Free Usenet Server List
Last Updated: December 27, 2025
The cheapest way to get USENET access is through your Internet Service Provider (ISP) — but that option has become increasingly rare. The vast majority of ISPs have discontinued their USENET servers, and those that still offer access impose significant restrictions compared to dedicated USENET providers.
Below is a list of the top 100 ISPs in the USA ranked by subscriber count, showing each provider’s USENET service status. Of the 100 listed, only a handful ever offered free access, and most have since shut those services down.
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Top 100 ISPs in the USA with USENET Service Status
| Rank | Provider | Population | Free USENET Access | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HughesNet | 308 | 745 | 538 | Shutdown 2002 |
| 2 | AT&T Wireless | 306 | 461 | 488 | No |
| 3 | Verizon Wireless | 305 | 32 | 264 | Shutdown 2009 |
| 4 | Sprint | 279 | 984 | 122 | Shutdown 2009 |
| 5 | T-Mobile | 246 | 589 | 444 | No |
| 6 | AT&T U-verse | 120 | 698 | 372 | Shutdown 2009 |
| 7 | Exede Internet | 114 | 412 | 179 | No |
| 8 | XFINITY from Comcast | 109 | 365 | 995 | Shutdown 2009 |
| 9 | Comcast Business | 109 | 104 | 949 | Shutdown 2009 |
| 10 | Cricket Wireless | 94 | 688 | 250 | No |
| 11 | Time Warner Cable | 65 | 271 | 476 | Shutdown 2009 |
| 12 | MetroPCS | 54 | 308 | 583 | No |
| 13 | Verizon High Speed Internet | 49 | 559 | 491 | Shutdown 2009 |
| 14 | CenturyLink | 48 | 89 | 588 | Yes. See Below |
| 15 | Verizon Fios | 32 | 722 | 584 | Shutdown 2009 |
| 16 | Frontier Communications | 28 | 724 | 887 | Shutdown 2016 |
| 17 | Charter Communications | 27 | 484 | 432 | Shutdown 2012 |
| 18 | dishNET | 26 | 943 | 450 | No |
| 19 | U.S. Cellular | 25 | 83 | 868 | No |
| 20 | Cox Communications | 20 | 977 | 73 | Shutdown 2009 |
| 21 | Lightower Fiber Networks | 19 | 225 | 335 | No |
| 22 | Rise Broadband | 16 | 103 | 60 | No |
| 23 | Windstream | 13 | 122 | 457 | Yes. See Below |
| 24 | Optimum by Cablevision | 12 | 213 | 255 | Shutdown 2016 |
| 25 | Agile Networks | 11 | 536 | 504 | No |
| 26 | Skyriver Communications | 11 | 503 | 689 | No |
| 27 | GHz Wireless | 9 | 699 | 124 | No |
| 28 | King Street Wireless | 9 | 603 | 129 | No |
| 29 | Monmouth Telephone & Telegraph | 8 | 569 | 186 | No |
| 30 | Bright House Networks | 8 | 440 | 654 | Shutdown 2016 |
| 31 | WOW! | 7 | 257 | 892 | Shutdown 2011 |
| 32 | CyberNet Communications | 6 | 972 | 35 | No |
| 33 | BelWave Communications | 6 | 301 | 425 | No |
| 34 | Suddenlink Communications | 6 | 177 | 723 | Shutdown 2014 |
| 35 | Sunesys | 5 | 913 | 20 | No |
| 36 | Etheric Networks | 5 | 852 | 582 | No |
| 37 | Mediacom Cable | 5 | 395 | 908 | Shutdown 2015 |
| 38 | TDS Telecom | 5 | 77 | 333 | Shutdown 2010 |
| 39 | Startouch | 5 | 53 | 403 | No |
| 40 | Florida High Speed Internet | 4 | 345 | 447 | No |
| 41 | C Spire Wireless | 3 | 993 | 826 | No |
| 42 | Everywhere Wireless | 3 | 916 | 796 | No |
| 43 | RCN | 3 | 809 | 880 | Shutdown 2008 |
| 44 | Sonic.net | 3 | 711 | 539 | Shutdown 2016 |
| 45 | Wydebeam Broadband | 3 | 661 | 286 | No |
| 46 | FairPoint Communications | 3 | 533 | 849 | Shutdown 2010 |
| 47 | Wi-Power | 3 | 518 | 501 | No |
| 48 | Pixius Communications | 3 | 327 | 534 | No |
| 49 | Ranch Wireless | 3 | 294 | 333 | No |
| 50 | Level 3 Communications | 3 | 255 | 603 | No |
| 51 | Cable ONE | 3 | 225 | 624 | Shutdown 2003 |
| 52 | UnWired Broadband | 3 | 132 | 772 | No |
| 53 | BarrierFree | 3 | 30 | 290 | No |
| 54 | Cruzio Internet | 3 | 24 | 653 | Shutdown 2003 |
| 55 | Phoenix Internet | 3 | 23 | 649 | No |
| 56 | WATCH Communications | 2 | 978 | 692 | No |
| 57 | E-Vergent Wireless | 2 | 971 | 347 | No |
| 58 | Zing Wireless | 2 | 924 | 980 | No |
| 59 | NextLink | 2 | 920 | 402 | No |
| 60 | TierOne Networks | 2 | 827 | 432 | No |
| 61 | MHO Networks | 2 | 742 | 849 | No |
| 62 | Time Warner Business Class | 2 | 732 | 147 | Shutdown 2013 |
| 63 | GTT Communications | 2 | 588 | 837 | No |
| 64 | Nextera Communications | 2 | 586 | 365 | No |
| 65 | Wisper ISP | 2 | 498 | 59 | No |
| 66 | Wifi West | 2 | 411 | 52 | No |
| 67 | Earthlink Business | 2 | 386 | 827 | Yes. See Below |
| 68 | MegaPath | 2 | 290 | 751 | Shutdown 2002 |
| 69 | Freewire Broadband | 2 | 136 | 190 | No |
| 70 | DirectLink | 2 | 125 | 472 | No |
| 71 | PenTeleData | 2 | 21 | 477 | Yes. See Below |
| 72 | Believe Wireless Broadband | 2 | 16 | 20 | Shutdown 2014 |
| 73 | Global Capacity | 2 | 15 | 306 | No |
| 74 | US Signal Company | 2 | 13 | 697 | No |
| 75 | XO Communications | 1 | 995 | 744 | No |
| 76 | Cirra Networks | 1 | 916 | 843 | No |
| 77 | lv.net | 1 | 878 | 128 | No |
| 78 | Utah Broadband | 1 | 865 | 241 | No |
| 79 | STL WiMax | 1 | 863 | 796 | No |
| 80 | VRFuturenet | 1 | 860 | 824 | No |
| 81 | Brown Dog Networks | 1 | 854 | 680 | No |
| 82 | ERF Wireless | 1 | 815 | 907 | No |
| 83 | On-Ramp Indiana | 1 | 810 | 926 | No |
| 84 | Packet Layer | 1 | 773 | 320 | No |
| 85 | Wave Broadband | 1 | 747 | 210 | Shutdown 2011 |
| 86 | airPowered | 1 | 663 | 719 | No |
| 87 | Air-Wans Wireless Broadband | 1 | 640 | 596 | No |
| 88 | EasyStreet Online | 1 | 629 | 345 | No |
| 89 | Hoosier Broadband | 1 | 608 | 106 | No |
| 90 | CellCom | 1 | 607 | 399 | No |
| 91 | Keystone | 1 | 577 | 701 | No |
| 92 | MetroSpan | 1 | 557 | 914 | No |
| 93 | Phoenix Broadband | 1 | 555 | 648 | No |
| 94 | Areyouonline.Net | 1 | 538 | 762 | No |
| 95 | TruCom | 1 | 530 | 946 | No |
| 96 | Internet Free Planet | 1 | 483 | 708 | No |
| 97 | Aerux Broadband | 1 | 476 | 8 | No |
| 98 | ZipLink Internet.com | 1 | 462 | 886 | No |
| 99 | Mercury Wireless | 1 | 439 | 628 | No |
| 100 | Internet Nebraska Corporation | 1 | 386 | 776 | No |
Free USENET Services in the USA
| ISP | Server Name | Free USENET Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink (also known as Qwest.net) | news.qwest.net | Limited Support |
| Earthlink | news.earthlink.net | Only for Customers Prior to 2013 |
| MegaPath | news.speakeasy.net | Only for Customers Prior to 2010 |
| Windstream | news.windstream.net | Only for Customers Prior to 2016 |
| PenTeleData | usenet.ptd.net | Capped at 10 GB/month |
Global Coverage of Free USENET Services in 2026
Free ISP-provided USENET access was once common in the US, Canada, and the UK. Today it is largely gone. The providers below represent the remaining handful that still offer some form of access — though availability, retention, and reliability vary considerably.
Even where ISP USENET access technically exists, it rarely holds up against a dedicated provider. Expect shorter retention windows, newsgroup restrictions, binary download limits, and throttled speeds. That said, if you just want to check whether your ISP provides anything at all, the tables below are a useful reference.
We keep this list updated, but the trend is clear: standalone USENET subscriptions are now the norm for anyone who wants a reliable experience.
Canada
| ISP | Server Name | Free USENET Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bell/Sympatico | news.bell.newshosting.com | Defunct Since 2006 |
| Montreal DSL | news.montreal-dsl.com | Retention Limited to 60 Days |
UK
| ISP | Server Name | Free USENET Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Virgin Media | news.virginmedia.com | 30 Days Retention, Fast |
| Abel Internet | new.abel.co.uk | Limited Retention |
| Plus Net | news.plus.net | Limited Retention |
Current US ISPs Offering Free USENET Services
As of 2026, the number of North American ISPs still providing USENET access has shrunk to a very small list. The servers below represent what remains active:
- CenturyLink/Qwest — news.qwest.net
- Earthlink — news.earthlink.net
- PenTeleData — usenet.ptd.net
Note that Sonic.net discontinued its USENET server in 2016 and is no longer a viable option. For any of the above, expect binary retention of around 30 days or less and possible restrictions on newsgroup access.
If your ISP is not on this list, free access from your broadband provider is unlikely. Your best alternative is a free USENET trial from a dedicated provider — these typically offer far better retention, speed, and newsgroup coverage than anything an ISP includes for free.
The economics explain the trend: USENET infrastructure is expensive to run, and Usenet users tend to consume far more data than typical internet users. As ISPs have shifted focus toward streaming and general-purpose broadband, maintaining a niche USENET server rarely makes business sense.
For the best value, check our coupons and special offers page alongside the free trial options below.
