What internet can you actually get out here?
We publish what the FCC's own data says about 1,977 rural counties across 52 states and territories: what technology reaches homes, how many addresses can get nothing at all, and whether it is getting better or worse. Then we tell you, honestly, which of the options that exist would actually work for you.
Across those counties the FCC records 1,848,175 broadband serviceable locations with no fixed service at 25/3 Mbps or better. Provider coverage maps will not tell you that. The filings behind them will.
Find your county
How this site is different
- Every number has a source and a date. If we cannot show where a figure came from, we do not print it.
- No made-up speed tests and no invented reviews. Nothing on this site is written in the voice of a customer who does not exist.
- We say when an option is bad. Geostationary satellite has high latency because of physics. A signal booster cannot invent a signal. Pages that only ever recommend are not useful.
- Pages update when the data updates. The date on a page moves when the underlying filing moves, not when we rebuild the site.
Disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up for a service or buy equipment through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes which options we list or the order we rank them in, and we do not accept payment for a better placement.
The options, honestly described
Fiber
Fiber, if it has reached you
The best outcome by a distance: symmetric speed, low latency, no weather sensitivity, no data ceiling in practice.
- Best for
- Anyone whose address is inside a fiber build. Always check this first.
- Watch out
- Coverage stops abruptly at the edge of a build. Being a mile from fiber is the same as being fifty.
Fixed wireless
A local fixed-wireless provider
A regional operator beaming service from a tower or ridge to an antenna on your roof. In much of rural America this is the fastest thing available.
- Best for
- Counties where the FCC data shows large licensed fixed-wireless coverage, which this page tells you
- Watch out
- Needs line of sight. Quality varies enormously between operators; ask neighbours, not the sales page.
5G home internet
T-Mobile Home Internet
Home internet over T-Mobile’s cellular network. A gateway box you plug in yourself; no truck roll, no dish.
- Best for
- Rural addresses that still get a usable T-Mobile signal, often near a highway or a town
- Watch out
- Availability is decided address by address, not by town. Speed varies with how busy the local tower is.
See T-Mobile Home Internet
Satellite
Starlink
Low-earth-orbit satellite. Latency is low enough for video calls and most gaming, unlike older satellite services.
- Best for
- Anywhere with a clear view of the sky and no wired option
- Watch out
- Hardware costs money up front, and heavy tree cover or a north-facing obstruction will cost you throughput
See Starlink
Sources
Page last updated 2026-09-01. The date moves when the underlying data moves, not when the site is rebuilt.