We ranked the providers serving Chicago, IL on speed, price and real-world availability — grounded in the FCC map and each provider’s own published plans.
By the Editorial TeamUpdated 2026-07Availability checked against the FCC map (2025-06-30)
Availability is checked against the FCC map, block by block. Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Unsplash (CC). Illustrative.
Best overall
Xfinity (Comcast)
Cable · up to 10 Gig download
Xfinity (Comcast) tops our Chicago, IL ranking on our transparent value score — a blend of top advertised speed, starting price and how widely it serves the metro. Availability varies address to address, so confirm your exact address before you commit.
81
Value score / 100
$45/mo
starting · 2026-07
Serves
in Chicago
The Rankings
1
Xfinity (Comcast)
Xfinity (Comcast)
Cable · up to 10 Gig · 10 Gig up · Fastest here
81
/ 100
$45/mo
starting · 2026-07
2
AT&T Fiber
AT&T Fiber
Fiber · up to 5 Gig · 5 Gig up · Fiber
57
/ 100
see provider
price varies by address
3
Astound Broadband
Astound Broadband
Cable · up to 5 Gig
52
/ 100
see provider
price varies by address
4
Viasat
Viasat
Satellite · up to 150 Mbps · Cheapest here
46
/ 100
$40/mo
starting · 2026-07
5
HughesNet
HughesNet
Satellite · up to 100 Mbps · 5 Mbps up
45
/ 100
$40/mo
starting · 2026-07
6
T-Mobile Home Internet
T-Mobile Home Internet
5G Home · up to 498 Mbps · 55 Mbps up
25
/ 100
$50/mo
starting · 2026-07
7
Verizon 5G Home Internet
Verizon 5G Home Internet
5G Home · up to 300 Mbps
25
/ 100
see provider
price varies by address
8
Starlink Residential
Starlink Residential
Satellite · up to 400 Mbps · 20 Mbps up
25
/ 100
$55/mo
starting · 2026-07
9
AT&T Internet Air
AT&T Internet Air
5G Home · up to 300 Mbps · 30 Mbps up
10
/ 100
$60/mo
starting · 2026-07
Figure 1
Speed and price, side by side
Max advertised download vs. published starting price · 2026-07
Max download speed Starting price / month
Xfinity (Comcast)
10 Gig
$45
AT&T Fiber
5 Gig
see provider
Astound Broadband
5 Gig
see provider
Viasat
150 Mbps
$40
HughesNet
100 Mbps
$40
T-Mobile Home Internet
498 Mbps
$50
Max speed is each provider’s top advertised residential tier; price is the lowest cleanly published national starting rate (“see provider” where none is published — never estimated). Speeds/prices from providers’ own plans pages, 2026-07.
The cheapest plan and the fastest plan in a city are rarely the same product, and neither is automatically the smartest buy. Most homes stream, video-call and back up a few devices — a load a 300–500 Mbps plan handles comfortably. Paying for a multi-gigabit tier buys headroom most people never touch.
Availability decides it
The biggest factor is whether a provider actually reaches your address. Fiber and cable footprints are patchy block to block, so always check your exact address before you settle on a plan. Fixed-wireless (5G Home) and satellite options serve almost everywhere but trade away peak speed and consistency.
Figure 2
Who actually reaches the metro
Qualitative availability from the FCC map + provider footprint · not a per-address guarantee
Xfinity (Comcast) (Cable)Widely_Available
AT&T Fiber (Fiber)Available
Astound Broadband (Cable)Widely_Available
Viasat (Satellite)Available
HughesNet (Satellite)Available
T-Mobile Home Internet (5G Home)Limited
Availability is a qualitative flag grounded in the FCC National Broadband Map (checked 2025-06-30) and each provider’s published coverage — it shows which providers serve the metro, not a coverage percentage and not a guarantee for your exact address. Check your address with the provider.
Our pick for Chicago, IL: Xfinity (Comcast)
Availability and the exact plan vary by address — check before you buy.
How we make money: some "check availability" links may become affiliate links once provider programs are approved; if you sign up through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our rankings—those are set by the data. Today no affiliate programs are live, so these are plain links to each provider.
The takeaway
Check your address first, take fiber or cable if you can get it, and don’t pay for a gigabit you’ll never use.
For most Chicago homes, a mid-tier fiber or cable plan hits the sweet spot of speed, price and reliability. If neither reaches your block, a 5G Home or satellite plan is the sensible fallback.
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By the Editorial TeamUpdated 2026-07Availability checked against the FCC map (2025-06-30)