Midco Internet: Plans, Pricing & Reviews

Midco (formerly Midcontinent Communications) has served the Upper Midwest since 1931, evolving from a small-town cable TV operator into one of the region's most respected broadband providers. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Midco distinguishes itself through sustained investment in fiber infrastructure, consistently high customer satisfaction ratings, and a commitment to bringing high-speed internet to communities that larger national providers often underserve.

In this comprehensive review, we examine Midco's internet plans, pricing, real-world performance, coverage footprint, and how the company stacks up against both national competitors and other regional providers in its five-state service territory.

Midco Internet Overview

Midco operates as a privately held company, which gives it the freedom to make long-term infrastructure investments without the quarterly earnings pressure that drives publicly traded ISPs. This approach has paid dividends for customers: Midco has been methodically replacing its legacy coaxial cable network with fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure across its service territory, with a goal of making fiber available to the vast majority of its customers.

The company serves more than 400 communities across five states, providing internet, cable TV, and phone services to both residential and business customers. Midco has consistently earned recognition for customer satisfaction, ranking among the top ISPs nationally in J.D. Power surveys and earning praise for its local customer support teams who live and work in the communities they serve.

Midco Internet Plans & Pricing

Midco's plan structure is refreshingly simple, with tiers that scale cleanly from basic broadband to multi-gigabit fiber. Exact availability depends on whether your address has fiber or cable infrastructure:

Fiber Plans (FTTH Areas)

Cable Plans (HFC Areas)

Several things make Midco's pricing structure stand out. First, there are no data caps on any plan, which is increasingly rare in the cable industry. Second, Midco doesn't use aggressive promotional pricing that spikes dramatically after an introductory period. The prices listed are the actual ongoing rates, not teaser prices that double in year two. Third, fiber plans offer fully symmetrical speeds, meaning your upload and download speeds are identical, a massive advantage for remote workers, content creators, and anyone who relies on upload performance.

Coverage & Availability

Midco's service footprint spans five Upper Midwest states, with a concentration in medium-sized cities and suburban communities:

• South Dakota: Sioux Falls (headquarters), Aberdeen, Brookings, Huron, Mitchell, Pierre, Watertown, Yankton, and many smaller communities
• North Dakota: Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot, Dickinson, Williston, Jamestown, and surrounding areas
• Minnesota: Portions of southern and western Minnesota, including communities near the South Dakota and North Dakota borders
• Kansas: Select communities in northern Kansas
• Wisconsin: Select communities in western Wisconsin

Midco's fiber build-out is progressing rapidly. The company has prioritized converting existing cable infrastructure to fiber in its largest markets, including Sioux Falls, Fargo, and Bismarck. Many neighborhoods that were cable-only two years ago now have fiber-to-the-home available. Use our availability checker or contact Midco directly to determine whether fiber or cable service is available at your address.

Network Technology & Performance

Midco operates two types of network infrastructure, and the experience differs meaningfully between them:

Fiber Network (FTTH)

Midco's fiber network delivers outstanding performance across all metrics. Symmetrical speeds mean your upload bandwidth matches your download speed, a critical advantage for video conferencing, cloud backups, and content creation. Real-world speed tests on fiber connections consistently show 90-98% of advertised rates, with latency typically between 2-8 ms. Fiber connections are not affected by neighborhood congestion or peak usage hours.

Cable Network (HFC)

Midco's cable network uses DOCSIS 3.1 technology and delivers reliable performance for most residential uses. Download speeds generally test at 85-95% of plan speeds, while upload speeds are asymmetrical (much slower than downloads). Some congestion may occur during peak evening hours in densely subscribed areas, though Midco actively manages its network to minimize this issue. Latency on cable connections typically ranges from 12-25 ms.

Midco provides Wi-Fi gateway equipment with most plans, and the company offers whole-home mesh Wi-Fi add-ons for larger residences. The included equipment supports Wi-Fi 6, ensuring your wireless performance can take advantage of the speeds delivered by Midco's network.

Customer Reviews & Satisfaction

Midco is one of the highest-rated internet providers in the country for customer satisfaction. The company regularly appears near the top of J.D. Power's regional ISP rankings and earns consistently positive feedback on consumer review platforms. Here's what customers say:

Praise from customers:

• Exceptionally reliable service with infrequent outages
• Transparent pricing without hidden fees or surprise rate increases
• Friendly, knowledgeable customer support staff based in local offices
• Fast fiber speeds that consistently match advertised rates
• No data caps, which removes a common frustration with other providers
• Active investment in fiber expansion shows commitment to the community

Areas for improvement:

• Limited geographic availability (five states only)
• Cable upload speeds are significantly slower than fiber plans
• Some areas still waiting for fiber upgrades
• TV package channel selection may be smaller than what national providers offer
• 2 Gbps plan pricing is higher than the gigabit tier

Pros & Cons

Midco vs. the Competition

In most of Midco's service areas, the primary competition comes from national providers like CenturyLink (now Lumen/Brightspeed in some markets) and local telephone cooperatives. Here's how Midco compares:

Midco vs. CenturyLink/Brightspeed: In areas where CenturyLink offers only DSL, Midco is the dramatically superior option with 10-50x faster speeds. Where CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber offers fiber, the comparison is more competitive, though Midco's customer service ratings consistently lead.

Midco vs. Satellite (Starlink, HughesNet): For rural addresses within Midco's footprint, cable or fiber from Midco vastly outperforms satellite internet in speed, latency, and monthly cost.

For state-specific comparisons, see our South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota internet provider guides.

Bundling & Additional Services

Midco offers traditional bundles combining internet with cable TV and home phone service. Bundling can reduce the total cost compared to purchasing each service separately. Midco's TV service includes options ranging from basic local channels to extensive packages with hundreds of channels and cloud DVR.

The company also offers business internet services, with dedicated support and service level agreements for commercial customers. Small businesses in Midco's territory often find the business-class plans more cost-effective than comparable offerings from larger national providers.

Installation Process

Midco offers professional installation for both cable and fiber connections:

Fiber installation: A technician routes fiber optic cable from the nearest distribution point to your home, installs an Optical Network Terminal (ONT), and sets up your Wi-Fi gateway. Fiber installations typically take 2-3 hours and may involve minor exterior work to attach the fiber cable to your home.

Cable installation: The technician connects coaxial cable from the street tap to your home, installs the cable modem and Wi-Fi gateway, and verifies speed performance. Cable installations are usually completed in 1-2 hours.

Self-installation may be available for cable service at addresses with existing active coaxial connections. Midco provides clear instructions and responsive phone support to assist with self-installs.