HomeUncategorizedBest Internet Providers in Bend, Oregon – CNET

Best Internet Providers in Bend, Oregon – CNET

October 18, 2023

Best Internet Providers in Bend, Oregon - CNET

What is the best internet provider in Bend?

TDS (formerly Bend Broadband) is the best internet provider in Bend, offering cable internet plans up to 1,000Mbps. You’ll have to deal with slow upload speeds and steep price increases, but it’s still the area’s fastest and most reliable ISP. If you don’t need much speed, T-Mobile Home Internet is our pick for the cheapest internet in the area at $50 a month. Starlink and CenturyLink are also worth considering as backup options, but both come with significant drawbacks.

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Our methodology

CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Bend 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 tiers of service, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your options is to plug your address into a provider’s website. 

Also, 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 Bend. 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 Bend, Oregon for 2023

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TDS (Bend Broadband)

Best internet provider in Bend, OR

Read full review

TDS, formerly known in the area as Bend Broadband, is a cable internet provider that’s widely available in Bend. While it comes with drawbacks like slow upload speeds and steep price increases, it’s essentially the only game in town for wired internet service, which is considered the fastest and most reliable internet technology. 

. . . Or call to order: Call to Learn More

Check with TDS

Product details

Price range $45 – $80 per month Speed range 300 – 1,000Mbps Connection Cable Key Info No data caps or contracts, optional equipment fee, steep price increases

Availability According to FCC data, TDS is available to 99.9% of Bend residents, but some will only have access to slower fixed wireless internet — sold under the US Cellular umbrella. 

Plans and pricing TDS offers three cable internet plans in Bend: 300/10Mbps for $45 a month (increases to $71 after one year), 600/20Mbps for $60 ($86 after one year) and 1,000/20Mbps for $80 ($101 after two years). 

Fees and service details No data caps or contracts are required, but TDS charges $12 a month for its equipment. You can skip the monthly fee and use your own, but you’ll have to call or chat online with a representative if you want to go that route. There is also a $3 monthly “cost recovery fee” that I’ve never seen before.

Show more details

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T-Mobile Home Internet

Cheapest internet in Bend, OR

Read full review

T-Mobile’s fixed wireless internet service is rarely our top pick for internet in a city, but with Bend’s limited options, it’s easily the best option. Speeds only go up to 245Mbps, but that’s still one of the fastest plans available in Bend. T-Mobile has the highest approval rating of any non-fiber provider in the country, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index. 

. . . Or call to order: Call to Learn More (877) 687-6988

Check with T-Mobile

Product details

Price range $50 per month Speed range 72 – 245Mbps Connection Fixed wireless Key Info Unlimited data, equipment included, no contracts, no additional fees

Pros and Cons

Pros

• No contracts
• No data caps
• Simple, affordable pricing
• Aggressively competitive with its terms and perks

Cons

• Speeds may vary
• Max download speeds don’t match fiber and cable
• Home internet customers deprioritized over mobile

Availability 51% of Bend households have access to T-Mobile Home Internet.

Plans and pricing T-Mobile only offers one home internet plan. For $50 a month, you’ll get download speeds up to 245Mbps and upload speeds up to 31Mbps. The price is locked in for as long as you stay a customer, and you can save an extra $20 monthly by bundling with an eligible T-Mobile cellphone plan. 

Fees and service details There are no equipment fees, data caps or contracts with T-Mobile Home Internet, and you can try the service out on a 15-day “worry-free” trial.

Show more details

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Starlink

Best satellite internet in Bend, OR

Read full review

Satellite internet is available almost everywhere, but it’s usually only a good option in rural areas with few other choices. Starlink’s satellite service is actually one of the faster plans in Bend. It’s expensive — especially when you factor in the upfront cost of buying the satellite — but it’s the best choice for high-speed internet in Bend.

. . . Or call to order: Call to Learn More (888) 479-9467

Check with Starlink

Product details

Price range $20 – $80 per month Speed range 20 – 250Mbp Connection Satellite Key Info 1TB data limit, no term contract, low latency

Availability Starlink is available to 100% of Bend households. 

Plans and pricing Starlink costs $120 a month, with average download speeds between 25 and 220Mbps and upload speeds between 5 and 20Mbps.

Fees and service details You’ll have to buy a Starlink satellite dish for $599 upfront (plus $50 for shipping), but there are no additional monthly fees or hard data caps.

Show more details

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CenturyLink

Best DSL internet in Bend, OR

Read full review

I would usually only recommend DSL internet as a last resort, but internet options are so limited in Bend that CenturyLink is one of your better choices. The speeds available vary from house to house — I checked five addresses in Bend and got five different speeds at each one — and some are relatively fast. 

. . . Or call to order: Call to Learn More (877) 731-3490

Check with CenturyLink

Product details

Price range $30 – $70 per month Speed range 200 – 940Mbps Connection Fiber Key Info Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included with gigabit tier

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Some of the most affordable fiber plans you can find with CenturyLink and its Quantum Fiber internet
• Unlimited data and no contracts required, so no worries about cancellation fees or overage charges

Cons

• DSL speeds can vary wildly based on address and sometimes fall below what the FCC deems as “broadband”
• Overall plan selection is limited based on your address

CenturyLink also offers some fiber internet service in Bend — branded as Quantum Fiber — and it’s the best option if you can get it. Unfortunately, it’s not widely available in the city. 

Availability CenturyLink is available to 86% of Bend residents.

Plans and pricing All CenturyLink DSL plans in Bend cost $55 a month. I saw speeds as low as 10Mbps and as high as 140Mbps when checking addresses around the city on CenturyLink’s website. 

Fees and service details CenturyLink has unlimited data and does not require you to commit to a contract to get the lowest price. Wi-Fi equipment costs an additional $15 a month, but you also have the option to buy your own.

Show more details

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Bend

• Fixed wireless: A few regional fixed wireless networks in Bend are worth considering. Blue Mountain Networks, PrineTime and Webformix all operate in the area, but none of them are great options, and you’ll have to fill out a form to see what plans are available at your address. US Cellular is a national fixed wireless provider available almost everywhere in Bend, but the company doesn’t say what speeds you can expect.
• Satellite internet: Besides Starlink, HughesNet and Viasat offer satellite internet service in Bend. You won’t have to pay the $599 upfront to purchase the satellite dish, but both require a two-year contract, charge a monthly equipment fee and offer lower speeds than Starlink. 

Cheap internet options in Bend

There are a few cheap internet options in Bend, but several come with low speeds or data caps that they’re not good for much besides checking your email or browsing web pages. T-Mobile Home Internet is your best bet for cheap internet in Bend at $50 monthly.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Bend

The best internet deals and the top promotions in Bend depend on what discounts are available during that time period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Bend internet providers such as T-Mobile Home Internet may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including CenturyLink, Starlink and US Cellular, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals. 

How fast is Bend broadband?

Overall, the internet in Bend is extremely slow. According to the FCC, only 8% of residents have access to 250/25Mbps speeds, compared to 84% of Oregon and 88% of the US. TDS is the fastest option, but like all cable internet plans, its upload speeds are much slower than download.

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 like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming all at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Bend

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. So what’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov. 

This guide leverages an in-house artificial intelligence tool called RAMP, which is trained on our own writing and uses our database to generate content about specific internet service providers that our writers can use in determining and presenting our picks for a given guide. Check CNET’s AI policy for more information about how our teams use (and don’t use) AI tools. 

Because our database is not exhaustive, we go to the FCC’s website to check the primary data for ourselves and make sure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in an area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we input local addresses on provider websites to find the specific options available to 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 our pre-publication fact-check.

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 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, you can visit our How we test ISPs page.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Bend?

There’s a lot to love about living in Bend, but good internet isn’t one of them. TDS (formerly Bend Broadband) is the best option by default — it’s the only wired internet service widely available in the city. While its speeds are plenty fast for most homes, TDS increases prices significantly after the promotional period ends, and a couple of annoying fees add to the monthly bill. T-Mobile Home Internet and Starlink are good backup options, but both are more prone to outages.

Internet providers in Bend FAQs

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