Nebraska Internet Guide

On this page you’ll find all the information you need to find internet service in the state of Nebraska.

Below, we’ve provider information on who the nationwide ISPs are, 3G coverage, available internet access for students at the top Nebraska colleges and where to go to get free wi-fi internet access.

Find the Best Internet Service Provider in Your Area of Nebraska

Local Residential Internet Service Providers

Here you’ll find 3 local companies that provide internet access to residential areas.

  • WesTel Systems: WesTel has different internet packages for your needs. They have the Breeze with download speed up to 128 Kbps at $24.95/month, Zip (1.5Mbps at $39.95), Whiz (3 Mbps at $49.95),  WOW (5 Mbps at $69.95), Crusin’  (10 Mbps at $99.95), and Bazinga (20 Mbps at $139.95). Call them at 800.352.0006.
  • Connecting Point: Connecting Point has partnered with Qwest to be a local ISP provider for DSL. The DSL packages are Qwest Choice DSL with download speed of 256k for $15/month, Qwest Choice DSL Deluxe with download speed of 1.5M for $28/month, and Qwest Choice DSL Premier with download speed pf 3-5M for $38/month. To contact them, call 402.371.4530.
  • Omni-Tech: Omni-Tech has a $34.95 internet package with 512 Mbps download speed, $44.95 with 1 Mbps download, and $49.95 with 1.5 Mbps download. For more details, call them at 402-753-9154.

Local Business Internet Service Providers

Here are 2 companies that are local to Nebraska that provide internet access to businesses.

  • CableOne: CableOne has a Business Economy High Speed Internet & Data package for up to 5 Mbps download speed. Other plans like Business Suite (SOHO), Office, and Business Enterprise High Speed Internet & Data have up to 50 Mbps download speeds. The difference are their upload speeds, number of email accounts, and the data usage per month. The prices are not stated on their website as you will have to call CableOne to get a quote. Their phone number is (208) 375-8288.
  • Frontier: Frontier High-Speed Internet supports high-volume outbound email and faster upload speeds, giving you the capacity and performance to communicate with your customers and bring them to your business. Frontier has available Speeds: Up to 1-6 Mbps download (9-12 Mbps in select markets); up to 1 Mbps upload. Call them to request a quotation at 877-243-8375.

Nebraska Internet Connections and Coverage

In this section we cover the internet connection speeds, faster providers and 3G coverage in Nebraska.

In regards to speed, Nebraska’s average speed is 12.14 Mbps, which is slightly lower than the national average of 12.55 Mbps.

The 5 cities with fastest internet speed in Nebraska are:

  • North Platte – 23.38 Mbps
  • Hastings – 22.88 Mbps
  • Kearney – 18.71 Mbps
  • Grand Island – 16.34 Mbps
  • Papillion – 15.85 Mbps

The 5 fastest internet service providers in Nebraska are:

  • Charter Communications – 20.94 Mbps
  • Cable One – 17.20 Mbps
  • Cox – 15.31 Mbps
  • Cox Communications Omaha, LLC – 14.75 Mbps
  • Road Runner – 13.97 Mbps

These stats can change at any time, so for the most current information you can check out the Nebraska internet page at NetIndex.com.

Mobile 3G Internet Coverage for Nebraska

What we’ve outlined below are the 3 largest mobile 3G internet providers and what their coverage looks like in Nebraska. Keep in mind that coverage can change at any time, so before making your purchase we recommend that you check out the provider’s website and coverage map to ensure that it’ll meet your needs.

Clear: Clear has good coverage in major areas of Nebraska such as Scottsbluff, Norfolk, Columbus, Grand Island, Lexington, Omaha, Lincoln, York, and O’Neill.

AT&T: AT&T’s 3G mobile coverage is prevalent only in the eastern region of the state, in the city of Omaha.

Verizon: Verizon has mobile coverage in most areas except for some spots in the north and northwest where the weather is not as consistent as other locations. The biggest culprit are the thunderstorms.

Top 5 Colleges in Nebraska& Their Internet Access

The information that we have here is for students that are (or will be) attending college in Nebraska. Below are the top 5 colleges in the state, the internet service they provide and how you can get it.

University of Nebraska at Omaha

All of the buildings on the UNO campus have wireless coverage, with the exception of student housing. The seating areas along the primary walkway through the center of the UNO North campus also have UNO-provided wireless access.

The UNO campus wireless network has an SSID network name of ‘UNOWireless’.

Creighton University

Creighton University offers two options for wireless networking; secure and non-secure.  The secure wireless option is called CUWireless which includes authentication and encryption. Only authorized (members of the Creighton community with an active Blue ID/password) can access this resource and all communications on the CUWireless network are fully encrypted to prevent others from sniffing or capturing and reading your wireless transmissions.

The second options is the non-secure option called CUWiFi, this option should be used by guests of the Creighton community or those performing simple transactions such as web browsing.  CUWiFi is open and available for easy and convenient use.

Guest Wireless

Guest access to Creighton’s wireless network can be facilitated through the CUWiFi wireless network.  This network is NOT secure but will allow for free and easy access to Creighton’s Wireless network.

University of Nebraska at Kearney

Wireless connectivity is available throughout the campus including every resident hall. To connect to the wireless or wired network, you will be asked to authenticate and sign in using your UNK Lotus Notes short name and password via internet browser.  ie. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari. For help connecting to the wireless or wired network, call the UNK Helpdesk at 308-865-8363 or visit the Helpdesk in Otto Olsen 115.

Wireless connectivity is available throughout the campus including every resident hall.  All residence hall rooms are also equipped with two high-speed network data jacks.  Computers need an Ethernet cable (RJ45 cat5e).

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Information Services has created a City Campus map and an East Campus map illustrating where a wireless computer connection is generally available. The wireless netword SSID is called “UNL-AIR” and one needs to accetp the license terms to connect.

Wayne State College

To connect to the wireless network, use the “wsc‐secure” SSID and consult the campus wireless coverage map to locate the available locations.  Since signal strength can very depending on how far away from the access point the wireless device is located, best results can be achieved by staying within these areas.

Free Internet Access Spots in Nebraska

Cafes and restaurants are common areas where you can get free internet access in Nebraska. You can also get free Wi-Fi access in these places:

  • Maytag Laundry & Car Wash in Beatrice
  • MNH laundries in Lincoln
  • Prime Stop North in Norfolk
  • Northgate Cenex/Ampride in Scottsbluff

Please keep in mind that this is not a complete list, but instead ideas of where to start finding free wi-fi spots in Nebraska.