Best Internet Providers in Helena, Montana

If you're thinking about places with great internet connectivity, Montana might not be your first thought, but its capital city might surprise you. If you need a strong internet connection to research that great American novel, you could be disappointed with the internet connectivity in this state. It's probably a good thing that many of Montana's amenities are found outdoors, because staying inside and streaming online entertainment here is more difficult than in most places. 

Fortunately, Montana's capital city, Helena, has much better internet options compared to the rest of the state. There are a ton of options, including satellite, 5G, cable and fiber internet. Also, telecommunications company TDS recently announced that it's expanding its fiber coverage to Helena, which is projected to cover about 27,000 customers. All in all, the connectivity options in Helena are decent and getting better.

If you're shopping for the best internet in Helena, you should focus on getting the speed you need. Ookla data had Montana ranking 49th in terms of internet speed compared to all other US states and Washington, DC, with only Wyoming and Alaska trailing. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) You should also consider price and coverage when making your decision. Some internet service providers in Helena cover 60% or more of the area. Spectrum, T-Mobile and Viasat are the top choices in the area.

All available Helena residential internet providers

Helena offers other ISPs besides our top picks. If you're looking to compare and contrast even more options, you may want to consider some of the following alternatives in Helena. 

• CenturyLink: This company offers DSL/fiber connections across 67% of Helena. Monthly plans start at $50, and you can get pretty fast speeds by Helena standards; at least 100Mbps in most locations and up to 940Mbps in areas with fiber service. 
• Hughesnet: HughesNet is a satellite provider that might be a good option for people in rural areas who can't get fiber or cable. The company has plans starting at $50 per month. It does charge an equipment fee of $15 per month and requires a two-year contract. 
• Montana Internet: You can find fixed and fiber internet from Montana Internet, which specifically caters to rural customers who want Wi-Fi. Plans begin at $65 per month, and the monthly router fee is just $8.
• Starlink: Starlink is SpaceX's satellite internet offering. It promises high-speed broadband, but you must pay a hefty one-time equipment fee to access coverage. Download speeds are up to 100Mbps. Although you get unlimited data, Starlink says it prioritizes business and mobile customer data over residential plans, so you may not get maximum speeds with standard residential service.  
  

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Pricing info on Helena home internet service

Most internet providers in Helena start at $50 per month. You may need to pay close to $100 monthly if you require fast download speeds.

Cheap internet options in the general Helena area

To get the most value, it's worth checking out fiber coverage at your address. If it isn't available now, the TDS expansion may soon bring fiber to your neighborhood in Helena.

What's the cheapest internet plan in Helena?

Fastest internet providers in Helena

Montana doesn't have particularly fast broadband as a whole, but there are still internet speeds in Helena that make it possible to browse and work at home. Even a few internet service providers in Helena reach gig speeds. 

Spectrum offers an Internet Gig plan with up to 1,000Mbps, while other providers in the area top off at much slower speeds. Still, you can find enough speed in Helena to complete most online tasks. Spectrum's top plan -- and CenturyLink's fastest fiber option -- may be the only ones that work for you if you're a gamer. 

What are the fastest internet plans in Helena?

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Helena

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. 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. 

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, although 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 Helena?

The best internet providers in Helena when it comes to speed are Spectrum and CenturyLink, while the satellite providers may offer more consistent coverage for rural customers. Keep your eye on the fiber expansion coming to Helena, as this will surely provide residents with speedier downloads than most current plans offer. 

Internet providers in Helena FAQs