Internet providers in North Carolina

Explore the top internet providers available in North Carolina. Learn about price, speed and availability from our broadband experts.

Find North Carolina internet providers by city

  • North Carolina residents have access to satellite, cable, fiber and fixed wireless internet 
  • Spectrum is widely available to over 70% of the state
  • Google Fiber offers some of the fastest internet in North Carolina, with speeds ranging from 1,000 – 8,000 Mbps
  • Brightspeed offers the cheapest internet plan in North Carolina at just $29.00/mo.

North Carolina offers residents and visitors a little bit of everything. Whether you live near the mountains in a city like Asheville, on the coast in Wilmington or in one of North Carolina’s largest cities like Charlotte or Raleigh, there are several top internet service providers (ISPs) available in the Tar Heel State. You can choose from fiber, cable, DSL and satellite internet options. Competitive prices are the standard in North Carolina, so checking out current internet plans in your area can save you money.

Explore internet availability and speed in various North Carolina cities below. We’ve included each city’s median download speed from Ookla’s Speedtest.net, the percentage of households in each city with access to at least 100 Mbps, 250 Mbps and 1,000 Mbps and the number of providers available in each city.

Mecklenburg County

Residents in Mecklenburg County have 10 providers to pick from, but not all are available in all parts of the county. Spectrum, satellite ISPs like Hughesnet, AT&T and T-Mobile are the most available providers. 100% of the county addresses can access 100/20 Mbps, while 95% can get 250/25 Mbps. Only 61% can reach speeds of 1 gig.

Guilford County

Guilford County residents have nine providers available with satellite ISPs, Spectrum and T-Mobile home internet the most available. 100% of addresses can access speeds of 100/20 Mbps. 93% have speeds up to 250/25 Mbps and 57% can reach 1 gig.

Wake County

Wake County is the largest in North Carolina, with over one million residents who have 10 providers to pick from, with Spectrum and satellite services being the most prevalent. All addresses can access speeds up to 100/20 Mbps, 95% can reach 250/25 Mbps and 67% can access 1 gig.

Internet in North Carolina

  • Spectrum is the most common ISP in North Carolina, while Google Fiber and AT&T are the fastest
  • Satellite internet is available to 100% of North Carolina through Starlink, and over 85% with Hughesnet and Viasat
  • The entire state has access to at least 100/20 Mbps
  • Wake County is the largest county, but also has the fastest internet and largest fiber build-out

Data privacy

With the 2024 North Carolina Consumer Privacy Act, North Carolina residents have control over personal data. They can access, correct or delete any data. Residents can also opt out of targeted advertising or decide if a company can sell their data. 

Best internet providers in North Carolina

We’ve ranked the top internet providers in North Carolina by coverage area, technology and starting price. We’ve done the research so you can easily find the providers in your area that are the best fit for you.

Fastest internet in North Carolina

AT&T, Google Fiber, Brightspeed and TDS provide the fastest internet in North Carolina with speeds up to 8 gigs.

Cheapest internet in North Carolina

Brightspeed has the cheapest internet plan in North Carolina, starting at $29.00/mo.

Verizon and T-Mobile have cheap options available, though you must bundle with a mobile plan to get the best price.

North Carolina internet resources

Lifeline

Lifeline is a federal assistance program offering $9.25/mo. toward eligible customers’ internet and phone services. Eligibility depends on participation in other assistance programs and income.

Access Charlotte is a digital equity initiative that began in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, Access Charlotte has provided internet to over 8,000 households across 75 cities through a partnership with Spectrum Internet®.

North Carolina internet statistics

Compare North Carolina’s median download and upload speeds to the U.S. median upload and download speeds. North Carolina pulls ahead when it comes to download speed, but the U.S. has a faster median upload speed.

Internet availability in North Carolina

100% of North Carolina households have access to the minimum broadband speed of 100/20 Mbps. Explore the availability of different internet technology types in North Carolina, including cable, fiber, satellite and fixed wireless (based on access to 100/20 Mbps broadband speed).

Quality of internet access in North Carolina

100% of North Carolina has access to the minimum recommended broadband speeds of 100/20 Mbps, but less than half the state has access to gigabit speeds:

  • Residents with broadband access (speeds at or over 100/20 Mbps): 100%
  • Residents with access to 250/25 Mbps: 88%
  • Residents with access to gigabit speeds (at or over 1,000/100 Mbps): 44%

North Carolina internet customer reviews

Anonymous Spectrum
7/30/24

Reasonably fast, but expensive for standalone service.

3/5

Susie Spectrum
7/21/24

Spectrum was only option in our new area, but I feel they are a great choice even if you have other options. Consistently strong signal for all devices – what more could we ask for?

4/5

TB      Spectrum
7/20/24

We lose connection consistently every day. Our TV freezes and our cameras stop working due to no connectivity.

2/5

North Carolina internet FAQs

Which is the best internet provider in North Carolina?

One of the best internet providers in North Carolina is AT&T. It provides the fastest and most reliable fiber internet with speeds up to 4,700 Mbps and is available in large North Carolina cities like Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and Greensboro.

Yes, North Carolina has fast internet options from AT&T and Brightspeed, with fast tiers ranging from 1,000 to 4,700 Mbps, similar to neighboring states such as South Carolina and Tennessee.

The fastest internet in North Carolina is AT&T’s 4,700 Mbps plan. Google Fiber offers up to 8,000 Mbps, but availability is limited in North Carolina.

The cheapest internet in North Carolina is with Brightspeed, which offers 200 Mbps for $29.00/mo.

Yes, AT&T, Google Fiber, Brightspeed and TDS all offer fiber internet options in North Carolina.

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Camryn Smith

Written by:

Camryn Smith

Camryn Smith started writing for Allconnect in July 2022 and has developed broadband expertise across the landscape, including home internet providers, plans, pricing and equipment, as well as internet technolog… Read more