Alternatives to US Internet for Server Hosting

For nearly three decades, US Internet (USI) has been a familiar name in the Twin Cities technology community. First as an early internet provider, later as the fiber company Minneapolis came to know well. And now for many businesses, as the home of their servers at its Minnetonka data center.

That last chapter is now closing. US Internet has sunset its server hosting services, and the businesses that relied on the company for colocation, dedicated servers, and hosted infrastructure are facing a decision as to where their servers go next.

If you’re one the businesses now looking for alternatives to US Internet server hosting, we’d be happy to help you. Below, we walk through what the change means, what to look for in a new provider, and the main alternatives worth considering, including our own data center here at OAC Technology in Minneapolis (New Hope).

Why US Internet Customers Need a New Home

US Internet built a loyal following since its founding in 1995. Its Minnetonka facility hosted everything from single servers to full cabinets for organizations across the region. The wind-down of its hosting business, which follows the company’s 2025 acquisition by fiber provider Metronet, reflects a broader industry pattern of internet providers narrowing their focus to core connectivity and stepping away from data center services.

Whatever the reasons, the practical reality for customers is the same. Servers, storage, and network gear currently living in US Internet’s facility need a new home before service ends, and the migration involves more than unplugging hardware. IP addresses change, DNS records need updating, backups must be verified, and downtime has to be scheduled around your business not around a shutdown deadline. The sooner you start planning, the more control you keep over how the move happens.

What to Look for in Your Next Hosting Provider

A forced migration is disruptive, but it’s also a rare chance to reassess. The provider you choose now will likely host your infrastructure for years, so it’s worth evaluating candidates on more than price alone.

Reliability comes first. Look for a facility with redundant power feeds, UPS and generator backup, professional cooling, and fire suppression. Ask for the uptime track record, not just the marketing claim. Security and compliance matter just as much: controlled physical access, 24/7 monitoring, and independent audits such as SOC 2 are table stakes for hosting business-critical systems.

Support quality is where providers differ most. If a server fails, you want to reach an engineer who can walk to your rack, not a ticket queue routed overseas. Ask who answers the phone, where they sit, and what remote hands services cost. Finally, consider migration assistance and room to grow. A good provider will not only help plan and execute your move from US Internet. They will offer paths from single server to full cabinets, private cages, or hybrid cloud as your needs evolve.

Your Main Alternatives to USI Server Hosting

OAC Technology Local Server Hosting Built for Small & Medium Businesses

OAC Technology operates a secure data center in Minneapolis, MN, like the hosting US Internet customers now need to replace. Our facility features redundant power with UPS and generator backup, N+1 cooling, and 24/7 monitoring. We offer colocation from a single server up to full cabinets, along with dedicated servers, private cloud, and backup/disaster recovery services.

What sets us apart is how we treat a migration like yours. Our engineers have helped businesses relocate from other facilities many times before. We know the details that make or break a move. Details like IP renumbering, DNS cutover timing, transport logistics, and testing before go-live. For former US Internet customers, we’re offering a free migration assessment and assistance with your move.  You’ll work with a local team that answers the phone, knows your name, and can have hands on your hardware in minutes rather than days.

Hyperscale Cloud Providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)

For some workloads, US Internet’s sunset may be the push to move to the public cloud. The hyperscalers offer effectively unlimited scalability, global reach, and a deep catalog of managed services. But the transition is rarely as simple as “lift and shift.” Applications often need re-architecting, monthly costs are notoriously hard to predict (especially bandwidth and egress fees), and support is self-service unless you pay a premium. If your servers are running steady, predictable workloads, a move to the cloud frequently costs more than dedicated hardware in a regional data center sometimes dramatically so.

National Dedicated Server and Colocation Companies

Large national providers offer competitive pricing and modern facilities, and for some businesses they’re a reasonable fit. The trade-off is distance, physically and organizationally. Your hardware may end up in a facility several states away, remote hands work goes through a ticketing system, and you become one account among tens of thousands. If your team ever needs to visit your equipment, swap a drive, or troubleshoot on-site, that distance turns small problems into big ones.

Making the Move: A Simple Migration Plan

Once you’ve picked your alternative to US Internet for server hosting, you need to create a plan. A structured plan keeps the migration boring, which is exactly what you want. A typical move from US Internet looks like this:

1. Inventory everything. Document your hardware, IP assignments, DNS records, dependencies, and any services (backup, bandwidth, remote hands) bundled into your current agreement.
2. Choose your new provider early. Capacity at desirable facilities can fill as other US Internet customers relocate. Reserve your space before the rush.
3. Plan the cutover. Lower DNS TTLs in advance, schedule the move for a low-traffic window, and decide whether to migrate in phases or all at once.
4. Verify backups before you unplug. Confirm you have complete, tested, restorable backups of every system prior to transport.
5. Move, test, then flip. Rack and power your equipment, test every service at the new facility, update DNS, and monitor closely through the first business day.
6. Decommission cleanly. Close out your US Internet services, confirm final billing, and update documentation with your new addresses and contacts.

Don’t Wait for the Deadline

The single biggest mistake we see in provider shutdowns is waiting. Businesses that migrate early move on their own schedule, negotiate from a position of strength, and have time to test thoroughly. Businesses that wait end up rushing a weekend cutover against a hard end-of-service date, with all the risk that entails.

US Internet served this community well for a long time. The best way to honor that run is to land your infrastructure somewhere it will be just as well cared for.

Ready When You Are

If you’re a US Internet hosting customer planning your next move, we’d love to talk. Contact Adam at 952-548-5558 for a free migration assessment, or straightforward answers to your hosting questions with no pressure, no obligation.