Bismarck has great choices for internet providers, even if there aren’t a lot, according to CNET’s analysis of locally available internet service providers. It’s worth taking a look at all your local options and choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Our pick for best internet in Bismarck, Midco, announced in 2021 that it would invest $200 million to expand its fiber network across North Dakota, striving to serve 10-gigabit speeds by 2030. Many providers in the state capital currently offer gig speeds, which are the connections needed to stream and play games from multiple devices simultaneously. That’s rare in a US city of this size – and you should be able to access fast, reliable internet at almost any address in the area.

Our team considers speed, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Bismarck across a variety of categories. Our evaluations include referencing a proprietary database built up over years of reviewing internet services. We confirm this based on provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also carefully read providers’ terms and conditions and call ISPs to verify details when needed.

Despite our efforts to obtain the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should be aware of. Pricing and speed data is variable: Some addresses may be eligible for different levels of service and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to enter your address on the provider’s website.

Note that the prices, speeds and other information listed in the provider cards above and below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of provider pricing and speeds across the US according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs, while the text is specific to what’s available in Bismarck.

The prices referenced in the text of this article come from our research and include discounts applied for setting up automatic payments each month — a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions may also be available for committing to a contract or bundling with a cellphone plan, for example.

What other Internet options are there in Bismarck

There are a few other options available for Internet in Bismarck. However, they tend to offer inferior service and higher prices, and CNET’s analysis shows you’d be better off choosing one of the four mentioned above. If your address doesn’t qualify for one of them, here are other options you can try:

EarthLink: EarthLink’s Internet service uses other providers’ networks. In Bismarck, EarthLink primarily uses CenturyLink’s DSL network. When I checked a few addresses around town, the highest speed I got through EarthLink was 10Mbps — which is well below what most homes need.

Satellite internet: Satellite internet is available almost everywhere in the country, but it comes with long contracts, slow speeds, low data caps, and high latency. HughesNet has a slightly better track record in terms of outages than its main competitor, Viasat, but neither are great options. SpaceX’s new Starlink service offers faster speeds, but the equipment costs $249.

Verizon 5G home internet: Like T-Mobile, Verizon also leverages its 5G cellular network to provide home internet. Speeds can be up to 250Mbps at some addresses, but it’s currently only available to about 20% of homes in Bismarck.