Best Internet Providers in West Des Moines, Iowa

What is the best internet provider in West Des Moines?

Covering nearly 98% of households in West Des Moines, according to the most recent data from the Federal Communications Commission, Mediacom has the widest coverage and some of the best broadband Internet plans in the city. With speeds up to 1,000 megabits per second and affordable prices, Mediacom is CNET’s top pick for the best Internet service provider in West Des Moines. This cable internet provider offers download speeds from 100 megabits per second to 1000 Mbps. Some areas can expect faster speeds, depending on your location. Plans start at just $20 for the 250 Mbps plan and go up to $85 per month.

On the flip side, Google Fiber’s fast multi-gigabit plans can knock you off your feet. Its symmetrical speeds reach up to 8000 Mbps in some areas. Residents with the most coverage will be along Valley Junction and neighboring areas near Ashworth Park and the Western Hills Greenway. Google Fiber won’t win any awards for having the cheapest plan — the lowest monthly price is $70 for its 1 gigabit plan — but you can expect excellent value. The cost per Mbps of its gigabit plan is indeed 7 cents per Mbps, but its most expensive tier (8 Gig plan at $150 per month) is 2 cents per Mbps, one of the best rates you’ll find anywhere. in place.

Besides Mediacom, if you’re looking for more affordable plans, one of the cheapest plans in West Des Moines is US Cellular’s $60/month fixed wireless plan for 300 Mbps download speed. However, expect additional fees and possible installation fees for equipment included in your plans. T-Mobile and Verizon are also available as alternatives if the above options do not serve your location. The prices of the plans offered by both providers are quite similar, and you can get a further discount by pairing them with a suitable mobile plan.

Best Internet in West Des Moines, Iowa

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find deals and promotions online in West Des Moines

The best internet deals and top promotions in West Des Moines depend on what discounts are available during a certain time. Most deals are short-lived, but we often look for the latest deals.

West Des Moines Internet providers, such as Mediacom and T-Mobile Home Internet, may offer lower introductory prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including CenturyLink and Google Fiber, have the same standard prices year-round.

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

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What is 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 video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a stronger connection. Here is a summary of the minimum recommended download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are guidelines only — 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 5 Mbps lets you get by with the basics — surfing the web, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40 Mbps gives you the highest quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100 Mbps should give a user enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommunications, video streaming and online gaming.
• 100 to 500 Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming, and online gaming.
• 500 to 1000 Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET picked the best Internet providers in West Des Moines

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router, or kitchen appliance, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what is our approach? We start by researching price, availability, and speed information based on our historical ISP data, provider sites, and map information from FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We use the FCC website to check our data and make sure we account for every ISP that provides service in an area. We also enter local addresses into provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look to sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to gauge how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent change; all information provided is correct as of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three key questions:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Are customers getting good value for what they are paying?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

While the answer to these questions is often layered and complex, the providers that come closest to saying “yes” to all three are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also take into account things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclaimer: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

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

West Des Moines Internet Provider FAQs