We get this question or complaint all the time. My internet is not fast enough…who can give me more speed?

Who is the best internet provider in Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Dewey-Humboldt and surrounding areas in Arizona?

It’s kind of a convoluted question to answer because it depends on YOUR location within this area. The service providers we have to choose from generally are:

  • Cableone Cable Internet
  • Century Link DSL Internet (used to be Commspeed)
  • SpeedConnect Wireless Internet (soon introducing LTE network)
  • Mile High Networks Wireless Internet
  • Bolt Fixed Wireless Internet
  • DirecTV Satellite Internet
  • Wild Blue (now called Exede) Satellite Internet

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I put these in order of my preference for Internet providers. It should be noted that Century Link basically owns the backbone (See Level 3 Internet Grid Map) in this area as well as a large portion of the United States. But that does not mean that Century Link is the best.

So if you can get Cableone…chances are it’s the fastest in your area. Their customer support is pretty good and concentrated in Phoenix, AZ. They have speeds of 50, 100, 150 and 200 MBPS for residential consumers and an elite speed of 500 MBPS for business class requirements, like high bandwidth, web hosting, and backup servers. The only major drawback for Cableone service is their bandwidth allotments. You get charged overage fees for going over your monthly allotment of data.

Next in line is Century Link DSL, but they are often hit and miss with their service areas. If you can get DSL, there is no guarantee of the speed they will have available in your area.  Their customer support is “who knows where” but they are well established and can help you most anytime. Although they are not local so getting equipment usually means waiting for the mail. They provide speeds up to 40 MBPS which may not be available in your area.

After that we have SpeedConnect (used to be Commspeed) which is a terrestrial wireless network. SpeedConnect is making inroads to developing their LTE network (cellular technology) that will provide speeds of 15, 25, 50 and 100, and I think even 150 MBPS to it’s customers. This network is being upgraded from it’s previous infrastructure of multiple hops and failure points to an infrastructure of no more than 2 hops. This will minimize failure points and will be closer to the Fiber Backbone.

Mile High Network is a local Wireless Provider. They can reach some locations which DSL and other wireless providers cannot reach. Sorry I do not have a map. You can call them for their local provision availability. They offer speeds up to 25 MBPS.  They boast provision for the rural areas of the QUAD City Prescott area.

BOLT Internet is also a local wireless internet provider. They are a friendly bunch of folks based out of Prescott. I do not have a coverage map for them either so you can call them for available service. They provide service speed of 25 to 99 MBPS.

At the bottom of my list, due to performance and expense, is the satellite internet providers, DirectTV and Wild Blue aka Exede. If you are way out in the rural boonies off the grid, this may be your only option.  The speed isn’t bad, but there is built in latency from the satellite signal traveling 18000 feet into orbit and back. Generally latency is about 3.6 seconds. So when you click, you will wait for the signal to start receiving…and then it will be pretty good. This is not good for those who like gaming with their PC.

In Prescott Valley there is one library that offers publicly funded internet access. These locations generally offer free internet to the public on a schedule. Because schedules vary we recommend contacting the institution ahead of time.

Because of the complexities of location, speed, price and availability I recommend you give us a call to help you choose the best provider. We have professional relationships with most of the internet providers in the area and can help you make the most wise and cost effective decision for your internet needs.

Call us at the shop (928) 775-3000 or by cell phone (928) 925-8679 for a free consultation and recommendation.