Compare Internet Providers in Columbia, MO

Find Columbia Internet Providers with the Best Deals

If you love the vibe of a college town, Columbia is the best town in Missouri! We are a college town with a capital C. With only 128,000 residents total, at least 40,000 of us are students enrolled at either Mizzou or Columbia College. All that young energy means great night life at The District, top-notch arts & culture, and big sports games. Columbians enjoy amazing festivals like the True/False Film Fest and a rockin’ live music scene anchored in icons like the Rose Music Hall. And Columbia also has 98% high-speed internet availability for its residents, as you might expect from a town centered on learning. So, if you’re looking for a home internet provider in Columbia, MO, you are going to have several good choices.

This guide will help you compare internet speeds, internet plans, and pricing to find the best Columbia internet providers.

You can find a strong option among home internet providers in Columbia whether you live Downtown, in Benton-Stephens, Old Southwest, Parkade, Grasslands, Rockbridge, Thornbrook, East Campus, or another Columbia neighborhood.

To choose a provider, first consider the type of internet technology they can provide and their available internet speed. If you mainly use email and social media, you don’t need the fastest internet. However, if you often stream videos or use many devices simultaneously, faster internet speeds will be better for you. You can find out what kind of connection is best for you in this brief summary below.

Types of Internet Service in Columbia

Fiber Internet

Among the internet technologies provided by Columbia internet providers, fiber internet is the most reliable and fastest. It stands out from other technologies because it has equal upload and download speeds. Fiber internet’s fast speed is great for activities that need real-time communication, like playing online games. If you work from home, especially if you have to transfer large files or have video meetings, you will benefit from fiber internet’s high performance. Unfortunately, Columbia does not have wide coverage for fiber infrastructure. Numbers often hover between 20-40% fiber availability depending on where you live. So you may not be able to get fiber yet at your address.

DSL Internet

DSL uses copper telephone cable to transmit your internet. It is the oldest technology still commonly found on the market.  Most of the time, DSL is very slow compared to cable internet or fiber internet. Some newer forms of DSL (called IPBB) can support higher speeds, but you will need to check carefully what your actual speed would be if you are considering DSL.

Cable Internet

Cable internet uses the same cables as cable television to transmit data. These cables can send data much faster than most DSL. Cable technology has improved, and cable internet download speed can now be as fast as 200-940 Mbps. However, you should also consider potential upload speeds of cable vs. fiber if you often need to upload large files or videos.

Satellite Internet

If you live in a rural area without cable or fiber optic lines, satellite internet can keep you connected. Almost all households in the USA can access satellite internet, as long as there’s a clear view of the southern sky. However, satellite internet has a higher latency or lag in its signal. This lag won’t affect most internet activities, but it’s not good for real-time online gaming or HD video streaming on multiple devices. Many satellite plans also come with data limits.

Top Internet Providers in Columbia

Now you know which types of internet would probably suit your household best. Next, you’ll need to compare plans and prices.  To help you, here are some general facts about specific ISPs. (Don’t forget to click our dropdown tabs above to see every plan price you might need!)

Overall Best Internet Provider in Columbia

Brightspeed, a new internet provider, is going to take the top spot here for Columbia internet providers for one important reason. Brightspeed has a strong commitment to building fiber infrastructure and is adding a lot of fiber internet lines in Columbia in 2023. You can get speeds up to 940 Mbps with Brightspeed fiber service. Brightspeed also offers DSL service in many parts of town, so be sure you know which one you are ordering, as the DSL will be much slower than the fiber. Brightspeed’s prices begin at $50/month, which is standard for ISPs in this area.

Fastest Internet Provider in Columbia

The fastest internet providers in Columbia are Brightspeed Fiber and Spectrum. Each of them offers speeds up to 940 Mbps. In parts of town where you can get fiber from Brightspeed, you will get equal download and upload speeds. Spectrum provides cable internet, so the upload speeds won’t be as fast, but the overall speed will still create smooth internet service for most typical internet users.

Most Affordable Internet Provider in Columbia, MO

Spectrum, Brightspeed DSL, Earthlink and HughesNet all start out at the same price at approximately $50/month.

Best Satellite Internet Provider in Columbia, MO

If you don’t have wired internet infrastructure, HughesNet is the best option for satellite internet. HughesNet provides a stable internet speed of 25 Mbps for downloading and 3 Mbps for uploading. In some areas of the country, HughesNet is also introducing HughesNet Fusion, a low-latency satellite internet service.

FAQs: Internet Choices in Columbia, MO

How do I choose my internet speed?

When deciding on your internet speed, think about the things you do online. If you’re living with just one or two people who use the internet for browsing and checking emails, a download speed of 25 Mbps should be sufficient. But if you have many devices in your home that stream HD movies or play online games, you’ll need a speed of 50-150 Mbps. For your needs, a fiber provider with fast upload speeds and low latency might be the best choice. However, cable connections can also offer similar performance.If you don’t know your current internet speed, you can test it here.

I work from home. What internet speed should I get?

If you work from home, you need a broadband internet connection to avoid any issues. You should have at least 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps upload speed. If you often send large files, like videos or graphics, you should aim for an upload speed of 10-12 Mbps. If more than one person in your home works from home, you should increase your internet speed even more. You need at least 50 Mbps, but it’s better to have 100 Mbps to avoid any technical problems.

What internet speed is best for streaming?

If you want to watch high-definition videos on many devices, you need an Internet Service Provider (ISP) with a download speed of at least 150 Mbps. Even if you only use one device, choose an ISP with at least 50 Mbps to have the best high-definition experience.

What internet speed is best for gaming?

If you’re a realtime gamer, you need an internet connection with fast download speeds of at least 100-150 Mbps, and equal upload and download speeds. Fiber internet can give you this speed easily. Cable internet can also work well for gaming if it has a high speed and low latency. If you only play turn-taking games or casino games, your speed won’t matter as much. The realtime games that require split-second reactions are the ones that need higher speed.

Is there a financial assistance program for internet access in Columbia?

Columbia has good high-speed internet availability, with cable internet available to 98% of the city and fiber internet availability varying by neighborhood.

But high-speed internet can be too expensive for lower-income families on a limited budget. That’s why in 2022, the federal government announced the Affordable Connectivity Program. If you qualify, your household can receive a $30 subsidy each month to support your internet access.

See this article on the Afffordable Connectivity Program from the Columbia city utilities page for more on whether you qualify and how to apply.

If you need to get free Wi-Fi right away, try the Columbia Public Library, which serves Columbia and surrounding areas as part of the Daniel Boone Regional Library. The library provides free computer access and free Wi-Fi onsite.