What is the best internet provider in Joplin?

CNET's top pick for the best Internet service provider in Joplin is Sparklight, thanks to its fast speeds and widespread coverage. If Sparklight isn't available at your address, Wisper and Mediacom are solid alternatives.

We've also found the lowest prices and fastest speeds to help make your broadband shopping easier. Sparklight's cheapest plan starts at $40 monthly and offers 100Mbps speeds.

Mediacom offers the cheapest price for internet in the Joplin area at $20 per month. Mediacom's base plan hits only 250Mbps megabits per second, while Sparklight's reaches 300Mbps for a bit more at $40. Sparklight and Mediacom tie for the fastest internet in Joplin, each offering a gigabit of speed for $65 and $75, respectively.

Best internet in Joplin, Missouri

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Joplin

• AT&T Home Internet: WhileAT&T offers some of the best fiber plans in the country, Joplin can only access the provider's DSL network. Speeds can reach as high as 100Mbps, but some addresses we checked got only as high as 1.5Mbps. Its flat-rate pricing of $55 per month makes it an enticing choice if you can get speeds closer to that 100Mbps mark. 
• Rise Broadband: Best for rural and underpopulated areas, Rise Broadband is a great alternative for home internet when other ISPs aren't available. Download speeds only go up to 50Mbps, and you'll see a stiff price increase after the first year. 
• Satellite internet: No matter where you are in the country, satellite internet will always be an option, but it's probably not the best one. With high prices, two-year contract commitments and slow speeds, providers like HughesNet and Viasat likely won't be your first choice for broadband. Starlink is more appealing due to unlimited data and no contracts, but a steep upfront cost of nearly $600 might make you pause.
• T-Mobile Home Internet: 77% of Joplin addresses will be able to access T-Mobile Home Internet. So why didn't it make the cut? Although T-Mobile Home Internet costs only $50 per month (or $40 if you're an eligible mobile user), it only offers up to 245Mbps compared to Wisper's 400Mbps. Consider it a top pick for fixed wireless internet if Wisper isn't available. 
• Total Highspeed Internet: This local ISP offers multiple plans, ranging from $95 to $135 or higher. Speeds range from 100 to 1000Mbps, but you might be able to get a lower cost if you choose a different provider. 
• US Cellular: Although prices and service details aren't listed on its website, US Cellular is another provider that offers internet and mobile bundling options. It's available to 89% of households in the area, and its website states that plans start at $50 per month.
• Wifinity: Offering six residential internet packages, Wifinity's pricing starts at $40 monthly for service. Wifinity is the city's slowest ISP, with speeds as low as 1Mbps, so it's only worth considering if your address isn't serviceable for any other providers. 

Cheap internet options in Joplin

The average starting price for internet in Joplin is around $48, but there are a few options under that price if you’re looking to pay the least amount of money each month on home broadband. Sparklight Freedom Connect 300 starts at $40 monthly and Mediacom Prime Internet 250 cost $20 monthly. Elsewhere, eligible mobile customers can access T-Mobile Home Internet for only $40 per month. 

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Joplin

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

Joplin internet providers, such as Sparklight, Mediacom and Rise Broadband, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including Wisper Internet, Wifinity, AT&T and T-Mobile, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

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

How fast is Joplin broadband?

Among the 50 states, Missouri ranks 24th for the fastest broadband speeds, with a median download speed of 208Mbps. The city of Joplin beats the state’s median mark, with a download speed of just under 209Mbps. If you want the fastest speed possible in the area, check out Mediacom and Sparklight. Both ISPs offer roughly a gigabit of speed, costing between $55 and $65 per month. 

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 videoconferencing, 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 videoconferencing.
• 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 videoconferencing, 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 Joplin

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 answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that 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. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

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

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

While Joplin isn’t the fastest town in the US for broadband, residents can choose from several providers within city limits. Sparklight or Mediacom will be your best bet for home internet since they offer the cheapest and fastest plans in the area. Since Sparklight is more widely available in Joplin, so that should be your top contender for residential internet. 

Internet providers in Joplin FAQs