Your guide to a better futureOur expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. How we test ISPs Looking for the fastest speeds? Seeking the cheapest price? Here's what you need to know about Des Moines broadband providers and how they compare. Finding a decent internet service provider can be a way to save on your monthly budget. A good internet provider can also make sure you have stable internet connectivity. Nobody has time for endless buffering or routinely dropped signals. We've outlined the best internet in the area, including our top pick for Des Moines, Mediacom.  Faster internet services are becoming more widely available in Des Moines. Metronet connected the first customers to its fiber optic internet in the fall of 2022 and continues to expand in the area. The service offers multi-gig symmetrical speeds, meaning the upload and download speeds are the same. Google Fiber is also coming to the Des Moines area, and the infrastructure is in the building stage.  According to Ookla data from April 2023, the average download speed for fixed broadband in the US was 202 megabits per second for download speeds and 23Mbps for upload speeds. Given national averages, accessing multi-gig internet in Des Moines is a huge positive for residents.    Here are our top picks for internet providers in Des Moines. We rate the best internet providers based on availability, pricing and plan speeds. Mediacom stood out for its fast speeds and affordable rates. You might also see this ISP listed as Xtream powered by Mediacom.Availability: Mediacom is available throughout Des Moines, though you may have to check that your address can get the service. The FCC lists it as available in the Capitol East, Grays Lake and Kirkwood Glen areas, as a few examples.    Plans and pricing: Mediacom advertises the Internet 100, Internet 300 and 1 Gig plans. Speeds match the plan name. For example, Internet 100 offers 100Mbps in download speeds. Prices for those three plans range from $25 to $55 a month.Fees and service details: Mediacom does have a $13 monthly equipment rental fee but no contract. It also has a 200 to 6,000GB data cap depending on your chosen plan tier.   Read our Medicom home internet review. As mentioned earlier, Metronet is a new service to Des Moines. We picked it as one of the best due to the multi-gig speeds.  Availability: Availability is still limited and is mostly to the north of the West Des Moines area, as it just entered the market fall of 2022. If you search many addresses on the website for availability, a message tells you that service may be more than three months off, but residents can sign up early for construction updates.    Plans and pricing: Plans go by speed tiers, including 200 Mbps, 1 Gig, 2 Gig and 3 Gig service plans. Prices run from $55 to $115 a month.  Fees and service details: Metronet has a $12 monthly Tech Assure fee, an additional, unavoidable charge. On the plus side, it does not have data caps, contracts or equipment fees. Read our Metronet home internet review. T-Mobile is a no-fuss wireless option with fairly affordable pricing and no fees or contracts.  Availability: T-Mobile Home Internet is widely available across Des Moines, with the FCC map stating 94% coverage. You'll need to enter your address with T-Mobile to see if it is available at your address.  Plans and pricing: T-Mobile Home Internet offers one $50 monthly plan. That can help anyone who wants a straightforward internet experience with simplified choices. You can also get $20 off monthly if you pair the internet service with a Go5G, Go5G Plus or Magenta Max line.  Fees and service details: Continuing the no-fuss theme, T-Mobile Home Internet has no equipment charges, data caps or contracts.  Read our T-Mobile Home Internet review. The list above notes the top available internet providers in Des Moines. You have a few other choices in this area, though you will need to check with the provider to see if it is available at your address. Internet providers in Des Moines offer various connection options, including 5G fixed wireless, fiber, satellite and cable. Speeds can run from a dozen megabits to multi-gig packages. Prices can also fit a wide variety of budgets.   Broadband availabilityMost available internet technologyOf the cities CNET has covered for broadband, starting prices are between $36 and $50, give or take. The average starting price for Des Moines is approximately $42, which is not as low as Brooklyn ($36 per month), Los Angeles ($38 monthly) or Denver ($39 a month), but also not up in the range of Charlotte, Las Vegas or St. Louis (all around $50 a month).  The lowest starting price in Des Moines is $25 a month through Mediacom for its 100Mbps plan. CenturyLink offers a 200Mbps plan for just a bit more at $30 a month. While it's a touch more expensive, it's a better value at 15 cents per Mbps than Mediacom's 25 cents per Mbps. Additionally, low-income households should check into the Affordable Connectivity Program, a federal subsidy set up to help all Americans be able to get online. In some cases, you may be able to get connected for free. You can find several Des Moines internet providers that offer gigabit speeds or more. That includes CenturyLink, Mediacom and Metronet. That said, according to Ookla data from April 2023, the median download speed for Des Moines is just over 145Mbps, which would put the city just a notch above Chicago, which is in the bottom ten of the top 100 cities in the US. Download speedsUpload speedsYou have a decent number of high-speed internet options in Des Moines. Metronet goes up to 3 gigs, while CenturyLink and Mediacom go up to 1 gig. To see how this compares to providers in other cities, check out our guide on the best multi-gig internet plans.   You have several options if you want 1 gig or higher speeds. In general, plans from the ISPs are also customizable to fit a wide range of budgets. Metronet is your answer if you're looking for symmetrical download and upload speed, along with some multi-gigabit speeds. But for midrange speeds at decent starting prices, the cable internet of Mediacom will meet most households' needs. Yes. Des Moines residents have a couple of fiber internet options. CenturyLink and Metronet cover areas of Des Moines with fiber internet, though CenturyLink supplies only DSL options in some places. Metronet is fairly new to the area, so you'll have to check your address with the ISP to see if it's available for your home. Currently, Mediacom has the cheapest price at $25 a month. However, it's important to note that it is for a 100Mbps speed. If you need faster speeds, CenturyLink offers a 200Mbps fiber plan for just a little bit more at $30 a month, a better value at 15 cents per Mbps.The fastest plan currently offered comes from Metronet, with 3 gigs of speed. It's also worth noting that Google Fiber is expanding into Des Moines and started construction in the fall of 2022. Residents of West Des Moines already have Google Fiber. The service offers download speeds of up to 2 gigs.  Metronet and Mediacom offer gigabit speed plans, though Metronet is the only one offering multigigabit plans. Metronet tends to be more expensive, however. Cable provider Mediacom offers cheaper rates but has data caps, whereas the fiber ISP Metronet boasts unlimited data.Enter your address to view internet providers available near you