Best Internet Providers in Bowling Green, Kentucky

What is the best internet provider in Bowling Green?

CNET's top pick for the best internet service provider in Bowling Green is Spectrum. It has great availability, covering most of the households in the city. For the areas Spectrum doesn't reach, AT&T Fiber and Stupp Fiber are solid picks.

If you're looking for the lowest prices or fastest speed, there are several worthy options. Spectrum's 500Mbps plan is the cheapest in Bowling Green, starting at $50 a month for the first year. Stupp Fiber's 10,000Mbps plan is the fastest, but coverage is quite limited, and pricing is only available upon consultation.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Bowling Green

• AT&T Internet: AT&T's legacy DSL network reaches some homes not covered by AT&T Fiber. Speeds depend on your address but may be extremely slow. There are no contracts and equipment is included. There's a 1.5TB data cap for most plans. Prioritize other types of internet, including cable, 5G home internet or fiber, before settling for pokey DSL speeds.
• NCTC: Local fiber provider NCTC (North Central Telephone Cooperative) mostly services areas outside the town's central region. Plans start at $65 a month for 100Mbps and go up to $95 for 1,000Mbps, with all speeds symmetrical. There's an option for a $5 monthly router rental. There are no contracts or data caps.
• Satellite internet: If you live in a rural area outside of Bowling Green and can't get Spectrum, fiber or decent fixed wireless, then check into satellite internet from Starlink, Viasat or Hughesnet. It's on the pricey side for broadband, and speeds may be slow, but it can keep you connected when you live in a remote location.
• T-Mobile Home Internet: T-Mobile Home Internet is a viable rival to Verizon 5G Home Internet. Consider it if you're looking for an alternative to cable. Plans range from $50 to $70 a month for typical download speeds of 72 to 245Mbps. Bundle with a premium phone plan to knock that down to as low as $40 a month. Equipment is included, and there are no contracts or data caps.

Fountain Square in downtown Bowling Green, Kentucky.

DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Cheap internet options in Bowling Green

Expect to pay at least $50 a month for home internet unless you bundle a home internet and phone plan through Verizon or T-Mobile. Spectrum’s entry-level 500Mbps plan starts at $50 a month and then goes up by $30 after the first year. If AT&T Fiber or Stupp Fiber reaches your home, then consider paying a little more for symmetrical speeds. AT&T Fiber’s 300Mbps plan is $55 a month while Stupp offers 350Mbps for $70 a month. Check into the federal Lifeline program and Spectrum’s Internet Assist plans if you’re a low-income household.

What’s the cheapest internet plan in Bowling Green?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Bowling Green

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

Bowling Green internet providers, like Spectrum, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including AT&T Fiber and Stupp Fiber, tend to run the same standard pricing year-round. 

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

How fast is Bowling Green broadband?

Bowling Green had a strong showing in a recent Ookla speed test report with a median fixed internet download speed of nearly 266Mbps. That’s faster than the Kentucky state average of about 249Mbps. Bowling Green’s speed reflects the wide availability of cable and fiber options. Regarding speed-demon home internet plans, look to Stupp Fiber’s 10,000Mbps and 6,000Mbps options and AT&T Fiber’s top-end 5,000Mbps plan. Spectrum has a wider reach than either of those fiber providers, so most residents will top out at 1,000Mbps downloads over the cable network.

Fastest internet plans in Bowling Green

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 Bowling Green

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. So what's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data 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: 

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? 
• Do customers get decent value for what they're paying? 
• 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.

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

What’s the final word on internet providers in Bowling Green?

Spectrum is the dominant home internet provider in Bowling Green. It has the widest reach across town, but AT&T Fiber, Stupp Fiber and NCTC are available in some neighborhoods and offer symmetrical fiber speeds with competitive pricing. If you can get fiber, prioritize that. Otherwise, look to Spectrum. Skip AT&T DSL, but consider Verizon or T-Mobile for 5G home internet if you’re not happy with Spectrum and can’t get fiber. 

Internet providers in Bowling Green FAQs