Internet providers in St. Paul, MN

Minnesota’s capital city is much more than just the seat of government. St. Paul is the second-most populous city in the state, home to more than 300,000 Minnesotans. A hockey hotbed near the headwaters of the Mississippi, St. Paul is also home to countless commercial, educational and nonprofit institutions.

As in any city these days, St. Paul residents are eager to know where they can find a good deal on fast home internet. And while options are somewhat limited for a city of this size, St. Paul still has some excellent options for home Wi-Fi, with prices starting as low as $19.99/mo.

Use this guide put together by our experts to compare your top options for internet service providers in St. Paul.

Best internet providers in St. Paul, MN

• Quantum Fiber: Best fiber internet
• Xfinity: Best for cable bundles
• T-Mobile Home Internet: Best 5G coverage
• Viasat: Best for remote areas

St. Paul internet comparison

St. Paul residents can choose from a number of options for home Wi-Fi, but a few providers stand out from the rest for offering faster connectivity or a wider coverage area. If you live in St. Paul, you may have access to download speeds of up to 2,000 Mbps — plenty of bandwidth for even the most active online gamers.

In the following table, you’ll find an overview of our top four choices for St. Paul internet providers.

How to choose a provider in St. Paul, MN

Home Wi-Fi plans come with a variety of options and features, making the process of choosing a St. Paul internet provider a bit daunting. Here are a few tips to simplify your search:

• Bundle and save: Many internet providers in St. Paul offer ways to save by bundling internet with other home services like cable or cellular plans. You may also be able to snag extra internet perks like free streaming subscriptions or big retailer gift cards for signing up. 
• Match speed with browsing/streaming habits: Speed is important for home internet, but it all comes down to getting just enough bandwidth for your needs. There’s no sense paying for 5 GB internet if you only need 300 MB. Read our guide to internet speeds to learn how much speed you need for a variety of online activities, from basic browsing to high-speed gaming.
• Read the fine print: Many home Wi-Fi users are surprised when they receive their first bill, which often includes costs they didn’t anticipate. These might include equipment fees, taxes or installation charges. Read your service agreement carefully to avoid surprises. 

St. Paul internet provider reviews

Quantum Fiber – Best fiber internet 

Quantum Fiber is a spinoff of Century Link that offers fiber service in 16 states. It may not be as fast as some other providers — the top speed is 940 Mbps — but Quantum Fiber’s unique “price for life” guarantee will appeal to many home internet users. Its monthly prices are also quite affordable for fiber plans, and Quantum doesn’t require any contracts or data caps.

Overall score: 4.25 out of 5.

Read our full Quantum Fiber review.

Xfinity – Best for cable bundles

If you’re looking for the fastest download speeds in St. Paul, Xfinity is your best bet. Overall connection speeds won’t be as consistent as with Quantum Fiber, but you can get download rates of up to 2 GB with Xfinity. The nation’s largest internet provider offers low starting prices with steep discounts for bundling with cable TV or home security. However, beware of long-term price increases, equipment fees and subpar customer service.

Overall score: 3.9 out of 5.

Read our full Xfinity review.

T-Mobile Home Internet – Best 5G coverage

T-Mobile boasts the nation’s largest 5G network, and it’s now available to roughly 40% of residents in St. Paul. It’s possible to reach download speeds of 245 Mbps, but network traffic often causes slowdowns. Still, T-Mobile’s straightforward pricing and solid bundling discounts make this an attractive option, especially for existing customers. You’ll pay a one-time $35 setup charge, but all other costs are built into the monthly price.

Overall score: 4.1 out of 5.

Read our full T-Mobile review.

Viasat – Best for remote areas

If you live outside the city or suburban areas of St. Paul, you may need to explore options for satellite internet. While none offer lightning-fast download speeds, Viasat stands out for consistently topping 100 Mbps. Pricing for satellite equipment is built into your monthly cost, so plans tend to get pricey, but Viasat may be your best bet for coverage in remote areas.

Overall score: 2.1 out of 5.

Read our full Viasat review. 

Cheap internet in St. Paul, MN

It’s easy to find affordable internet plans in St. Paul. High-speed options start as low as $19.99/mo. with Xfinity, and you can even find excellent fiber internet for as low as $50/mo. from Quantum Fiber. T-Mobile cellular customers may want to check out their options for home Wi-Fi, as the provider offers significant bundling discounts.

Fastest internet in St. Paul, MN

The median download speed for St. Paul residents is about 231 Mbps, according to Ookla speed test data. That’s sufficient for streaming and gaming on a few connected devices, but large households with high bandwidth demands may want a faster connection. Fortunately, internet service providers in St. Paul offer plans with download speeds of up to 2,000 Mbps.

St. Paul internet technology

Home Wi-Fi performance varies significantly by connection type. Internet service providers in St. Paul offer all of the following options, each of which has pros and cons in terms of speed, lag time, and availability.

• Fiber internet: Fiber internet is the top option for users who need lag-free, high-speed connectivity on 10 or more devices. Its symmetrical upload and download speeds are ideal for online gaming and video conferencing. However, fiber isn’t yet available everywhere in St. Paul. While some neighborhoods have 85% coverage, many top out at only 30%.
• Cable: In terms of download speeds, cable internet is the fastest option in St. Paul. Upload speeds lag far behind fiber, and cable gets bogged down when you start connecting a lot of devices at home. Still, it’s far more widely available than fiber — almost everywhere in St. Paul — and cable internet is a reliable choice for most home users.
• Fixed wireless: Cellular providers are slowly catching up to cable as a reliable choice for home Wi-Fi. Thanks to 5G technology, St. Paul internet providers like T-Mobile now offer download speeds of over 200 Mbps in many parts of the city. Beware of slowdowns during high-traffic periods, however.
• DSL: Few providers offer internet over phone lines nowadays, but DSL is still an option in some rural areas where providers haven’t yet upgraded to fiber. These connections are much slower than cable or fiber.
• Satellite: Satellite internet doesn’t compete with other home Wi-Fi options in terms of speed, but it’s available almost everywhere — even remote rural areas outside St. Paul. Download speeds top out at around 150 Mbps in most cases, and you’ll have to install a satellite dish on your property.

St. Paul internet FAQs

Luke DaughertyAllconnect.com

Luke Daugherty is a freelance writer, editor, and former operations manager. His work covers a wide range of topics, including streaming and internet tech, green energy, and personal finance. His work, bylined and ghostwritten, has appeared in The Balance, CNET, CIO Magazine, Entrepreneur, and more.

Hannah WhatleyAllconnect.com

Hannah Whatley is an editor who enjoys collaborating with writers to offer readers the most relevant, accurate, and up-to-date information for their home purchases. She has previously edited for The Motley Fool, The Modest Wallet, Grammarly, JoinCake.com and SaveOnEnergy.com, gaining expertise in several industries. Hannah has a B.A. in English from Thomas Edison State University. When she isn’t editing, she enjoys studying linguistics and languages.