What is the best internet provider in Bozeman?

Yellowstone Fiber is CNET’s pick for the best internet service provider overall for many households in Bozeman because of its fast, symmetrical speeds. That being said, Yellowstone Fiber isn’t available everywhere in Bozeman, so Spectrum, Quantum Fiber or SkyNet are also solid picks, depending on what you can get at your address. 

If you’re hunting for the lowest prices or fastest speeds, we’ve also found those top options. The cheapest internet in Bozeman is SkyNet’s $25-per-month 100Mbps fixed wireless plan. Bozeman's fastest internet speed is Yellowstone Fiber’s 10,000Mbps fiber plan, which is available in partnership with several ISPs.

Best internet in Bozeman, Montana

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Bozeman

• CenturyLink: CenturyLink’s old-school DSL network covers a lot of ground in Bozeman, but it’s slow compared to fiber and cable. Top speed varies with the address. You might get 10Mbps, or you might top out at 140Mbps. The price is $55 for whatever speed you can get. There’s an optional $15-per-month equipment lease. There are no contracts or data caps.
• Montana Opticom: Montana Opticom offers fiber coverage primarily along the western side of Bozeman. The ISP doesn’t offer details on pricing or speeds. You’ll need to contact the company to find out what’s available for your address. Look to Yellowstone Fiber or Quantum Fiber for more transparent fiber plans and pricing.
• Satellite internet: Rural residents outside Bozeman may not have many options for getting online. If cable, DSL and fixed wireless don’t work out for your address, check into satellite from Starlink, Viasat or Hughesnet. Starlink, in particular, is worth a look. The up-front equipment cost is high, but the speeds and monthly prices may work out better than the competition.
• T-Mobile Home Internet: T-Mobile’s 5G home internet plan costs $60 monthly for typical download speeds of 72-245Mbps. Bundle with an eligible phone plan to lower your internet price to $50 or $40 per month, depending on the mobile plan. There are no data caps or contracts, and equipment is included. You’ll need to check with T-Mobile to see if a home internet slot is open for your address. Here’s what you need to know about 5G home internet.
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon has two plan options. The 5G Home plan tops out at 100Mbps downloads for $50 monthly. The 5G Home Plus plan can reach speeds of 300Mbps for $70 per month. Bundle with an eligible phone plan to bring your home internet price down to $35 per month for 5G Home or $45 per month for 5G Home Plus. There are no data caps, equipment fees or contracts.

Cheap internet options in Bozeman

Bozeman is competitive on internet prices compared to other Montana cities like Missoula and Helena. Most ISPs start around $50 per month for entry-level plans. SkyNet Communications’ 100Mbps LightSpeed plan at $25 per month is a notable exception. Quantum Fiber has the most affordable fiber plan in town, but Yellowstone Fiber offers a good value at higher speed levels, depending on which partner ISP you choose. Sumo Fiber’s Yellowstone plans come in at $70 per month for 1,000Mbps and $230 per month for 10,000Mbps. That’s a good value if you need that blazing-fast multi-gig speed.

What's the cheapest internet plan in Bozeman?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Bozeman

The best internet deals and top promotions in Bozeman depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Bozeman internet providers, such as Spectrum, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including Quantum Fiber, CenturyLink and the Yellowstone Fiber ISPS, tend to run the same standard pricing year-round. 

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

How fast is Bozeman broadband?

Bozeman’s internet future looks bright as fiber availability expands across the city. Spectrum’s gig speed plan is widely available, but fiber brings fast uploads and multi-gig options. A recent Ookla speed test report has Bozeman logging a roughly 200Mbps median download speed for fixed internet. That’s a strong showing compared to Montana’s overall average of 109Mbps. Your personal speed test results may vary considerably depending on your ISP, plan, network congestion and Wi-Fi equipment. Check out these tips for speeding up your internet connections.

Fastest internet plans in Bozeman

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s 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, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Note that these are only guidelines -- 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 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics: browsing the internet, sending and receiving email and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like video conferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Bozeman

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. So 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 Bozeman?

Your options for home internet in Bozeman will depend on which ISPs service your address. Spectrum has the broadest coverage of any wired provider across town, so chances are good you can get access to a gig cable plan if you need that download speed. Yellowstone Fiber and its ISP partners make a strong case for switching to fiber thanks to symmetrical speeds and a 10,000Mbps option for power users. If fiber doesn’t reach your address and you’re looking for an alternative to cable, check into fixed wireless from SkyNet Communications, which has some affordable plans. 

Internet providers in Bozeman FAQs