Best Internet Providers in South Bend, Indiana

What is the best internet provider in South Bend?

AT&T Fiber is CNET's top pick of the best internet service provider in South Bend, Indiana. It's our top recommendation because it offers fast, symmetrical speeds, competitive pricing and excellent customer satisfaction. AT&T Fiber plans range from 300Mbps connections up to blazing-fast 5,000Mbps speeds, all with unlimited data, included equipment and no annual contracts. Ookla reports South Bend has a median download speed of around 311Mbps, which means you've got a good shot at getting fast internet in the city. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

If you're looking for cheaper internet, Xfinity is an excellent option. The Connect plan, which offers 150Mbps speeds for just $35 is an excellent option if you want affordable internet. While other Xfinity plans offer competitive initial rates, you'll see price increases after the first year or two, data caps and potential contract requirements, which may sour the experience.

Between AT&T Fiber and Xfinity, South Bend residents are fairly well covered regarding home internet. Other options include fixed wireless internet from T-Mobile Home Internet, Fourway, Watch Communications and more. Speeds and pricing from each will vary by location, but T-Mobile Home Internet typically offers the most reliable fixed wireless solution for South Bend households.

Best internet in South Bend, Indiana

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

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How to find internet deals and promotions in South Bend

The best internet deals and the top promotions in South Bend depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

South Bend internet providers, such as T-Mobile Home Internet and Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing, streaming add-ons or other incentives for a limited time. Others, including AT&T Fiber, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines -- and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

• 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics -- browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in South Bend, Indiana

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. Are customers happy with their service?

While the answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Internet providers in South Bend, Indiana, FAQs