People search for "AT&T Fiber Chicago" about as often as they search for the best providers in the city, and the gap between those two searches says a lot. Chicagoans want fiber. Most cannot get it yet. On the FCC map, fiber at 100/20 Mbps reaches about one in three Chicago locations, while Xfinity's cable reaches nearly all of them. Aurora, Joliet and Rockford look the same, and in Naperville fiber is close to nonexistent. Illinois is a cable-first state with fiber in patches.
Our pick for most Illinois homes is Xfinity. We rank on reach first and technology second, with fiber ahead of cable, cable ahead of 5G and satellite last. AT&T reaches a hair fewer locations than Xfinity, and much of that reach is Internet Air wireless rather than fiber, so Xfinity's cable is the stronger product at more Illinois addresses.[1] If AT&T Fiber is actually on your block, it beats cable.
Which internet providers cover most of Illinois?
Cable passes about nine in ten Illinois locations at 100/20 Mbps. Fiber passes about two in five. 5G home internet at the same speed reaches close to three in five. Four brands cover most of the state: T-Mobile, Xfinity, AT&T and Verizon. Astound serves some areas, chiefly the western and northern Chicago suburbs. Downstate, Mediacom runs the cable in a string of smaller cities, Frontier is the phone company with fiber in parts of its territory, and Rise Broadband sells fixed wireless around Rockford and Springfield.[1]
| Provider | Type | Where it's available | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | Across most of Illinois | No annual contract[2] |
| AT&T | Fiber, plus Internet Air fixed wireless | Across most of Illinois | No annual contract[3] |
| T-Mobile 5G Home Internet | 5G fixed wireless | Across most of Illinois | No annual contract[4] |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | 5G fixed wireless | Across most of Illinois | No annual contract[5] |
| Astound Broadband | Cable | In some areas | No annual contract[6] |
| Frontier | Fiber where built, older DSL elsewhere | In some areas | No annual contract[7] |
| Mediacom | Cable | In some areas | Not stated |
Starlink, Hughesnet and Viasat reach almost every address in the state; they are the fallback for farm country between the cable towns.
What is the best internet in Chicago, Aurora, Naperville, Joliet and Rockford?
Chicago is cable-first. Xfinity is at nearly every address, AT&T reaches about nine in ten locations but has fiber at only about a third, and Astound covers a bit more than half the city. The practical ranking: AT&T Fiber if your building has it, Xfinity otherwise, with Astound as a price check where it serves.
Aurora and Joliet look like Chicago with less fiber: Xfinity universal, AT&T at nine in ten addresses, fiber at roughly a third of Aurora and a fifth of Joliet.
Naperville is the cable capital of the state. Fiber barely registers, Xfinity and Astound overlap across most of the city, and AT&T is almost everywhere but mostly without fiber. Competition here is about price, not access.
Rockford is cable-first and has the largest share of households with no internet of any city on this list. Xfinity covers every address, AT&T most, and Rise Broadband is at about half the city as a wireless option.[1]
The fiber cities are smaller and downstate. Champaign has fiber at more than nine in ten locations and Peoria at seven in ten, both with a regional builder (filed with the FCC as WH i3B) alongside AT&T and Xfinity.
Is 5G home internet a good choice in Illinois?
It is a reasonable second pick and, for renters who move every year, sometimes a first one. 5G at 100/20 Mbps reaches close to three in five Illinois locations and more than that in Chicago, Aurora and Naperville. T-Mobile's Rely plan is $50 a month with AutoPay, unlimited data and no annual contract.[4] Verizon's 5G Home is $35 a month with a Verizon phone plan and no annual contract.[5] AT&T Internet Air is the AT&T version.[3] Against cable or fiber, the wired plan will be steadier in the evening. Against old DSL, 5G is a genuine upgrade.
Where does AT&T Fiber actually reach in Chicago?
Less far than the search volume suggests. AT&T's wireline footprint covers nearly all of Chicago, but the FCC's fiber count at 100/20 Mbps puts fiber at about a third of city locations. The rest is copper too slow to count or Internet Air. The build is uneven by neighborhood and often by block, and the suburbs are thinner still: Naperville, Joliet, Elgin and Waukegan all have fiber at well under a quarter of locations.[1] Run your exact address, not your ZIP code. If AT&T offers you Internet Air instead of Fiber, Xfinity's cable is the better wired choice there.
What should I ask before I sign up?
- What is the price in month 13 and month 61? Xfinity holds its promo rate for five years; Astound's runs for 12 months.[2][6]
- Is there a contract? Xfinity, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Astound and Frontier all say no annual contract, though some Frontier promos carry a term.[7]
- Is there a data cap? Xfinity, AT&T Fiber, T-Mobile and Frontier say no. Mediacom's terms could not be checked.
- Is the gateway included, or is there a monthly equipment charge?
- How soon can a technician come out, and is self-install an option?
- Does the price depend on autopay from a bank account rather than a credit card? Xfinity's does.[2]
Frequently asked questions
Who has the best internet in Illinois?
Xfinity, on reach and technology. It is the most widely available wired provider in the state and covers nearly every address in Chicago and its suburbs. AT&T Fiber is better on the blocks where it is built.
What is the fastest internet in Illinois?
Fiber plans from AT&T, which advertises up to 5 Gig, and Frontier, which advertises up to 7 Gig.[3][7] Champaign and Peoria have the deepest fiber coverage of the larger cities. Xfinity's cable is fast on downloads but slower on uploads.
Is Spectrum available in Illinois?
Not in any meaningful way. Spectrum does not appear among the providers with real reach in the FCC's Illinois data. The cable companies are Xfinity, Astound and Mediacom.[1]
What is the cheapest internet in Illinois?
Rise Broadband's $29.99 wireless plan and Verizon's $35 5G Home rate with a phone plan are the lowest published prices on our sheet.[8][5] For a wired plan without conditions, Astound at $40 a month and Frontier Fiber at $44.99 undercut Xfinity's $45.[6][7][2]
Sources
- FCC National Broadband Map, Broadband Data Collection. FCC National Broadband Map, Broadband Data Collection, state file as of December 30, 2025, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- Xfinity home internet (official). Xfinity, Internet Service, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- AT&T home internet (official). AT&T, Home Internet, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- T-Mobile 5G Home Internet (official). T-Mobile, 5G Home Internet plans, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- Verizon 5G Home Internet (official). Verizon, Home Internet, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- Astound Broadband home internet (official). Astound Broadband, Internet, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- Frontier Fiber home internet (official). Frontier, Fiber Internet, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
- Rise Internet home internet (official). Rise Internet, Home Internet, accessed October 9, 2026. ↩
Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed; our data from FCC/Census as dated. FCC data as of December 30, 2025; Census ACS 5-year 2020-2024. Editorial policy