In Howard County there are 3 residential DSL providers covering 82.70% of the county. The average home can get speeds up to 93 Mbps. Note that we may have a financial relationship with some of the providers below. This does not influence rankings, and helps us provide high-quality detailed information for free.
This page contains all DSL internet providers in Howard County, IA.
To see availability maps for all providers including fiber, cable, DSL, and more in Howard County, IA please click below.
Howard County, IA Availability Maps
DSL Internet Service Providers in Howard County
Data updated 11/14/2025, based on FCC data from 12/31/2024. This is the most current data available as of .
To avoid wasting your time, providers with less than 1% coverage in Howard County are not shown.
Howard County Satellite TV & Internet Providers
DISH Satellite TV
DIRECTV Satellite TV
Not sure whether to choose Dish or DIRECTV? For most people most of the time we recommend DISH. But click here to learn more.
Viasat Satellite Internet
Where in Howard County is DSL internet available?
DSL Internet Availability Key
DSL is available in 82.70% of Howard County. Areas in green have DSL internet service, where areas in yellow or red may not. The most widely available provider is Windstream. Call one of the companies with service in Howard County above to see who has service at your home.
How fast is DSL internet in Howard County?
The map below shows maximum DSL internet speeds by area in Howard County.
DSL Internet Speed Key
The average Howard County home can get up to 93 Mbps on their DSL internet plan. The fastest DSL download speed in the county is 200 Mbps, which 21.57% of residents can get. Some homes and apartments do not have access to these speeds. On the slower end, for example, 23.85% of homes can only purchase plans up to 10 Mbps. See the internet provider details below for info about their speed and coverage in Howard County.
DSL internet speeds tend to be faster in the southeast parts of Howard County, and slower in the northwest areas of the county.
Is DSL the fastest internet I can get in Howard County?
The fastest internet for you may vary based on where in Howard County you live. In general, fiber competes most often with DSL in the county.
- Fiber is the fastest internet type for 65.56% of Howard County homes.
- Cable is fastest for 17.05% of the county.
- DSL is fastest for 1.09%.
- Fixed wireless is fastest for 15.92%.
- Satellite internet may be the only option for less than 1% of Howard County homes.
DSL Providers in Depth
Below you'll find which TV and internet providers offer service in Howard County, along with details on where in Howard County and at what speeds.
Windstream DSL in Howard County, IA
Windstream DSL coverage
About 79.50%, or 7,528 people, have Windstream DSL internet available to them in the county. The company covers the east, northeast, north, southwest, southeast, south, and central Howard County area. Windstream is one of the largest internet service providers internet service providers in the US, with internet service available in much of Howard County.
Windstream DSL download speeds
Windstream is below average when comparing download speeds to all other internet providers in Howard County. Versus other DSL providers in the area, Windstream DSL is the fastest. There are 5 different maximum speeds throughout Howard County. The fastest plan anyone in Howard County can order from Windstream goes up to 200 Mbps, the slowest package only goes up to 10 Mbps, and the county-wide average maximum speed for Howard County customers is up to 95 Mbps.
Show all download speeds
- 27.1% up to 200.0 Mbps
- 31.7% up to 100.0 Mbps
- 12.1% up to 50.0 Mbps
- 1.1% up to 25.0 Mbps
- 28.0% up to 10.0 Mbps
Windstream DSL upload speeds
In Howard County download speeds tend to be faster than than upload speeds for Windstream DSL. Compared to other ISPs, Windstream is below average where upload speeds are concerned, and the fastest compared to other Howard County DSL providers. Windstream offers 11 different upload speeds across the county, so your internet plan's upload speed may vary by neighborhood . The fastest upload speed available to anyone from this ISP in Howard County is up to 52 Mbps. Some customers have slower plan choices, which only go up to 1.0 Mbps. On average, Windstream customers can get speeds up to 25 Mbps.
Show all upload speeds
- 33.0% up to 52.0 Mbps
- 0.6% up to 50.0 Mbps
- 11.9% up to 32.0 Mbps
- 7.7% up to 23.0 Mbps
- 0.4% up to 20.0 Mbps
- 4.9% up to 17.0 Mbps
- 0.2% up to 15.0 Mbps
- 6.8% up to 12.0 Mbps
- 0.4% up to 10.0 Mbps
- 6.0% up to 3.0 Mbps
- 28.0% up to 1.0 Mbps
Centurylink DSL in Howard County, IA
Centurylink DSL coverage
About 2.20%, or 208 people, have Centurylink DSL internet available to them in the county. The company covers the north and northwest Howard County area. Centurylink is one of the largest internet service providers internet service providers in the US, with internet service available in a very small piece of Howard County.
Centurylink DSL download speeds
Centurylink is below average when comparing download speeds to all other internet providers in Howard County. Versus other DSL providers in the area, Centurylink DSL is above average. There are 3 different maximum speeds throughout Howard County. The fastest plan anyone in Howard County can order from Centurylink goes up to 80 Mbps, the slowest package only goes up to 10 Mbps, and the county-wide average maximum speed for Howard County customers is up to 57 Mbps.
Show all download speeds
- 64.9% up to 80.0 Mbps
- 3.8% up to 40.0 Mbps
- 31.3% up to 10.0 Mbps
Centurylink DSL upload speeds
In Howard County download speeds tend to be faster than than upload speeds for Centurylink DSL. Compared to other ISPs, Centurylink is below average where upload speeds are concerned, and average compared to other Howard County DSL providers. Centurylink offers 3 different upload speeds across the county, so your internet plan's upload speed may vary by neighborhood . The fastest upload speed available to anyone from this ISP in Howard County is up to 10 Mbps. Some customers have slower plan choices, which only go up to 1.0 Mbps. On average, Centurylink customers can get speeds up to 6.9 Mbps.
Show all upload speeds
- 64.9% up to 10.0 Mbps
- 3.8% up to 3.0 Mbps
- 31.3% up to 1.0 Mbps
Frontier Communications DSL in Howard County, IA
Frontier DSL coverage
About 1.09%, or 103 people, have Frontier DSL internet available to them in the county. The company covers the northwest Howard County area. Frontier is one of the largest internet service providers internet service providers in the US, with internet service available in a very small piece of Howard County.
Frontier Communications DSL download speeds
Frontier is below average when comparing download speeds to all other internet providers in Howard County. Versus other DSL providers in the area, Frontier DSL is below average. There are 2 different maximum speeds throughout Howard County. The fastest plan anyone in Howard County can order from Frontier goes up to 90 Mbps, the slowest package only goes up to 10 Mbps, and the county-wide average maximum speed for Howard County customers is up to 19 Mbps.
Show all download speeds
- 10.7% up to 90.0 Mbps
- 89.3% up to 10.0 Mbps
Frontier Communications DSL upload speeds
In Howard County download speeds tend to be faster than than upload speeds for Frontier DSL. Compared to other ISPs, Frontier is below average where upload speeds are concerned, and below average compared to other Howard County DSL providers. Frontier offers 2 different upload speeds across the county, so your internet plan's upload speed may vary by neighborhood . The fastest upload speed available to anyone from this ISP in Howard County is up to 5.0 Mbps. Some customers have slower plan choices, which only go up to 1.0 Mbps. On average, Frontier customers can get speeds up to 1.4 Mbps.
Show all upload speeds
- 10.7% up to 5.0 Mbps
- 89.3% up to 1.0 Mbps
Howard County DSL by Area
This information is most helpful to those looking for homes or considering moving to Howard County or any of the areas nearby.
How does DSL internet in Howard County compare to the rest of Iowa?
DSL internet speeds in Howard County are much faster versus the average speeds in Iowa: 0.00 Mbps in Iowa versus 93 Mbps in the county. The state has similar DSL availability compared to the county. Average DSL coverage in Iowa is 0.00% versus 82.70% in Howard County.
What zip codes have DSL internet?
DSL internet coverage varies by zip code and neighborhood. Some examples in or around Howard County are shown below. You can enter any zip code here to see TV and internet providers by zip code.
What does DSL internet look like in other counties?
Below are counties nearby and with similar populations. This comparison can be useful if living somewhere with fast internet is important to you.
Nearby Counties
- Winneshiek County, IA: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Mitchell County, IA: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Allamakee County, IA: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Worth County, IA: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Winnebago County, IA: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Richland County, WI: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Sauk County, WI: more DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Emmet County, IA: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Columbia County, WI: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Dickinson County, IA: more DSL coverage, slower speeds
Counties with Similar Populations
- Pondera County, MT: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Kearney County, NE: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Kearny County, KS: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Keith County, NE: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Kemper County, MS: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Kenedy County, TX: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Keweenaw County, MI: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Keya Paha County, NE: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- King County, TX: less DSL coverage, slower speeds
- Piscataquis County, ME: less DSL coverage, slower speeds