Best Internet Providers in Marquette, Michigan

What is the best internet provider in Marquette?

Spectrum is the best internet service provider for most households in Marquette, according to CNET because of its wide availability and plans that go up to one gigabyte. However, Spectrum service isn’t available everywhere in Marquette, so T-Mobile Home Internet is also a good choice depending on what’s available in your area.

If you’re looking for the lowest prices or fastest speeds, we’ve also found these top options. The cheapest wired internet in Marquette is Spectrum’s 300 Mbps plan for $50 per month. The fastest widely available internet speed is also offered by Spectrum with its 1,000 Mbps plan for $80 per month. It’s available in most parts of Marquette.

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

Other available Internet providers in Marquette

• AT&T Internet: AT&T Internet is the ISP’s old-fashioned DSL network. The network covers most of Marquette, but the speeds are nothing to write home about. While AT&T Internet can reach downloads of up to 100 Mbps in some locations, Marquette residents mostly have to settle for much slower speeds, sometimes as low as 3 Mbps. The plan costs $60 monthly, and most speed tiers have a 1.5 TB data cap. Consider this a fallback if Spectrum isn’t for you.
• 906 Technologies: Local ISP 906 Technologies offers fiber and wireline connections, focusing on rural households in Marquette County that don’t have access to a service like Spectrum. Fiber costs $90 per month for symmetrical speeds of 100 Mbps, with a one-time installation fee of $450. Wireline Wi-Fi costs $65 monthly, with typical download speeds of about 70 Mbps. There’s also a one-time setup fee of $450.
• Satellite Internet: If you’re outside of Spectrum’s cable network and fixed wireless options aren’t working, check out satellite internet from Starlink, Viasat, or Hughesnet. It’s expensive and the speeds may be slower than you’d like, but it can let you stay connected even from a rural location.

Cheap Internet Options in Marquette

You won’t find bargain prices on internet in Marquette, in part due to a lack of competition. NMU EAN wireless LTE internet service maxes out at 25 Mbps and costs $35 monthly for community members. Veterans, graduates and students at partner institutions can get a cheaper rate. Spectrum’s 300 Mbps option for $50 per month is the cheapest wired internet plan, but that price goes up by $30 after the first year. If you already use a T-Mobile phone, consider a package with a 5G home internet plan to get a discount that lowers your internet price to as much as $40 per month. Low-income households should also check to see if they qualify for Spectrum’s Internet Assist and the government’s Lifeline program.

What is the cheapest internet plan in Marquette?

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

How to find online deals and special offers in Marquette

The best internet deals and top promotions in Marquette depend on what discounts are available at any given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we regularly check for the latest offers.

Internet providers in Marquette like Spectrum may offer cheaper introductory rates or streaming add-ons for a limited time, but others, including AT&T Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet, typically offer the same standard rates year-round.

For a more detailed list of special offers, see our guide to the best internet deals.

How fast is Marquette’s broadband?

Marquette matches the usual wired Internet speeds in Michigan overall. A recent speed test report from Ookla shows that Marquette has a median download speed of 223 Mbps for landline internet. That’s largely due to the wide availability of Spectrum and its 300 Mbps entry-level plan. Compare that to Michigan’s median download speed overall of nearly 230 Mbps. If you need faster speeds, consider Spectrum’s 1,000 Mbps plan, which starts at $80 monthly.

Fastest Internet Rates in Marquette

Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.

What is a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans today can handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that supports video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more stable connection. Here’s a breakdown of recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Keep in mind that these are just guidelines—and that internet speed, service, and performance will vary depending on your connection type, provider, and address.

For more information, check out our guide to how much internet speed you really need.

• With 0 to 5 Mbps, you’re ready for basic tasks – surfing the web, sending and receiving emails, streaming low-quality videos.
• 5 to 40 Mbps enable you to enjoy higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100 Mbps should provide a user with enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
• 100 to 500 Mbps allow one to two users to simultaneously participate in bandwidth-intensive activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
• 500 to 1,000 Mbps allows three or more users to perform high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.

How CNET selected the best internet providers in Marquette

There are numerous and regional ISPs. Unlike the latest smartphones, laptops, routers or kitchen appliances, it’s virtually impossible to personally test every ISP in a given city. So how do we go about it? First, we pull from a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information based on our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But that’s not all. We visit the FCC’s website to verify our data and make sure we’re considering every ISP offering service in an area. We also enter local addresses on providers’ websites to find options specific to local residents. We check sources like the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power to rate how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISPs’ plans and prices can change frequently; all information provided is accurate at the time of publication.

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

• Does the provider offer access to sufficiently fast Internet speeds?
• Do customers get fair value for their money?
• Are customers satisfied with your service?

The answers to these questions are often layered and complex, but we recommend the providers that are most likely to answer “yes” to all three questions. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, but we also consider things like price hikes, device 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 learn more about our process, visit our How We Test ISPs page.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Marquette?

Spectrum’s cable network reigns supreme in Marquette, reaching nearly every home in town and offering speeds of up to a gigabyte. If price is a major factor and you don’t need fast speeds, consider NMU’s LTE network, especially if you’re a student, veteran, or alumnus and qualify for EAN’s cheapest plans. Otherwise, check out T-Mobile Home Internet as one of the few alternatives to Spectrum. Chances are, you’ll choose Spectrum.

Frequently Asked Questions About Internet Providers in Marquette