Illinois
Best Internet Providers in Rockford, Illinois
What is the best internet provider in Rockford, Illinois?
Xfinity is the best internet service provider in Rockford. That’s not because it offers incredible service — Xfinity’s customer satisfaction scores are slightly above average — but because it’s the only wired provider in the area. That means it has the fastest and most reliable plans, but caveats like price increases, data caps and contracts can make Xfinity feel like a cheap trick (and I don’t mean the rock band from Rockford).
T-Mobile Home Internet is the best alternative to Xfinity, and it’s available to about half of Rockville, according to FCC data. (Verizon’s 5G Home Internet is an even better wireless option, but only 7% of Rockford residents can access it.) You may sacrifice some reliability with wireless internet, but it offers plenty of speed for most households.
Starlink is the best satellite internet provider in Rockford. It’s not often we recommend satellite internet in a city, but since there are few other options in Rockford, Starlink is a viable alternative. Just be prepared to pay $599 for equipment when you sign up.
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Rockford across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers’ terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider’s website.
The prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider’s pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs, while the text is specific to what’s available in Rockford. The prices referenced within this article’s text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month — a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might also be available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Rockford, Illinois
75 – 2,000 Mbps
$20 – $120 per month
Our take – Xfinity is the only wired internet provider in Rockford, which means it will be the best choice for most people. It has the fastest and cheapest plans in the city, but there are some caveats to look out for. You’ll need to commit to a one- or two-year contract to get the best price on most plans, and your price will increase significantly after that contract is up. Like all cable internet providers, Xfinity also has slower upload speeds, but that’s the case with all internet providers in Rockford.
75 – 2,000 Mbps
$20 – $120 per month
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
Our take – In Rockville, the best alternative to Xfinity is T-Mobile Home Internet, although FCC data shows it’s only available at around half of the homes in the city. Its wireless internet gets you download speeds up to 245Mbps for $60 a month, or $40 to $50 with a T-Mobile cellphone plan. That price includes all the equipment you need, and there are no data caps or contracts. That noted, wireless internet tends to be less reliable than wired internet like Xfinity.
Fixed wireless
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per month
20 – 250 Mbps
$90 – $120 per month
Our take – We’d usually only recommend satellite internet in rural areas, but since Rockford has few options outside of Xfinity, Starlink is worth considering here — especially if you’re desperate for another option. You’ll have to purchase the satellite equipment upfront for $599, and the monthly cost isn’t cheap at $120. But Starlink provides solid speeds and doesn’t automatically increase prices after a year or two.
20 – 250 Mbps
$90 – $120 per month
Rockford, Illinois, internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Internet | DSL | $55 | Up to 140Mbps | None | 1.5TB on some plans | None | 7.4 |
| Rise Broadband | Fixed wireless | $55 | Up to 25Mbpps | None | None | None | 6.2 |
| Starlink | Satellite | $120 | 25-220Mbps | $599 upfront | None | None | N/A |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $60 ($40-$50 with mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
| Xfinity | Cable | $20-$95 | 75-1,200Mbps | $15 (included in most plans) | 1.2TB | Optional | 7 |
Show more (2 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Rockford?
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Rockford
Rockford’s best internet deals and top promotions depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Rockford internet providers, such as T-Mobile Home Internet and Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including Verizon 5G Home Internet and Starlink, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Fastest internet plans in Rockford
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 person sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two people to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more people to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Rockford
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 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?
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 it comes to 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 also take into account 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 Rockford FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Rockford?
Xfinity is the best internet service provider in Rockford. It’s the only provider with a wired connection in the area, so it has the fastest and most reliable speeds. Still, there are downsides to consider, like price increases, contracts, data caps and slow upload speeds.
Is fiber internet available in Rockford?
Fiber internet is only available to 1% of Rockford residents, according to FCC data. Xfinity offers fiber connections to a smattering of homes on the city’s south side.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Rockford?
Xfinity is the cheapest internet provider in Rockford, with prices starting at $20 a month. That said, prices increase significantly on all Xfinity plans after a year or two.
Which internet provider in Rockford offers the fastest plan?
Xfinity offers the fastest plan in Rockford, with download speeds up to 1,200Mbps and upload speeds up to 35Mbps.
The Illinois Republican Party filed its quarterly campaign finance report on the July 15 deadline. The party reported having just $223K in the bank. The next day, the party sent a letter to the Illinois State Board of Elections saying they were “reconciling” their records after a leadership change, and then noted that their actual end balance was $101K higher than it had reported the day before.
But that bit of found money was basically the end of the “good news” for the GOP last week.
Republicans no longer have a pet billionaire. Bruce Rauner and Ken Griffin have fled the state. The legions of wealthy business titans who once contributed and raised money have either retired to sunnier climes or passed away. Several prominent party members have publicly shunned labor unions and their hefty political war chests, although the state GOP legislative leaders have at least tried to rebuild ties to trade unions and even the Illinois Education Association. But the heavily gerrymandered legislative map combined with the current political climate means they’ll mostly receive scraps.
And, yes, the House Democrats are struggling this month with scandals, including a state representative who resigned under pressure and another who was indicted. I’m not trying to downplay that at all. But Democrats have the national political environment, the local infrastructure and tons of cash behind them. The Republicans have little to none of that.
The GOP’s gubernatorial candidate, Darren Bailey, raised $1.3 million in the second quarter, which ended June 30. That sounds like a lot, but he spent almost all of that on direct mail fundraising costs. The huge expenditures do give him a prospect list for future fundraising, but he ended the quarter with a mere $128K in the bank. That was still a whole lot more than the rest of the statewide ticket.
Attorney General nominee Bob Fioretti, a perennial candidate, raised $31K, spent $39K and had $28K on hand at the end of the quarter along with almost $15K in recent debt. Secretary of State candidate Diane Harris raised $6K, spent a bit over $4K and had a paltry $1,816.42 in the bank. Treasurer candidate Max Solomon, who ran as a write-in during the primary because the party failed to recruit anyone, raised less than $3K, reported no spending and ended the quarter with less than $8K. Comptroller candidate Bryan Drew raised $30K and received $47K in in-kind contributions from a company owned, ironically, by independent gubernatorial candidate Collin Corbett, spent less than $3K, ended with $54K and had $25K in debt from earlier this year.
Man, that’s just downright pathetic.
But I suppose it doesn’t really matter anyway unless we see a massive sea-change in national opinion in the coming months or the federal government finds a way to not certify certain election results. Regardless of where individual candidates are at this moment, they’ll have the money to compete. Unlike the Republicans, the Dems do have a pet billionaire (JB Pritzker) and, I assume eventually for most of them, organized labor.
The Republican legislative leaders have tried to scrape and claw as much as they can, but they’re vastly outgunned. Senate Republican Leader John Curran raised just $75K in the second quarter. He spent $71K and reported having a bit more than $3 million in the bank. His caucus committee reported having $160K in the bank.
Leader Curran has three Republican-held districts to defend in the Chicago media market that have all trended Democratic in the last three cycles. Depending how bad things get, he could be defending a couple, two or three more.
The Senate Democrats have a ton of money to do whatever they want. Senate President Don Harmon has about $20 million in his personal campaign account and $1.7 million in his caucus account.
Over in the House, Republican Leader Tony McCombie has at least four Democratic-trending or swingy districts to defend and just $1.3 million in her personal campaign account and another $363K in her caucus account so far.
In contrast, House Speaker Chris Welch had $11.4 million in his personal account and $1.2 million in his caucus account. Like Senate President Harmon, he has more than enough money already, but more is never enough when there’s so much out there, so those numbers will likely rise by November.
Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.
BLOOMINGTON — Springfield’s Alex Eickhoff nearly had a magical Thursday as he tied for second place in the 95th annual Illinois State Amateur Championship at Crestwicke Country Club.
Eickhoff, a 2020 Hillsboro High School graduate and former standout on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s men’s golf team, shot a 4-under-par 68 in Thursday’s third round and followed that with an even-par 71 to finish the three-day, four-round event 1-over 285. He tied for second with Bloomington’s Logan Stauffer.
Eickhoff briefly took the lead through nine holes of his fourth round when he sat at 1-under par. Chicago’s Charlie Kulwin finished both of Thursday’s rounds under par and finished 2-under 282. He was the lone golfer to finish under par for the tournament.
Eickhoff was The State Journal-Register’s Small School Boys Golfer of the year twice in his high school career: once as a freshman in 2016-17 and again as a senior in 2019-20. After high school, he golfed for the University of Minnesota for two years before transferring to SIUE.
He began the tournament with a 3-over 74 on Tuesday and shaved off a stroke Wednesday with a 2-over 73. He closed out the event with an even-par 71 in Thursday’s final round.
Other area golfers who made the cut were Springfield’s Charles Hoogland (7-over 291, tied for 20th) and Jacksonville’s Brady Kaufmann (8-over 292, 25th).
The last golfer from The State Journal-Register’s coverage area to win the Illinois State Amateur was Jay Davis. Davis, a Jacksonville Routt graduate, won the 1991 and ‘92 tournaments.
Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, ryan.mahan@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.
Illinois
Illinois awards AD Josh Whitman a new contract worth more than $31 million over the next 10 years
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois has extended athletic director Josh Whitman’s contract through 2036, committing more than $31 million over the next 10 years on the heels of a series of standout seasons for the department and its teams.
The university’s board of trustees approved the new deal for Whitman at its regular meeting on Thursday. The fifth-longest tenured AD among the four power conferences will make $2.15 million during the 2026-27 school year, a salary increase of more than 40%.
Whitman is scheduled to receive $100,000 raises annually before a $200,000 bump to $3.15 million in the final year of the agreement and a $500,000 retention bonus each June 30 that he remains on the job at Illinois.
The contract also includes additional incentives of up to $500,000 annually related to performance goals set by the university chancellor and three automatic one-year extensions through 2039 if certain Illini football and men’s basketball performance measures are met.
Whitman, a former Illinois football player, was hired in 2016. This was the fifth time his contract has been amended. The men’s basketball team reached the NCAA Final Four in April for the first time in 21 years. The football team won 19 games over the last two seasons, a program record for that span. Illini athletics also set a revenue record for a fourth consecutive year and topped $200 million for the first time in 2025-26, according to the board of trustees meeting memo.
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