CNET’s top overall pick for the best internet provider in North Carolina is Spectru. The cable provider is widely available across the state, offers fast cable speeds and comes with competitive pricing, making it a reliable default choice for most households. That said, if you’re chasing ultra-fast gig speeds, Google Fiber offers the fastest internet in North Carolina, with speeds up to a jaw-dropping 8,000Mbps. But it’s not cheap, and it’s only available in select parts of Charlotte and the Triangle.

If you live in one of the state’s more rural areas, you still have plenty of broadband options. You’ll find smaller, regional fiber providers in some spots, Fibră AT&T in others with speeds up to 5,000Mbps and Internet de acasă T-Mobile as a solid wireless option with simple pricing and easy setup.

What’s the best internet provider in North Carolina?

Whether gaming, watching movies and TV shows or working, North Carolina is home to some of the fastest internet speeds in the country. While AT&T and Google’s fiber options are mainly limited to Charlotte and the Triangle, North Carolinians can access many tipuri de conexiuni la internet. Due to its wide availability in the state, fast speeds and simple pricing, we’re giving the nod to Spectrum as the best internet provider overall in North Carolina. Your options will vary depending on where you live, but fortunately, everyone in the state can get online, although it may be through satellite internet.

Sursă: Analiza CNET a datelor furnizorilor

North Carolina broadband at a glance

Around 96% of North Carolinians have access to download speeds of 100Mbps and upload speeds of 20Mbps, according to state data. FCC data puts this number at 91%. Additionally, North Carolina ranks seventh among the 50 states and Rhode Island, for the fastest median download speeds, per the speed-testing company Ookla(Dezvăluire: Ookla este deținută de aceeași companie-mamă ca și CNET, Ziff Davis.)

The median download speed in the Tar Heel State sits at about 231Mbps, thanks in part to the reliably fast Google Fiber, and in fact, Raleigh holds the top spot on its list of cities with the fastest internet, with median download speeds of about 289Mbps. North Carolina boasts a four cities in the top 30 of Ookla’s ranking of 100 cities by fastest internet speeds, with Raleigh coming in at the top, Durham at seven, Charlotte at 21, Winston-Salem at No. 22 and Greensboro comes in at No. 45. So yes, the Tar Heel State has some fast internet, mostly thanks to fiber internet from AT&T and Google. Just over 48% have access to a fiber internet connection, although mostly in Charlotte and The Triangle.

Internet breakdown by city in North Carolina

It’s hard to cover the broadband options of an entire state and give individual cities the attention they deserve. That’s why we also compile lists of the best internet providers in cities across the US, including those in North Carolina. We tackle details such as internet connection types, max speeds and cheapest providers. Check back later if you don’t find the city you’re looking for below. We’re working to add more locations every week. 

Internet pricing in North Carolina

The starting price of internet service in North Carolina will depend on where you live, but judging by the most widely available ISPs in the state, expect to pay around $50 to get online. If you’re an existing customer of certain T-Mobile plans and have access to its 5G internet offering, you can get that service for $40 per month.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in North Carolina

Furnizorii de servicii de internet sunt numeroși și regionali. Spre deosebire de cele mai recente smartphone, laptop, router sau ustensile de bucătărie, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

It doesn’t end there: We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

Odată ce avem aceste informații localizate, ne punem trei întrebări principale:

1. Furnizorul oferă acces la viteze rezonabile de internet?
2. Clienții primesc o valoare decentă pentru ceea ce plătesc?
3. Sunt clienții mulțumiți de serviciile lor?

Deși răspunsurile la aceste întrebări sunt adesea stratificate și complexe, furnizorii care se apropie cel mai mult de „da” la toate cele trei întrebări sunt cei pe care îi recomandăm. Atunci când selectăm cel mai ieftin serviciu de internet, căutăm planurile cu cea mai mică taxă lunară, deși luăm în considerare și aspecte precum creșterile de preț, taxele pentru echipamente și contractele. Alegerea celui mai rapid serviciu de internet este relativ simplă. Ne uităm la vitezele de încărcare și descărcare promovate și luăm în considerare date despre viteză din lumea reală din surse precum Ookla şi Rapoarte FCC.

Pentru a explora procesul nostru mai în detaliu, vizitați cum testăm furnizorii de servicii de internet pagină.

Future of broadband in North Carolina

The federal government in late June 2023 awarded North Carolina $1.5 billion to expand high-speed internet access across the state. The Department of Information Technology Division of Broadband and Digital Equity “will use [Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment] funding to connect high-cost areas, remaining unserved and underserved locations, and community anchor institutions without fiber access,” reads the state’s five-year plan draft. The government also plans to boost digital literacy and make internet access more affordable.

Internet in North Carolina FAQs