Great Falls, Montana Broadband Internet Service

Broadband is defined as internet service with a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps. There are 5 choices for service in Great Falls, MT that meet this minimum speed threshold. Of course, many households will find this minimum speed is not sufficient for their needs, especially if they often have multiple downloads occurring simultaneously.
We aim to help you find the best choice when shopping for high speed internet service in Great Falls by using our ranking algorithm that takes into consideration the upload speed, download speed, coverage area and overall value. A summary of our results is as follows:

Rank Provider Tech Max Download Speed Max Upload Speed Availability
1SpectrumCable940 Mbps35 Mbps100.0%
2CenturyLinkDSL, Fiber940 Mbps940 Mbps24.6%
3The Montana InternetDSL, wireless100 Mbps100 Mbps100.0%
4ViaSatSatellite100 Mbps3 Mbps100%
5HughesNetSatellite25 Mbps3 Mbps100%
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Great Falls MT Internet Access Options

When it comes to high speed internet availability, download speeds and overall customer satisfaction, cities with more than a single provider more often than not lead in all of these categories.
Does Great Falls have more than a single option at 25 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 250 Mbps and 1000 Mbps? The diagram below shows a summary:

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Broadband Internet Speeds

How does the average download speed for broadband internet in Great Falls compare to Cascade County? The average speed in Great Falls is 15.13 Mbps which is faster than Cascade County overall.
On a statewide basis this download speed is slower than the Montana average of 16.02 Mbps.

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Great Falls Internet Access Facts

  • There are 5 residential internet providers in Great Falls, MT providing service to at least 15% of the city

  • The average download speed in Great Falls is 5.6% slower than the average in Montana and 53.3% slower than the national average of 32.4 Mbps

  • DSL internet is available to 21.5% of the Cascade County population

  • The average internet download speed in Great Falls is 15.13 Mbps based upon 97288 measurements taken in the last 12 months

  • Cable internet is available to 100.0% of the Great Falls population

  • Fiber optic internet is available to 4.7% of Great Falls residents

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Internet Access Technologies

DSL, Cable, Fiber and Fixed Wireless are four common types of technology used to provide internet access. The following chart shows the percentage of Great Falls residents who have access to each of these technology types.


Internet Service FAQs

Who has the best internet service near me?

Our proprietary algorithm that takes into consideration download speed, upload speed, availability and overall value ranks Spectrum as the top provider for Great Falls, Montana.

How do the internet speeds in Great Falls compare to other cities in Montana?

Click through to see how the Great Falls broadband speeds compare to these other cities throughout the state: Absarokee, Chinook, Dillon, Hardin, Helena Valley Northwest, Libby, Scobey

What is Mbps?

Mbps is an abbreviation for Megabits Per Second and represents the rate of data transmission. A larger value for download Mbps or upload Mbps means a file will take less time to be sent than it will with an internet connection with a lower Mbps.

What download speed do I need to stream movies?

For HD movies and shows Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu all recommend a minimum of 5 Mbps. Streaming 4K/UHD content requires a minimum of 25 Mbps for Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu.

What locations were used in calculating broadband internet coverage for Great Falls, Montana?

The following zip codes were used: 59401, 59404, 59405 and 59406

Who has the fastest internet service in Great Falls?

Spectrum and CenturyLink with a download speed of 940 Mbps provide the fastest internet service in Great Falls.

Is there DSL internet service near me?

Yes, there are 2 DSL providers in Great Falls - CenturyLink and The Montana Internet.

What is an internet data cap?

Some internet providers on their lowest end plans limit the amount of data that can be downloaded in a month. Like cellular phone plans, when that usage limit is hit, an additional charge is added to the customer's bill. Data caps are typically 1TB or more. In a month you could send 40,000 emails, streaming music 24 hours a data, surf the web 24 hours a day plus stream HD video 12 hours a day and still not hit a 1TB limit. Fewer than 10% of customers hit their data caps in a month.




Great Falls Cable TV, Satellite TV and Streaming Services

Our ranking of internet service plans can make choosing a new provider fairly easy. Selecting a TV provider is more difficult as additional variables are involved. If you are a heavy TV viewer and/or watch in multiple rooms at the same time, a traditional cable TV package or satellite TV provider may be the best option for you. However, if you live in a rental property or a heavily wooded area, satellite TV may not be a viable option. Streaming TV packages can be a good option for many, especially if your internet plan does not have a data limit. Read through the pros and cons of the various TV packages available to you and chose the best match to your viewing needs.


Spectrum

  • 125+ channels
  • Flexible packages
  • 85,000 OnDemand titles
  • All plans feature sports, breaking news, movies plus Spectrum Originals
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DISH

  • 290+ channels
  • Satellite coverage virtually anywhere
  • 4 video package tiers
  • Access to apps, Google assistant and 2000 hour smart DVR
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Hulu Live TV

  • 75+ channels
  • Access to premium Hulu originals
  • Includes Disney+ and ESPN+
  • 2 simultaneous streams supported on a broad array of devices
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YouTube TV

  • 85+ channels
  • Unlimited cloud DVR
  • Local network coverage
  • Sports plus, Spanish plus and premium movie add-ons
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DIRECTV stream

  • 140+ channels
  • Unlimited cloud DVR
  • Local network and sports coverage
  • Unlimited streams in-home. TV to go with the DIRECTV app
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fuboTV

  • 180+ channels
  • 1000 hours of cloud DVR
  • Local network coverage
  • Extensive sports coverage plus sports add-on packages
Learn More