Our take - It's not the cheapest internet provider, but in terms of overall value, AT&T Fiber is one of the best. Considering cost-per-Mbps, a good indicator of value, AT&T Fiber is better than most. Free equipment rental, unlimited data and no set price increases add to the provider's overall value. 

Our take - You'll get the most bang for your buck with fiber, but a cable connection is the next best thing if fiber isn't an option. Among all the providers offering cable internet service in the country, Spectrum is the one I'd be happiest to see available at my address.

Our take - Pickings can be frustratingly slim when shopping for an internet plan in a rural area because most of the best internet infrastructure in the country is centralized in population-dense cities and the suburban neighborhoods surrounding them. If you live outside a region like that, your home probably isn't wired for fiber or cable. Instead, you'll have to make do with slower, less reliable and more expensive technologies, and you'll likely have fewer options to choose from too.

Our take - Verizon lands near the top of the American Customer Satisfaction Index's rankings of internet providers year after year, and it's been one of the strongest finishers with J.D. Power for multiple years running, too.

Our take - WideOpenWest is a relatively small provider that offers services in six states. It earns the exclamation point it likes to stick at the end of its branding by offering cable internet plans at some of the best prices you'll find anywhere in the US. That includes an entry-level 300Mbps plan that starts at $25 per month, reaching all the way up to a high-speed 1,200Mbps plan at $90 monthly. That's a stellar cost per Mbps of just 7 cents, which is unheard of in the cable category. For an extra $5 a month, WOW offers price-lock to your chosen plan to protect against sudden price increases.

Our take - CenturyLink offers DSL internet plans across 16 states, but roughly half of the coverage map also has access to its sibling company's fiber plans, branded as Quantum Fiber. The plans themselves are a great deal, the entry-level plan at $30 a month for matching upload and download speeds of 200Mbps (15 cents per Mbps), all the way up to $165 a month for a 8 gigabits with matching speeds of 8,000Mbps. There are no data caps or contracts with those plans, and, best of all, the ISP offers a price-for-life guarantee, pledging to never raise your rate for as long as you keep your plan.