Best Internet Providers in Oakes
Oakes sits on the broad agricultural prairie of southeastern North Dakota, a compact county-seat town surrounded by grain fields. Since the town originally grew around the rail siding and state highways, most utilities and network lines follow those streets. Fiber service is widely available in downtown Oakes and surrounding residential neighborhoods via Dickey Rural Telephone Cooperative, while satellite and fixed wireless fill gaps in outlying homesteads. That leaves people in town with generally reliable high downloads and decent uploads for streaming and remote work, but a few miles past the limits many households rely on satellite or Earthlink's 5G home service and report more variable latency and signal strength.
In Oakes, internet competition varies by neighborhood, but most residents have multiple options to choose from. After reviewing provider availability, plan pricing, typical speeds, and customer sentiment across the 9 areas we track, here are our top recommendations for 2026.
HughesNet is the standout pick if it is available at your address. With speeds up to 100 Mbps, it is often the best option for gaming, remote work, and busy households with many users and connected devices. Availability has expanded across parts of Oakes, so it is worth checking your exact address first.
Dickey Rural Telephone Cooperative is usually the most widely available choice in Oakes and a strong option when you need a reliable connection. Its network reaches approximately 100% of Oakes, with speeds up to 1 Gbps and plans starting around N/A/mo, making it the most accessible option for many residents. In neighborhoods where HughesNet is not offered yet, Dickey Rural Telephone Cooperative is often the best overall mix of speed and price.
Earthlink 5G Home Internet can be a strong third option if you would rather keep things simple, with straightforward pricing around $39.95/mo and fewer stipulations.
Coverage reaches roughly 86% of Oakes, and speeds range between 100 Mbps and 100 Mbps, which is enough for streaming, video calls, and everyday home use. It can be a great fit in parts of Oakes where signal strength is strong.
a DSL provider or Viasat may still offer service in parts of Oakes, if none of these are available at your address, with speeds up to 400 Mbps. Since promotions change often, it is always smart to check current deals before you order.
