Best Internet Providers in West Des Moines, Iowa – CNET [CNET]

What is the best internet provider in West Des Moines?

Covering almost 98% of households in West Des Moines, according to the latest data from the FCC, Mediacom has the widest coverage and some of the best broadband internet plans in the city. With speeds of up to 1000Mbps and affordable pricing, Mediacom is CNET’s top pick for the best internet service provider in West Des Moines. This cable internet provider offers download speeds between 100 megabits per second to 1,000Mbps. Some areas can expect faster speeds, depending on your location. 

On the flashy side, Google Fiber’s swift multi-gigabit plans may knock you off your feet! Its symmetrical speeds reach up to 8,000Mbps in some areas. Residents with the most coverage will be along Valley Junction and the neighboring areas near Ashworth Park and Western Hills Greenway. Google Fiber won’t win any prizes for having the cheapest plan — the lowest monthly price is $70 for its 1-gigabit plan — but you can expect excellent value. The cost per Mbps of its gigabit plan is a very cheap 7 cents per Mbps, but its most expensive tier (the 8 Gig plan at $150 per month) is an outstanding 2 cents per Mbps, one of the best rates you’ll find anywhere in the country. 

Besides Mediacom, if you’re looking for more affordable plans, one of the cheapest plans in West Des Moines is US Cellular’s $50-a-month fixed wireless plan for 300Mbps in download speeds. However, expect additional fees and possible equipment installation charges included in your plans. T-Mobile and Verizon are also available as alternatives if the above options don’t service your location.

Best internet in West Des Moines, Iowa

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in West Des Moines

The best internet deals and top promotions in West Des Moines depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

West Des Moines internet providers, such as Mediacom and T-Mobile Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including CenturyLink and Google 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 West Des Moines

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 answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who 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 West Des Moines FAQs