Is Midco good?
Overall, Midco Internet and TV offers competitive prices and reliable service. We like Midco Internet’s fast speeds and affordable Wi-Fi equipment. Midco’s cable TV offerings are lackluster and short on HD channels, but they’re pretty darn cheap.
Midco—or Midcontinent Communications, as it used to be known—services five states in the Midwest, but primarily South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Read on for our in-depth review of Midco and how it compares to its competitors Sparklight, Frontier, and Viasat.
Midcon pros and cons
Pros
- No contracts
- Unlimited data
- Fast internet speeds
Cons
- Lackluster TV options
- A glitchy website
Compare Midco internet plans and pricing
| Package | Price* | Download speeds up to | Upload speeds up to | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midco Gig Internet | $74.95/mo. | 1,000 Mbps | 20 or 1,000 Mbps | View plan |
| Midco Internet 500 | $64.95/mo. | 500 Mbps | 20 or 500 Mbps | View plan |
| Midco Internet 200 | $54.95/mo. | 200 Mbps | 20 or 200 Mbps | View plan |
| Midco Internet 100 | $44.95/mo. | 100 Mbps | 10 or 100 Mbps | View plan |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*for the first 12 mos.
Midco offers fiber and cable internet service with grade-A download speeds and prices, but your upload speeds will be lower if you’re in a cable area. Even in cable internet areas, though, you shouldn’t notice much difference unless you do video calls a lot or download large internet files like video game updates.
Midco Internet prices are relatively close to Frontier Fiber prices, but which provider is cheapest between them varies based on the download speeds you want. We like Midco’s customer service a bit better, but you might snag a better deal with Frontier on mid-tier internet speeds.
On the other hand, Sparklight (formerly CABLE ONE) is much more spendy and has annoying data caps. Midco’s unlimited data will treat you much better.
Overall, we think Midco Internet will impress you. It’s a high-speed internet service with plans to fit your needs whether you want to scroll through Facebook and Twitter, stream online TV, or run a business (for real—it has a 5,000 Mbps plan that’s faster than what almost any Midwestern family needs).
Compare Midco rural internet plans and pricing
| Package | Price* | Download speeds up to | Upload speeds up to | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midco Fixed Wireless Internet 100 | $99.95/mo. | 100 Mbps | 20 Mbps | View plan |
| Midco Fixed Wireless Internet 50 | $84.95/mo. | 50 Mbps | 10 Mbps | View plan |
| Midco Fixed Wireless Internet 35 | $74.95/mo. | 35 Mbps | 5 Mbps | View plan |
| Midco Fixed Wireless Internet 25 | $64.95/mo. | 25 Mbps | 3 Mbps | View plan |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*for the first 12 mos.
In rural areas, Midco offers fixed wireless internet. This option is usually faster and more affordable than satellite internet providers like Viasat since the service uses local towers instead of satellites in orbit.
Unfortunately, Midco’s fixed wireless internet plans are more expensive and slower than its cable and fiber internet plans.
If you work from home or want to stream TV online, go for Midco Fixed Wireless Internet 100. While the price is high, and you’ll need to keep the kids offline during your video conference, those are just the tough tomatoes of rural internet. Uff da!
Compare Midco TV plans and pricing
| Package | Price* | Channel count | Popular channels | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Theatre Suite | $119.95/mo. | 190+ | HBO®, SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™, and STARZ® | View plan |
| Theatre Suite | $85.95/mo. | 190+ | HBO, SHOWTIME, THE MOVIE CHANNEL, or STARZ | View plan |
| Preferred Cable | $69.95/mo. | 190+ | NFL Network, NHL Network, and Disney Junior | View plan |
| Basic Cable | $59.95/mo. | 145+ | Disney Channel, ESPN, and MTV | View plan |
| Essentials Cable | $39.95/mo. | 105+ | Hallmark Channel, Food Network, Comedy Central, and CNN | View plan |
| Limited Cable | $22.95/mo. | 90+ | ABC, FOX, PBS, and NBC | View plan |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*for the first 12 mos.
Just like Midco has multiple internet service types, it also has two TV types. The plans listed above are for Midco Cable TV, a traditional cable TV service. But in a few select areas, you’d find the live TV streaming service MidcoTV instead.
MidcoTV seems fine, but it’s available only with internet service. Plus, there are plenty of streaming services we like better, so we’ll focus on the more widely available Midco Cable TV here.
We recommend you skip the Limited Cable plan, which features local channels you can get with a good OTA antenna. Essentials Cable comes with a few background noise favorites like Food Network and Hallmark Channel, but you have to get the Basic Cable package if you want ESPN and Disney Channel.
For the most well-rounded TV plan, go for Preferred Cable. It has more major sports channels and family channels for all ages. This is a great choice for families, since it has a bit of something for everyone.
If you want even more, you can also upgrade to the Theatre Suite, which comes with your choice of one premium channel—HBO, SHOWTIME, THE MOVIE CHANNEL, or STARZ. The top package, Ultimate Theatre Suite, comes with all five premium channels.
While these packages are pretty low in channel counts, they come with the channels most folks want, and Ultimate Theatre Suite is a close contender with Spectrum TV, our pick for best movies package. We wish Midco’s HD channel count were a bit higher though—you deserve good-looking TV.
Compare Midco internet plus TV plans and pricing
| Package | Price* | Download speeds up to | Channel count | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midco Gig Internet & Preferred Cable | $144.90/mo. | 1,000 Mbps | 190+ | View plan |
| Midco Internet 500 & Basic Cable | $124.90/mo. | 500 Mbps | 145+ | View plan |
| Midco Internet 200 & Basic Cable | $114.90/mo. | 200 Mbps | 145+ | View plan |
| Midco Internet 200 & Essentials Cable | $94.90/mo. | 200 Mbps | 105+ | View plan |
| Midco Internet 100 & Limited Cable | $67.90/mo. | 100 Mbps | 90+ | View plan |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*for the first 12 mos.
Unlike its competitor Sparklight, Midco doesn’t offer additional discounts when you bundle TV and internet service. But since Midco’s plans are much more affordable (and better) to start with, it still wins over Sparklight.
If you’d like to add phone service to your Midco TV and internet bundle, Midco offers two options:
- Basic Home Phone (additional $9.95/mo.): unlimited local calling
- Home Phone Package (additional $22.95/mo.): unlimited local and domestic long-distance calling, voice mail, caller ID, three-way calling, and more
For the best Midco TV and internet bundle, go with Midco Gig Internet & Preferred Cable—or switch Preferred Cable out for the Ultimate Theatre Suite if you want premium channels.
But if you’d prefer to save a bit of cash, we think Midco Internet 200 & Basic Cable will take care of most folk’s home entertainment needs just fine.
Midco internet equipment
With your Midco internet plan, you can rent Midco’s modem/router combo for $8 a month. Since most home Wi-Fi rentals cost about $10 a month, you’re saving a bit of cash with Midco.
If you’d prefer not to rent, though, you can choose from Midco’s approved modems list. Make sure you get a router for Wi-Fi too.
We were tickled to see that you can upgrade to Midco Freestyle Wi-Fi for a total of $9.95. Midco Freestyle Wi-Fi comes with advanced Wi-Fi control in the Midco Wi-Fi app. You’ll also get better coverage throughout your home since Midco will provide any extenders you need to improve your connection.
Go for Midco Freestyle Wi-Fi if you have a problem with dead spots in your home. Midco will help you cover them all.
Final take: Is Midco worth it?
For a smaller regional TV and internet provider, Midco impressed us. Its internet has good bones: unlimited data, no contracts, fast internet speeds, and competitive prices. Midco’s TV plans aren’t quite so impressive, but they get the job done.
Midco’s a great choice for families, high-speed internet fanatics, and folks who love a deal on TV and internet.
Pick Midco over Sparklight and Viasat. Frontier Fiber is stiff competition, but Midco plans tend to be a tiny bit more affordable—and unlike Frontier, Midco currently offers TV plans.
Midco FAQ
What’s the number to Midco?
You can call Midco 24/7 at +1-800-888-1300 or text customer support at 64326.
Is Midco good internet?
Midco Internet comes with fast download speeds, unlimited data, and no contracts—that’s good. We think Midco’s a standout internet provider, and we’d recommend it over its competitor, Sparklight.
How much does Midco Cable cost?
See the Midco TV plans and pricing list.
What channels are on Midco Basic Cable?
Midco Basic Cable comes with over 145 channels, including CNN, Disney Channel, Food Network, ESPN, MTV, Hallmark Channel, and various local channels.
Methodology
Our TV and internet experts compared Midco’s value, reliability, features, and customer satisfaction with those of its direct competitors and providers across the US. To learn more about CableTV.com’s methodology, check out our How We Rank page.
