Nextlink strives to provide reliable internet service for rural communities, but the weather can affect fixed wireless connections.
10 min readRural areas are often overlooked by internet service providers (ISPs), but Nextlink Internet specializes in making streaming, working from home, and even gaming possible for those who live far away from city limits.
“They cater to the rural area people,” says Rico Forlano, a Nextlink custome in the small Texas town of Eldorado. “It’s everything we need. If I have a problem, they’re right there.”
A customer service agent told us that 90% of Nextlink’s customer base is on fixed wireless plans. But the provider has a growing fiber internet network in South Central and Midwestern states—that’s right, it’s bringing symmetrical, gigabit speeds out to the country.
If Nextlink is popping up in your neck of the woods and you’re wondering if it’s worth your time and money, keep reading.
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Get to know Nextlink Internet: Plans and pricing
Nextlink Internet fixed wireless plans and pricing
*Not available in all areas or to current Nextlink customers. Price shown does not include any applicable taxes, fees, or surcharges. Actual Internet speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Price subject to change at any time. Other restrictions may apply.
Nextlink Internet fiber plans and pricing
*Not available in all areas or to current Nextlink customers. Price shown does not include any applicable taxes, fees, or surcharges. Actual Internet speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Price subject to change at any time. Other restrictions may apply.
Nextlink offers fixed wireless and fiber internet services in rural areas of Southern and Midwestern states. Depending on your location, download speeds range from 25Mbps to 500Mbps for fixed wireless plans and 500Mbps to 2Gbps symmetrical speeds for fiber plans. Plans cost between $45 and $95 per month, but many areas offer discounted introductory prices for six months or one year. Nextlink also offers a Tower Host program for those who don’t live in coverage areas to “host” a wireless tower on their property that serves the rest of the community. In exchange for the rent, the Tower Host gets totally free internet.
After the initial promo period ends, discounted plans increase by $10 to $25 per month. Some plans may add another $5 or $10 increase in your third year with Nextlink.
In terms of extra fees, you can pay for a monthly router rental (though it’s free for fiber customers and some fixed wireless customers), a $150 professional installation fee and a $15 account setup fee. You can also sign up for a Personal Mini Tower, where Nextlink will install a tower on your property for $1,999 if you need extra height for your antenna. Thankfully, all plans come with unlimited data, regardless of connection type.
Which Nextlink plan is right for you?
Nextlink’s 100Mbps fixed wireless plan is right for most small households, as it offers a decent speed for a reasonable price. If you live far from a tower, Nextlink may offer you a maximum of only 25Mbps download speed. This is still enough speed to stay online and support your day-to-day activities, but it might not work well for a heavy internet user or content creator.
Ideally, you could get on a fiber plan, but those currently have very limited availability. Fiber internet gets symmetrical speeds, so you can upload YouTube videos, livestream Fortnite, or even let each household member stream on their own devices so there’s no need to argue about what to watch.
Nextlink Internet fees for modem and installation
Nextlink Router (optional)
Up to $8.00/mo.
Installation
$150.00
Account setup fee
$15.00
Whole-home Wi-Fi (optional)
$4.00-$8.00/mo. per device
Service protection plan (optional)
$4.99/mo.
Early termination fee
$400.00 or pay out the rest of your monthly bills left on your contract, whichever is cheaper
Service Call
$70.00
Moving service fee
$70.00
Convenience fee (only for over-the-phone bill payments)
$5.00 each time
Personal Mini Tower (optional)
$1,999.00
Data as of 08/29/2024
What makes this review legit?
Our fact-based research process centers on interviews with internet customers across the country, helping us understand how internet services hold up against diverse needs and challenges.
To put together this review, we interviewed three Nextlink customers who shared their experiences using Nextlink Internet for their rural homes. We read through dozens of social media threads on Reddit and local Facebook groups, and asked customer service agents to explain the fine print and the purpose of their extra fees. We also got in touch with a Nextlink spokesperson who told Reviews.org about Nextlink’s fiber expansion plans in the future.
The rundown: Nextlink Internet by our criteria
For all our internet reviews, we give a rating based on three main criteria—speed and reliability, dollar value, and customer experience—which we then average to make an overall score.
Want to know how Nextlink Internet stacks up? See our full take below.
Overall score: 3/5
Speed and reliability
3.0/5.0
While fiber customers can get up to 2Gbps symmetrical speeds in some areas, most of Nextlink’s customers are on fixed wireless plans between 25Mbps to 500Mbps download speed. This isn’t lightning fast, but even 25Mbps is enough for streaming Netflix, taking conference calls, and playing some multiplayer games.
We usually recommend at least 100Mbps download speed for an average household, but a Nextlink customer who is on a 50Mbps download speed told us that he and his wife can work from home while their three kids are also using the internet. “They stream, they play games, they can play Xbox Live games and Amazon Luna games streaming from the cloud,” says Chris Right, who has even written about his previous experience using Nextlink’s 25Mbps plan on his website, ExpertTexan.com. While the upload speed fluctuates more than the download speed, Right can take video conference meetings daily with no issues.
On the other hand, Nextlink’s fiber internet service gets fast, symmetrical speeds. Symmetrical speeds make for a great experience because both download and upload speeds are the same. This means that you can download files and stream shows to your heart’s content, as well as upload TikTok videos or Reels quickly. In fact, the speeds you get with Nextlink’s fiber service are comparable with Google Fiber or Metronet, which top our Fastest Internet Providers list.
Nextlink does offer symmetrical speeds in some areas through a fixed wireless connection, but it’s unclear how this compares to fiber’s symmetrical speeds.
Dollar value
2.5/5.0
Nextlink’s prices skew higher than other well-known fixed wireless or 5G providers, but it’s worth it if satellite is your only alternative, especially because you get lower latency. As with most ISPs, if you want to keep your rates low, choose a lower speed. You might be surprised how much you can do with just 25Mbps to 50Mbps download speed.
However, you get the most bang for your buck if you get on a fiber plan. For a similar price, Nextlink’s fiber plan can get you 20 times more speed than the 25Mbps fixed wireless plan. Fiber customers also get their router rental included, whereas fixed wireless customers may need to pay $8 per month for the router if they choose to rent it.
Besides the monthly plan fee, you do need to watch out for extra fees. There is a one-time account setup fee (in addition to your installation fee), monthly router rental fee, cancellation fee, moving fee, and either a service fee for any technician visits or a monthly protection plan fee.
Customer experience
3.5/5.0
Nextlink customers generally have good experiences with the provider and praise customer service for its timely responses. “If they don’t answer, they have a voicemail. I called and left a voicemail, and they called me back the same day,” says Right, who usually contacts Nextlink’s customer service when there is an outage. He also finds the Nextlink website handy, which he checks whenever the internet goes down. “You’re not left wondering if that’s the issue. If there's been a crazy storm, they’ll update their website quickly.”
Rural folks who don’t live in coverage areas might still be able to get fixed wireless internet through Nextlink. Through its Tower Host Program, Nextlink installs a tower on the Tower Host’s property, and then surrounding neighbors can sign up for Nextlink internet. It’s not only free for the property owner, but is also a reliable internet service. “There was a definite deficit in this area for internet services, so it’s worked out really good for us,” says Jewell Marymee, a Nextlink Tower Host in Windfield, Kansas.
“Every single person that has come to the house to check on the tower or do whatever they need to do has been the most polite and respectful,” says Marymee. Despite having to work around a lot of rocks throughout the farm, Nextlink contractors had no problem swiftly digging through the ground and installing the tower. When Marymee expressed concern that the cows might trip over the trenches dug by the contractors, Nextlink quickly called out additional contractors to cover up their tracks.
How long it took to get a real human on the phone: After going through the phone menu, I could connect to a real human immediately.
How the chat service is: It could use some improvement. After answering a single question, the live agent disconnects immediately. We wouldn’t recommend using the chat to solve any urgent issues, but the fact that a smaller provider even has a chat is still good, even if you need to open up a new chat to get more information.
Overall quality
3.0/5.0
Overall, Nextlink offers good quality service, especially for a primarily fixed wireless internet provider. By nature of its connection type, fixed wireless internet can’t promise a standardized experience for all customers, so it’s not perfect or fast all the time. However, it does seem like Nextlink has zeroed in on what rural residents need to stay online instead of providing a one-size-fits-all solution for all customers. And it’s impressive that Nextlink offers the Tower Host program for underserved areas.
Nextlink Internet: What deals and promotions can you get?
Nextlink customers can refer friends and get a $50 bill credit for each friend that signs up to an internet plan. Nextlink fiber customers can also get a 50% discount on installation service by signing up online, which slashes the installation cost down from $150 to $75.
Sign up online for Nextlink’s fiber plan and get 50% off your installation.
Nextlink Internet add-ons and perks
Get unlimited home phone service
Sign up for a residential VoIP line for $15.00–$20.00/mo.
Get your router included in your fiber internet plan
Sign up for fiber internet
Refer a friend and get $50 bill credit
For every friend you refer who signs up for Nextlink, you get an automatic credit to your account. You can refer as many people as you’d like.
Refer a friend and get $100 if you’re a Nextlink Tower Host
For every friend you refer that signs up for Nextlink, you get a $100 check or direct deposit. You can refer as many people as you’d like.
What do customers think of Nextlink?
Customers tell Reviews.org that they’re satisfied with their Nextlink service. “It’s good. I still don’t have any major complaints about it,” says Chris Right, who has used Nextlink internet for the past four years. Right lives with his wife and three kids in their home 25 minutes outside of Waco, Texas, and has found that he and his family can have multiple users on the internet gaming and taking conference calls at the same time.
Even though he is only on a 50Mbps plan, Right has enough speed to do any internet task to work from home as the head of marketing of a software company. “I am in meetings almost every day … I host webinars, and I record and upload podcasts. It’s definitely been reliable,” Right explains. The last time Right uploaded a 48-minute-long product video in 1080p, it took about 40 minutes—an impressive feat especially when he only gets an upload speed of around 10Mbps.
Right says router rental has also been worth every penny: “I’ve been kinda shocked that my router provided by Nextlink hasn’t had any issues at all.” When he lived in the city, the equipment he rented from Verizon Fios, Optimum, or AT&T all eventually had some kind of failure or issue. “I should probably knock on wood … my router from Nextlink has not died once in four years.”
“I host webinars, and I record and upload podcasts. It’s definitely been reliable.” –Chris Right, a Nextlink customer in rural Texas
Storms affect internet quality, but that’s to be expected
Since fixed wireless services send radio waves between your home antenna and a network tower, factors outside of an ISP’s control might get in the way. A freak storm, a strong gust of wind, or even a pesky tree that gets in the way of the antenna can affect your service.
This isn’t an issue for Jewell Marymee, who lives on her farm with her husband in Windfield, Kansas. “If we’re having a really bad storm, sometimes we’ll have a little bit of an issue with it going out on us,” she explains.
Even when it’s stormy outside, Marymee’s husband can watch live football on TV, and their granddaughter can stream The Bureau of Magical Things on Netflix. “Once in a great while we’ll have some lag, but it’s very short-lived. It’s not like we’re sitting there buffering for three hours or anything like that.”
“Once in a great while we’ll have some lag, but it’s very short-lived.” —Jewell Marymee, a Nextlink customer in rural Kansas
Need to contact Nextlink Internet customer service or tech support?
- Call a customer service rep of tech support on +1-855-698-5465.
- Open a support ticket or chat with a rep on Nextlink’s website.
- Check your service on the NextLink Connect App available on the App Store or Google Play.
Where is Nextlink Internet available?
Nextlink Internet is in the following South Central and Midwest states:
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Nebraska
- Oklahoma
- Texas
Currently, Nextlink’s fiber internet is available in some cities in Texas and Nebraska. Nextlink is continuing to expand its fiber network, with recent investment secured to serve an additional 50,000 homes and businesses. “We will spend a lot of time and resources over the coming years building gigabit fixed wireless and fiber across our RDOF [Rural Digital Opportunity Fund] areas, as well as finishing our CAF [Connect America Fund] program construction which is nearing completion,” says Claude Aiken, Chief Strategy Officer of Nextlink, who spoke to Reviews.org.
If you want to check if Nextlink fiber or fixed wireless is available for you, type in your zip code below and see if it’s in your area.
Nextlink Internet vs. the competition
If you’re considering Nextlink for fixed wireless internet, you’ve likely considered Starlink or other satellite internet providers. Satellite providers might be able to get 100Mbps or higher speeds, but they have higher latency than fixed wireless networks. That makes gaming a little harder, especially if you’re on a plan with Viasat or Hughesnet.
Fixed wireless does give you a little more reliability than satellite, for less money. Ideally you could get on a plan with Nextlink or a 5G fixed wireless provider like T-Mobile or Verizon. Most 5G fixed wireless plans are cheaper and don’t have endless extra fees to stay on top of. They might vary in speed during times of congestion, but they can also get higher speeds than Nextlink’s fixed wireless plans can offer.
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Nextlink FAQ
Nextlink offers both fixed wireless and fiber-to-the-home internet connections, depending on the area. Fixed wireless internet connects homes to the internet through radio waves, whereas a fiber-to-the-home internet connection uses an underground fiber-optic cable network that transfers data using modulated light—a far superior connection type.
No, Nextlink is not a satellite internet provider. Nextlink customers either get a fixed wireless internet connection or a fiber connection. Fixed wireless customers do use an antenna dish that is attached to their home, which may be mistaken for a satellite.
AMG Technology Investment Group is the parent company of Nextlink Internet. AMG carries out its business under the name of Nextlink Internet, so you can think of them as the same company.
Want Nextlink Internet? Find it in your area
Nextlink provides good fixed wireless and fiber services for those in rural areas who don’t have a ton of viable options. If that’s you, enter your zip code below to check if it’s available in your area.
Type in your zip code and see if Nextlink is available.
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