There’s no getting around it: today’s fast-paced, technology-based society has made using the Internet almost unavoidable. Whether you’re working from home, streaming Netflix and Disney+, have kids taking online school, or just stream the occasional YouTube video, everyone seems to be “connected” in some way.
With a plethora of mass media also comes a plethora of Internet service providers, or ISP’s. It can be hard to know which ones are worth your time and money.
There are several factors that go into choosing the best Internet provider for you, including your budget, your Internet use, and your exact location. Therefore, there isn’t one single provider that is better than all the rest. Still, there are several notable ISP’s available in the Salt Lake area that caught our attention. Read on to see some quick facts about each one, then a little bit more information its pros and cons. If you know what you need as far as your Internet use, you’re sure to find a great match on this list!
Xfinity
Quick facts
| Connection | Cable |
| Coverage | 99% available |
| Download speed | 1000 Mbps |
| Price | Starts at $29.99/month |
Pros: Xfinity is a widely popular internet provider in the Salt Lake area. It reaches speeds rivaling some Fiber ISP’s, offers 14 different plans, making it highly customizable, and has excellent coverage. It’s also one of the most affordable, depending on the plan you choose.
No matter what your budget is, you’re sure to find an Xfinity plan that works for you. Don’t be surprised to find occasional deals/bonuses on their plans, either.
One residential customer noted that after experiences with both CenturyLink and Xfinity, she has found that Xfinity has better connectivity and speed, even with a cheaper plan.
Cons: Some customers experience brief outages, which is not ideal, especially if you are working from home, but overall Xfinity is pretty reliable. This is mostly due to the fact that it is cable Internet, so during peak hours, it can get a little slower.
CenturyLink
Quick facts
| Connection | DSL & Fiber options available |
| Coverage | 96% available |
| Download speed | 940 Mbps |
| Price | Starts at $49.99/month |
Pros: CenturyLink is also very popular in the Salt Lake area, with almost 100% coverage and both DSL and Fiber options available. It is affordable for the speed it offers.
One customer expressed his satisfaction with CenturyLink’s reliability, noting that he hasn’t experienced an outage even once, as opposed to his experience with Xfinity.
Cons: CenturyLink has been known to resist upgrading their infrastructure in some older neighborhoods, making it so residents can’t take advantage of faster, better service at the same price.
If you have a big family or larger number of people needing connection at once, CenturyLink may not be the best ISP for you. Customers noted that thought it is usually sufficiently fast, it doesn’t quite hit the almost 1000 Mbps advertised.
UTOPIA
Quick facts
| Connection | Fiber |
| Coverage | 11% available |
| Download speed | 1000 Mbps |
| Price | Varied depending on chosen ISP |
Pros: Besides its lightning-fast speeds typical of a fiber optic connection and great reliability, UTOPIA operates under a unique “open-access” model. They lay down the fiber optic infrastructure, then lease the lines to local ISP’s, meaning you can choose whichever provider best suits your needs while still benefiting from the great connection.
A few of the local ISP’s on this list offer plans connected to UTOPIA, including Rise Broadband, Sena Wave, and Veracity.
Cons: Unfortunately, UTOPIA’s coverage is not very widespread yet. According to highspeedinternet.com, “UTOPIA Fiber offers speeds that reach up to 1,000 Mbps throughout the Avenues and most of downtown Salt Lake. But its service area is more widespread in the cities surrounding Salt Lake City, including West Valley, Murray, and Centerville.”
Viasat
Quick facts
| Connection | Satellite |
| Coverage | 99% available |
| Download speed | 100 Mbps |
| Price | Starts at $49.99/month |
Pros: Viasat is a smaller satellite company that has great coverage in the Salt Lake area. It’s particularly popular outside of the urban area because it usually has better coverage there than fiber or cable providers.
Viasat has been in business (albeit under different names) for over 30 years, and its customers especially praise its customer service.
Cons: Because Viasat is a satellite provider, it tends to be slower than fiber or cable connections. It’s perfect for those that don’t have extensive Internet needs, but wouldn’t be the best option for someone who plans on frequently streaming video, gaming, etc.
HughesNet
Quick facts
| Connection | Satellite |
| Coverage | 99% available |
| Download speed | 25 Mbps |
| Price | Starts at $49.99/month |
Pros: HughesNet, another satellite provider, is a direct competitor of Viasat. As mentioned before, it’s a great option for those living in rural areas where fiber and cable connections aren’t available. It’s download speed is a consistent 25 Mbps across all of its plans, but plan prices vary according to how much data you want during the month.
The HughesNet website is very informative and user-friendly, with extensive FAQ’s answering even the most skeptical of questions.
Cons: As with Viasat, a satellite connection may not be the best option for heavy Internet users because of its slower speeds, but it remains a great option for those in rural areas. Its plans are also pricier than some providers nearer the top of this list.
Rise Broadband
Quick facts
| Connection | Fixed Wireless |
| Coverage | 95% available |
| Download speed | 50 Mbps |
| Price | Starts at $29.95/month |
Pros: Rise Broadband is another great option for those without access to fiber or cable connections. It offers three different plans, starting at an affordable $29.95/month.
If you’re willing to sign a long-term contract with Rise Broadband, you’ll be eligible for a lot more data per month than sticking with a typical month to month plan. Plus, with a long-term plan, the overall month to month cost is less.
Cons: By nature, Rise Broadband has data limits and slower speeds, as with any fixed connection. If your Internet needs aren’t extensive, you shouldn’t have much trouble.
This ISP has a wide range of customer reviews, even several single-star ratings.
Sena Wave
Quick facts
| Connection | Fixed Wireless |
| Coverage | 54% available |
| Download speed | 100 Mbps |
| Price | Starts at $29.99/month |
Pros: Sena Wave is local to Utah and is one of the smaller ISP’s that partners with UTOPIA fiber, which is great news for people in more residential areas in the Salt Lake Valley. It offers many different plans depending on its customers needs but remains quite affordable.
Sena Wave customers have high praise to offer, especially in regards to customer service and price. According to its website, Sena Wave prides itself on cultivating and caring for life-long customers, as opposed to “the big guys.”
Cons: Sena Wave’s coverage isn’t as widespread as some of the other providers on this list. This is partly due to their partnership with UTOPIA fiber, which is still working to build their connection in rural areas of the Salt Lake valley.
Utah Broadband
Quick facts
| Connection | DSL & Fixed Wireless options available |
| Coverage | 100% available |
| Download speed | 10-60 Mbps |
| Price | Starts at $49.95/month |
Pros: Utah Broadband is another worthy local provider. One of their unique offerings is the promise, “no price increases. ever.” UBB has great customer service and free installation available. There are several different plans to choose from, so no matter your needs, you’re sure to find a great fit for you.
According to highspeedinternet.com, “Utah Broadband is also a notable local provider. It uses fixed wireless to deliver residential speeds up to 60 Mbps to most parts of the Salt Lake Valley, and most of its customers seem pretty happy. At the time of writing, Utah Broadband has a 4.1 out of 5 stars on Google.”
Cons: UBB is a little pricier than other DSL/fixed wireless providers in the area, but for the overall service it provides, most customers would agree that the price is well worth it.
Veracity Networks
Quick facts
| Connection | Fiber |
| Coverage | 43% available |
| Download speed | up to 10,000 Mbps |
| Price | Starts at $34.99/month |
Pros: Veracity is a lesser-known fiber provider that offers up to a whopping 10,000 Mbps speed in its priciest plan. Most Internet users have no need for that kind of speed, but it is pretty impressive. There is also a cheaper plan with a 1000 Mbps speed, which is still excellent.
For those not interested in a fiber optic connection, Veracity also offers copper and DSL connections.
Cons: Some customers said that they experienced slower-than-promised speeds with Veracity.
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