If you live in the state of Nevada, or plan on moving here for work or school in the near future, and need internet access, then this page is for you.
Below you’ll find details for the internet service providers that are in Nevada, the top 5 colleges in the state and what internet access they offer and a general idea as to how good (or bad) the mobile (3G) coverage is.
Find the Best Internet Service Provider in Your Area of Nevada
Local Residential Internet Service Providers
Below is a list of internet service providers that aren’t big companies such as the ones above. These are small service providers that focus primarily in Nevada (and maybe a few other states). These 3 companies focus on residential internet services in Nevada, and the two below focus on business internet.
- HughesNet: HughesNet offers their Basic Package of 1Mbps download speed costs $49.99. They have a Power 150 Package of 1.5Mbps at $79.99 and they have a Power 200 Package of 2Mbps speed at $109.99. Prices vary depending on the address. To know more, you can contact them at (877)248-1426.
- CMA Communications: CMA offers internet service only in Laughlin and Pahrump. For Laughlin, the Regular internet package at download speed 4 Mbps costs $48.90 per month and the Hi-Speed Extreme package at download speed 5 Mbps costs $81.95 per month. For Pahrump City, the Regular Package costs $42.40 while the Hi-Speed Extreme Package also costs $81.95. Contact them at (866)754-7871.
- Pyramid.net: Pyramid.net has DSL packages from 1.5 Mbps (ADSL Plus) to 1.5Mbps-3Mbps (ADSL Professional) to 3Mbps-6Mbps (ADSL Premier). Internet costs for these packages vary due to line speed and quality. In order to get a prie quote, you can call their staff at (775) 884-3202.
Local Business Internet Service Providers
Just like above, these are smaller companies that provider internet access. But the focus of these companies is providing businesses with internet connections.
- Great Basin Internet Services: Great Basin Internet’s Business package starts at a monthly rate of $59.95 for up to 1.5Mbps download speed. They also have a higher download speed of 3Mbps to 6Mbps for a monthly rate of $89.95. Call them at (888) 477-7299.
- Windstream: Windstream offers internet in Reno and their minimum download speed is 1.5Mbps and it is priced at $39.99/month. Their maximum download speed is 24Mbps and is priced at $99.99/month. To check out more information, you can contact them at (866) 445-5882
Nevada Internet Connections and Coverage
I thought I’d add some stats about the internet connections and how they compare to the entire nation, as well as the other cities. This might not be entirely helpful in choosing an internet provider, but it’s interesting to read nonetheless.
Compared to the rest of the country, Nevada’s internet is slightly faster. Nevada has an average speed of 14.85 Mbps and the nation is 12.55 Mbps.
Please keep in mind that these averages change regularly. To see the most current speeds for Nevada internet, as well as the fastest cities and ISPs, please visit the Nevada Net Index page.
The 5 cities with the fastest internet speed in Nevada are:
- Carson City – 20.41 Mbps
- Fallon – 17.87 Mbps
- Fernley – 17.42 Mbps
- Minden – 16.65 Mbps
- North Las Vegas – 16.64 Mbps
The 5 fastest internet service providers in Nevada are:
- Charter Communications – 20.03 Mbps
- Cox – 17.93 Mbps
- CC Communications – 9.84 Mbps
- Moapa Valley Telephone Company – 8.45 Mbps
- Qwest – 8.38 Mbps
Mobile 3G Internet Coverage for Nevada
Nevada’s internet mobile coverage is not as widespread compared to other states, so you can’t rely on getting good 3G signals everywhere. The geographical location is the main cause as the state is composed largely of deserts, valleys, basins, mountain ranges, and lakes. It’s around these areas that you’ll notice intermittent internet signals. Here is a general outlook of the coverage based on a few of the larger internet providers in Nevada.
- Clear: Clear’s coverage seems to be available only in Las Vegas.
- AT&T: AT&T’s strongest signals are in Carson City and Reno.
- Verizon: Verizon’s mobile internet has the widest coverage, but does not exist in the eastern to southeastern area of Nevada.
Top 5 Colleges in Nevada& Their Internet Access
If you’re planning on attending a Nevada college in the fall, the following information should help you figure out if internet access is available to students and how to get setup.
University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV)
UNLV offers wireless (Wi-Fi) service for free to UNLV students, faculty, staff and campus guests in select locations on campus. They can connect using the following networks: UNLV-Secure, UNLV, and UNLV-Guest.
Except for the UNLV-Guest network which is intended for use by campus guests, the UNLV-Secure and UNLV networks should should be used by currently enrolled UNLV students, faculty, and staff with a valid UNLV Rebelcard and wireless account.
College of Southern Nevada (CSN)
The CSN_Wireless network provides students, faculty, and staff full access to the Internet. All they need is their own CSN Active Directory account login, and they can connect automatically from a web browser.
University of Nevada-Reno (UNR)
The University offers an extensive wireless network in buildings and public spaces around the main campus which is available in 35 campus buildings and 4 outdoor areas.
There are two networks to connect to UNR-WPA & UNR-Guest.
The UNR-WPA network is recommended for use by faculty, staff and students. The network requires use of an activated UNR NetID account and password for authentication.
On the other hand, the UNR-Guest network provides unencrypted access to allow web browsing and Virtual Private Network (VPN) access for guest users. It is not recommended for day-to-day network activity.
Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC)
TMCC offers wireless internet to its students, staff, and employees. All they need is to have a wireless device that can connect to the network.
Nevada State College (NSC)
Computers are available in all of the NSC campus buildings for students to do research and assignments at their convenience. Internet access at these stations is always free to all NSC students. No information was stated about wireless internet being available.
Free Internet Access Spots in Nevada
Libraries, malls, hotels, and restaurants are common free Wi-Fi hotspots in Nevada.
Museums like Nevada Museum of Art in Reno and hospitals like Saint Mary’s Hospital (also in Reno) have free Wi-Fi access.