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 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.

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Internet in North Carolina 

Spectrum is the most widely available non-satellite internet provider in North Carolina, serviceable to 74% of the state. The fastest internet provider in the state is AT&T Fiber, which provides fiber speeds from 300 to 5,000 Mbps.

Charlotte is the most populated city in North Carolina, and has a median download speed of about 335 Mbps, and a median upload speed of 40 Mbps. Spectrum is the most widely available provider in Charlotte with 93% serviceability. Spectrum offers two cable internet plans, 500 Mbps and 1,000 Mbps.

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, Brightspeed and TDS provide the fastest internet in North Carolina. AT&T has the fastest plans, with speeds up to 5,000 Mbps, and it is available in cities like Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and Wilmington.

  • AT&T Fiber offers fiber plans ranging from 300 – 5,000 Mbps, starting at $55/mo.
  • Brightspeed offers fiber speeds from 200 – 2,000 Mbps, starting at $29.00/mo.
  • TDS offers fiber internet speeds from 25 – 2,000 Mbps

Cheapest internet in North Carolina

Verizon and T-Mobile have the cheapest options available, though you must bundle with a mobile plan to get the best price. Both providers are widely available throughout the state. With most providers in Charlotte offering plans over $50.00/mo., this is a solid deal, especially if you are willing to switch to T-Mobile or Verizon mobile service. 

  • T-Mobile offers 5G internet starting at $40.00/mo. for up to 245 Mbps
  • Verizon offers two 5G plans starting at $35.00/mo. with a mobile plan
  • Spectrum offers a 500 Mbps plan for $50.00/mo.

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 

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 37% of 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 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 5,000 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 5,000 Mbps, similar to neighboring states such as South Carolina and Tennessee.

The fastest internet in North Carolina is AT&T’s 5,000 Mbps plan.

The cheapest internet in North Carolina is with Verizon, which offers 85 – 300 Mbps for $35.00/mo. with a qualifying mobile plan.

Yes, AT&T 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