosts the basketball games of the University of Kentucky Wildcats, as well as concerts by major music acts such as Journey and Kenny Chesney. Over 170 restaurants and bourbon distilleries make for a lively nightlife.

What might really surprise visitors is that Lexington is a pretty wired city. Over 95% of households in Lexington, KY own a computer. 90% have a broadband internet subscription. And the average download speed is 456 Mbps, which is far faster than the national average U.S. download speed of 64 Mbps.

This is good news if you’re planning a move to Lexington, or if you’re just looking for a better deal from home internet providers in Lexington, KY.

In this guide, learn which Lexington internet providers have the internet speeds and prices you need. You will have excellent choices from several top providers of fast, reliable internet. Whether you’re downtown or in Liberty Heights, Mount Vernon, Highlands, Indian Hills, Garden Springs, Gainesway, or any other neighborhood, you can compare prices and learn about your options on this page.

Types of Internet Services in Lexington

First, you’ll need to know what kinds of internet connection are available and what they can do for you. Lexington internet providers offer several different technologies to give you an internet connection. The type of internet plan you choose will affect how many people in your household can use the internet for high-data activities at the same time.

DSL Internet

DSL internet service sends electrical signals through the same copper wiring as landline telephone signals. DSL is usually much slower than cable or fiber internet because the technology is older.

Cable Internet

Cable internet uses the same cables as cable television. Cable internet comes in many different speeds. But top cable internet providers can give you download speeds up to 1 Gbps, which is as fast as some fiber internet download speeds. Upload speeds from cable will be slower than fiber’s upload speeds. Whether that matters depends on your activities, as we’ll explain shortly.

Fiber Internet

Fiber internet is the newest, fastest, and most reliable internet service. Fiber travels through glass lines known as fiber-optic. These fiber-optic lines can transmit data with pulses of light.  That makes fiber much faster than any previous internet technology.

Fiber also has symmetrical upload and download speeds.

Quick upload speeds matter for quick-response activities such as multiplayer gaming. If you  have to upload large data files such as video or graphics, you will also need good upload speed.

Fiber can be more expensive than other technologies, but not always! First-tier plans are often similar to cable or DSL prices.

Satellite Internet

In rural areas outside Lexington that lack wired internet infrastructure, you can always get satellite service. Satellite service covers almost 100% of the United States. The reliability and availability of satellite internet is a good alternative for rural customers. All you need to get satellite service is an unobstructed view of the sky.

The downside of satellite is high latency, which means there will be a lag in your signal. Satellites transmit data from space, which means the signal must travel a very long distance to reach your home. The small delay that results means that satellite works best for low-data internet activities such as email and web-browsing.

Satellite won’t usually work for multiplayer gaming or HD video streaming. Most satellite plans also have monthly data caps.For these reasons, customers will opt for cable or fiber over satellite if they have the choice. But satellite internet still has a crucial role to play in bringing opportunity to rural areas.

Top Internet Providers in Lexington, KY

Overall Best Internet Provider in Lexington

Metronet stands out as best overall provider for several reasons. First, they offer the fastest internet speed at up to 2000 Mbps. Their reasonable pricing means that fiber can be accessible to many households, especially at their introductory rate of $39.95/month for a year for up to 100 Mbps.  But in addition to these strong points, Metronet also greatly contributed to the digital future of the city.  Beginning in 2017, Metronet engaged in a public-private infrastructure partnership with the city to “make Lexington the largest gigabit city in the country.” The successful construction since then means that Lexington now has a complete fiber infrastructure, as other cities try to catch up. 99% of Lexington residents now have the option of fiber internet.

Fastest Internet Provider in Lexington

Metronet is the fastest internet provider with a maximum speed of up to 2000 Mbps from their fiber plans. Earthlink also provides a fast fiber connection at up to 1000 Mbps.

Most Affordable Internet Provider in Lexington

Metronet is the most affordable provider with their first-tier plan at $39.99/month for 100 Mbps.

FAQs On Internet Choices in Lexington

How fast should my internet speed be?

To know how much speed you need for your household, you’ll need to answer two questions. First, how many people in your home are using the internet at once? The more people you have online at the same time, the more bandwidth you need.

The second question is what kinds of online activities you and your family tend to do most. If everyone is mostly using email and scrolling through social media, those activities aren’t very data intensive. You could easily handle your needs with 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload speed. But if several people at once are playing online games, videoconferencing, or streaming HD video, you will want more bandwidth. Most experts advise that 100-150 Mbps download speed and 10-20 Mbps upload speed will support several people streaming at once.

If you have internet service already, you can get an idea of how your speed is working for you. Test your current internet speed here.

What internet speed do I need for remote work?

If you work a remote job that requires large file uploads, you may need more upload speed. The same holds true if your work includes frequent videoconferencing. You will usually be fine even for data-intensive remote work if you have 100 Mbps download speed and 10 Mbps upload speed.Naturally, though, if you want good upload speed, you will be better off with one of the fiber internet providers in Lexington.

How fast should my internet be for multiplayer gaming?

Both your upload and download speed need to be fast for real-time gaming. That makes fiber the first choice for serious gamers. Multiplayer gaming also needs a connection with low latency (below 40 milliseconds), so you won’t get delays and glitches. Though fiber is best, good quality cable internet can often supply enough speed for a smooth gaming experience.

How can I get low-cost or free internet in Lexington?

Both the U.S. government and the state of Kentucky are trying to ensure that everyone will have access to the opportunity offered by high-speed internet.

To get good internet access, you first need to have infrastructure, whether through fiber-optic line, coaxial cable, or satellite. In June 2022, the state of Kentucky announced $89 million in grant funding to bring broadband to underserved communities. 

For those who already have that infrastructure in their area, the monthly cost of high-speed internet service can sometimes be a barrier. Fortunately, the federal government announced in 2022 that the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) would offer qualified applicants support of $30/month toward a broadband internet plan.

Watch an explanatory video about the ACP here on WKYT, Lexington’s TV station. You can find out if you qualify here on the federal ACP site.

Several Lexington internet providers offer plans that will be low-cost with the help of the ACP benefit.