✦ Edited and fact-checked by Eric Chiu, our Tech Editor with over ten years of experience covering home and wireless internet technology.
Never heard of Nuvera? You’re not alone. It’s a 120-year-old Minnesota telephone company that spent the last five years quietly turning itself into a fiber internet provider.
If you live in New Ulm, Hutchinson, Prior Lake, or one of roughly thirty other communities across southern Minnesota, Nuvera is probably one of your two real broadband options.
Here’s the one thing to know before you read another word: Nuvera sells four different kinds of internet under the same name, and they are wildly different products. Sorting that out is why we wrote this guide.
What is Nuvera?
Nuvera Communications is a regional internet, TV, phone, and wireless provider headquartered in New Ulm, Minnesota. Even by regional ISP standards, the company is old — genuinely old. It was founded on May 1, 1905, as the New Ulm Rural Telephone Company, which makes it three years younger than Target and one of the oldest businesses still operating in Minnesota.
The name has changed more than once. It became New Ulm Telecom in 1985, then NU-Telecom in 2000, and finally Nuvera Communications in June 2018.
That history creates a small research headache for shoppers. Comparison databases still file the company under its previous identity, so you may land on a provider profile listed as NU-Telecom while hunting for Nuvera. Same company, older label, and in that case some noticeably out-of-date speed figures.
Signing up with Nuvera availability
Nuvera serves some towns and cities in Minnesota and one town in Iowa. That’s the whole map.
By the company’s own count, it delivers home internet to over 30 communities across the two states. Service areas include New Ulm, Arlington, Dassel, Glencoe, Goodhue, Hector, Hutchinson, Litchfield, Prior Lake, Redwood Falls, Elko New Market, Savage, Sleepy Eye, and Springfield, plus Aurelia, Iowa.
Third-party databases put the count anywhere from 43 cities to 158, depending on whether they count partial and fringe coverage. Treat all of those numbers as noise and check your own address instead by entering your zip code below.
Fiber is still being built, and the map moves
Nuvera launched a fiber project called Gig Cities in 2021, backed by a pledge of more than $200 million. As of late 2025, the company reported completing over 75% of that initial construction, with more than 65% of its residential and business customers connected to fiber.
The raw numbers from its most recent annual report: 51,462 fiber passings and roughly 4,075 route miles as of December 31, 2025. It upgraded 6,123 locations during 2025 and plans more than 3,300 additional upgrades for 2026.
New construction announcements arrive regularly. In May 2026, the company announced expansions in Waverly, Howard Lake, and Olivia, following earlier builds in Belle Plaine, Cokato, Shakopee, and Mazeppa.
Translation for shoppers: If fiber isn’t at your address today, it may well be next year. Check our availability tool below to confirm service in your area.
What services does Nuvera offer?
Nuvera has four consumer services, and unlike most providers, Nuvera hasn’t bundled them under a single umbrella brand.
NuFiber internet
Plans run from 200 Mbps up to 8 Gig. Every plan includes unlimited data with no overage fees and no throttling during heavy use, and the company advertises no annual contracts.
That 200 Mbps starting point is generous for a rural provider. Plenty of regional competitors still open at 100 Mbps.
NuStream TV
NuStream is Nuvera’s streaming television service. With NuStream’s app, you can watch on devices you already own, but set-top boxes are available for a monthly fee if you’d rather have one.
However, the service requires Nuvera internet. A legacy cable TV product still runs alongside NuStream in some areas, and it includes watchTVeverywhere for mobile viewing across up to three registered accounts.
Phone service
Nuvera sells cell phone plans with current smartphones, and its retail stores handle phone sales and service.
Nuvera also sells landline phone service with standard calling features like voicemail and international coverage.
Nuvera internet plans and speeds
Nuvera’s advertised range spans 200 Mbps to 8 Gig, and fiber customers get symmetrical speeds — same upload as download.
Here’s the part that trips up every first-time shopper. Nuvera runs four different network technologies under one brand: fiber, fixed wireless, DSL, and cable. What you’re offered depends entirely on your address, and the difference is not subtle.
- Fiber reaches about 47% of Nuvera’s footprint. It’s excellent, and Nuvera’s network competes with anyone’s fiber.
- Fixed wireless covers a similar share of the footprint and averages 69 Mbps down and 13 Mbps up. It exists to reach farms and homes that fiber hasn’t gotten to yet.
- DSL and cable are legacy connections still in the mix, and they’re the tiers Nuvera is actively retiring as construction advances. Cable internet is no slouch, but we’d recommend replacing your DSL connection ASAP if your home still has one.
Features and equipment
Nuvera bundles your router rather than treating it as an upsell. Most plans include Home Wi-Fi, which provides the GigaSpire gateway and access to the Nuvera IQ app.
The ISP’s standard service tier handles parental controls, a guest network, a device list, network usage tracking, a network map, and a built-in speed test.
For an additional $12.95 per month, Premium adds advanced parental controls, enhanced network security, and device priority for whatever you don’t want buffering.
For dead zones, mesh extenders are also available for $12.95 per month. Monthly extender plans require a two-year minimum commitment and may carry an early termination fee, so weigh the one-time purchase option.
Support you can actually reach
This is where a small ISP like Nuvera earns its keep. Phone lines run Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with emergency after-hours support available and translation services offered. Nuvera’s primary customer service phone number is (844) 354-4111 and the Nuvera chat team is available through their online support hub.
You can also text rather than call, and there are eleven physical retail locations throughout Minnesota (and Aurelia, Iowa) where you can walk in and talk to a person. Evening hours, Saturday coverage, and text support for live agents are a definite strength for a small ISP.
What to know before you sign up
Ask which technology you’re getting
Fiber, fixed wireless, DSL, or cable — the brand name won’t tell you, and the gap between the best and worst option is enormous. This is the single most important question on your first call.
Confirm the construction fee
The $250 charge applies to homes without a fiber drop already buried, with a two-year agreement as the alternative. Get the answer before installation day.
Mark month 37 on your calendar
Your locked rate covers months 1 through 36. After that, you move to market price, and Nuvera doesn’t publish it in advance. Call early.
If you’re moving into an older home, ask about migration
When fiber reaches an existing address, transitioning to it is required rather than optional, though Nuvera covers the construction cost.
Thousands of households are being converted each year, and reviews suggest the switchover is where friction happens — lost phone features and trip charges have both come up. Ask in advance who pays if the conversion breaks something.
Nuvera FAQ
What is Nuvera?
Nuvera Communications is a regional internet, TV, phone, and wireless provider serving southern Minnesota and Aurelia, Iowa. Founded in 1905 and headquartered in New Ulm, it operated as New Ulm Telecom and then NU-Telecom before adopting the Nuvera name in June 2018.
Is Nuvera available in my area?
Nuvera serves over 30 communities across Minnesota plus Aurelia, Iowa, including New Ulm, Glencoe, Hutchinson, Litchfield, Prior Lake, Redwood Falls, Savage, Sleepy Eye, and Springfield. Because availability and technology both vary street by street, checking your specific address is the only reliable method.
How much does Nuvera internet cost?
Nuvera doesn't publish standard plan rates and directs shoppers to check pricing by address. Expect a $9.95 monthly equipment fee and a one-time $60 activation fee on top of your plan rate, with pricing locked for months 1 through 36 before moving to market price.
Is Nuvera fiber or fixed wireless?
Nuvera offers both services, plus DSL and cable. Fiber reaches roughly 47% of the footprint and averages 1,000 Mbps in both directions, while fixed wireless averages 69 Mbps down and 13 Mbps up. Nuvera's Gig Cities project is converting the remaining copper areas to fiber.
Does Nuvera have data caps or contracts?
Nuvera has no data caps. Plans include unlimited data with no overage fees or throttling, and Nuvera advertises no annual contracts on internet service. Some add-ons are the exception — monthly Wi-Fi extender plans require a two-year commitment, and homes needing new fiber construction may face a two-year agreement.
Internet service and pricing: Service is subject to availability, and speeds are not guaranteed since multiple conditions can affect performance. Promotional pricing holds for months 1 through 36 and converts to the current market rate in month 37. The three-year guarantee applies only to the plan selected at signup; modifying that plan voids promotional pricing. Offers and market rates are subject to change. Home Wi-Fi or Home Wi-Fi Premium is included with its respective speed tier. Free installation requires displaying a yard sign for two weeks and returning it to a local office to receive credit against the $60 activation fee. Limited-time offers, restrictions apply, and offers are available to new residential internet customers only.
Home Wi-Fi and extenders: Nuvera Home Wi-Fi with GigaSpire equipment is required. Customers may purchase outright or pay monthly; monthly plans carry a two-year minimum commitment and a possible early termination fee. Speed is not guaranteed. Outdoor coverage extends roughly 300 feet with clear line of sight, and performance varies beyond that range. Additional restrictions apply.
Construction: Homes without a fiber drop already buried, or requiring additional work to connect, may owe a $250 construction fee or need to commit to a two-year service agreement. Listed pricing is residential and subject to change without notice.
Television: Premium channels including HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax are not available with NuStream TV. Channel availability may change without notice, and Nuvera internet service is required.
CableTV.com editors created this article using original analysis and proprietary inputs, with AI tools assisting in drafting. The final content was reviewed and edited for accuracy and quality.
