Best Internet Providers in Des Moines, Iowa

Whether you're working from home or simply want decent internet for you and your family, fast and efficient internet is paramount for most homes. That's why Mediacom is CNET's pick for the best internet provider in Des Moines, Iowa. According to the FCC, its coverage spans 99% of the Des Moines area. Moreover, it offers speeds ranging from 300Mbps to 1,000Mbps for $50 and $65, respectively.

Metronet first introduced fiber-optic internet in 2022. Since then, the city has continued to bring in symmetrical multi-gig speeds (which means download and upload speeds are equal) to more neighborhoods. While coverage is limited throughout the city, another fiber ISP includes Quantum Fiber, which offers an exceedingly wide variety in both their plans and prices in the Des Moines area.

As of April 2024, Ookla reports the median fixed broadband download speed in the US was 268Mbps and the upload speed was 40Mbps. With these averages, having multi-gig internet in Des Moines is a significant benefit for residents. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Best internet options in Des Moines

Here are our top picks for internet providers in Des Moines. We rate the best internet providers based on availability, pricing and plan speeds. 

Note: The prices, speeds and features detailed in the article text may differ from those listed in the product detail cards, which represent providers’ national offerings. Your particular internet service options -- including prices and speeds -- depend on your address and may differ from those detailed here.

Other available Des Moines residential internet providers

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.

• CenturyLink: Also known as Quantum Fiber in some areas, CenturyLink has fiber and DSL options. The fiber internet service is the highlight because it goes up to 940Mbps at a reasonable $75 a month. There is unlimited data, no annual contract and the modem is provided on the gigabit fiber plan. 
• Satellite internet: This internet connection type offers slower speeds, often at higher prices, so it tends to be a better pick for rural areas that don't have other options. Hughesnet gets the first mention in the Des Moines area due to its lower starting price. Viasat is also in the mix, with a starting price of around $100 per month but a higher data allowance. Starlink is a newer player in the satellite internet space and is a bit more intriguing with faster speeds and no contracts. However, a steep upfront cost of nearly $349 for equipment is enough to make one pause.
• UScellular: Another fixed wireless option, plans are $50 a month with AutoPay and paperless billing. There is a promotion for $30 monthly when you pair home internet with a new mobile service. 
• Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon has a fixed wireless home internet option. It runs $50 a month for speeds of 85 to 300Mbps and $70 monthly for 300 to 1,000Mbps. Both plans have no equipment fees, data caps or contracts. Plus, Verizon Wireless customers can get 50% off the monthly price when home internet is bundled with select mobile plans.

Pricing info on Des Moines home internet service

Of the cities CNET has covered for broadband, starting prices are between $30 and $50, give or take. The average starting price for Des Moines is approximately $44, 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).  

Cheap internet options in the Des Moines metro area

The lowest starting price in Des Moines is $30 a month through Metronet for its 150Mbps plan. If you want more speed, T-Mobile offers a 319Mbps plan for just a bit more at $40 a month.

Fastest internet providers in Des Moines

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 February 2024, the median download speed for Des Moines is just over 303Mbps, which would put the city somwehere in the top 15 cities in the US.

You have a decent number of high-speed internet options in Des Moines. Quantum Fiber offers speeds of up to 8 gigs for select addresses, though availability is limited. You can check out Metronet's fiber service, with speeds that go up to 5 gigs. Gigabit service is available from CenturyLink and Mediacom. To see how this compares to providers in other cities, check out our guide on the best multi-gig internet plans.   

What's the final word on internet providers in Des Moines?

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. 

How CNET chose the best internet providers in 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’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. To evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service, we look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time of publication. 

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

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? 
• Do customers get decent value for what they're paying? 
• Are customers happy with their service? 

The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but we recommend the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although 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.