Rise Broadband Internet Review

A Little About Rise Broadband

Rise Broadband is a “fixed wireless” internet provider.  “Fixed wireless” is one of the latest and greatest methods of getting high speed internet to your home without cable lines running to your address or having a satellite dish pointing to outer space on your rooftop.  Instead “fixed wireless” uses access towers, almost like cell phone towers but not quite, that beam the internet off into surrounding areas and is received by an antenna that’s installed on your roof pointed directly at that tower.  This is often referred to as “line of sight” internet because it needs a straight shot from the antenna on your home to the tower without any obstruction, like trees, or hills, or buildings, etc.

Rise Broadband is a great alternative to those fed up with internet providers who seem to have a “monopoly” in the area or for rural homes that only seem to have satellite internet as an option for high speed internet.  It’s more affordable than satellite and offers unlimited data plans with no contract while satellite providers seem to always be accompanied by data restrictions along with a 2-year contract.

Rise Broadband also offers home phone (VoIP “Voice over IP”) with unlimited local and long distance calling but does not offer any type of cable TV service.  On the bright side, the internet speeds offered in most areas will be able support any video streaming services so cable TV may not be a necessity.

Rise Broadband Internet Plans

Rise Broadband’s plans and internet speeds are based on how far you are located from one of their access towers.  The closer you are to an access tower will mean higher internet speeds can be made available to you and of course the further you are from a tower, the lower the speeds.  A helpful website like, KonectEaze, can assist you on finding out which speeds you can get and assist you on setting up an installation appointment.

Please take note that Rise Broadband requires you to use their modem/router which adds $10 to the monthly bill.  The equipment they use is specific to Rise’s service and no other modem/router is compatible.  This means if you were ever to leave them, you better return their equipment back or else face a hefty charge for unreturned equipment.

So let’s take a look at the unlimited data plans they offer…

Depending on what speed is available at your specific address determines what plan you fall in.  Pretty clear and simple right?

Some other key notes are that there is no credit check or contract required and you are guaranteed the same rate for 24 months.  Also, Installation is $75 and can be split up over your first 3 bills.  No payment is made to Rise Broadband until an actual installation has been successfully completed because there still runs a risk that even if the computer says you are serviceable, a Rise technician may discover your home to be unserviceable when physically present at your house.  If all goes well and installation is a success, the technician will assist you right then and there on making your first bill’s payment either over the phone or online with a credit or debit card.

Is Rise Broadband Available in my Area?

Rise Broadband is currently the largest fixed wireless internet provider in the United States.  They currently serve many rural and urban markets in both the Midwest and Western states, 19 states in total.  Although they are continuously expanding their service, they still are quite limited in the US.  An easy way to see if your home is serviced by Rise is to use a reliable site like KonectEaze.  One of their professional agents can determine serviceability for your home and go over the speeds and plans available to you.

The Verdict

Rise Broadband offers a great alternative to areas where it seems only one cable company seems to have the “monopoly” in.  They also can provide higher speeds than most DSL options and offer unlimited data without “throttling” which gives them a huge upper hand to satellite internet options in rural areas. 

Their WiFi internet speeds and unlimited data packages make them great for modern American households that enjoy streaming Netflix on their TVs, playing online video games, keeping up with the gossip on Facebook, working from home, as well as all your everyday web browsing needs on all your wireless devices.

The biggest drawbacks to Rise are limited serviceability in the US. and lack of cable TV service. 

Again, even if Rise services the area, you still run the risk of not being able to get the service due to a tree located 2 football fields away from your home, as fixed wireless needs a straight shot from an access tower to your home without anything obstructing the signal’s path. 

As far as cable TV, most Rise customers have to point to companies like DirecTV or Dish Network for cable, or they follow the popular trend of cordcutting and rely on Rise’s internet to stream video.

Despite the limited serviceability and lack of cable TV, Rise Broadband offers impressive fixed wireless speeds at an affordable rate and is a solid internet option for any customer who is fortunate enough to have the service available to them.