Internet providers in Charlotte, NC

AT&T and EarthLink are the fastest internet providers in the area, with fiber speeds up to 5,000 Mbps. GFiber is the second-fastest provider with fiber speeds up to 2 Gbps followed by Kinetic with fiber speeds up to 1 Gbps. But Google Fiber is the only provider of the four that doesn’t offer a secondary DSL internet service.

Spectrum is the only cable internet provider in Charlotte. Its plans range in speed between 300 Mbps and 1,000 Mbps.

Viasat and Hughesnet provide satellite internet if you live in areas where landlines don’t reach. They’re also a good option if you’re not happy with your landline options.

Digital subscriber line (DSL) is a type of internet service that runs through phone lines, like dial-up. But unlike dial-up, DSL won’t occupy your phone connection, so you can still make and receive calls while online. DSL is also much faster than dial-up, reaching speeds up to 100 Mbps with some providers. DSL is ideal if you live in a rural area or don’t need speeds faster than 100 Mbps.

GFiber is a fiber-to-the-home internet service operated by Google. Google Fiber supports 1,000 Mbps or 2,000 Mbps, depending on the plan.

AT&T Fiber is AT&T’s fastest internet service. It’s a fiber-to-the-home service offering speeds up to 5,000 Mbps.

Charter Communications is the parent company of Spectrum. Charter acquired Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks in 2016 and merged those services with Charter’s own cable service. Charter rebranded the three combined services as Spectrum.

Spectrum Internet® plans start at $49.99 per month for 12 months. Bundles with TV or phone service start at $64.98 per month for 12 months.

Spectrum Internet® plans range from 300 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps.

AT&T Internet starts at $55 per month and costs $180 per month for the fastest plan.

Spectrum Internet Assist is a program that offers low-income households affordable internet service starting at $17.99 per month. The service comes with 30 Mbps internet, no data caps, and the option to add WiFi for another $5.00 per month. You can sign up for this program if a member of your household receives benefits from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or Supplemental Security Income.

Spectrum WiFi is a fancy name for the WiFi portion of your Spectrum Internet® plan. For $5 per month, you can use a router provided by Spectrum or enable the WiFi component in its wireless gateway. Spectrum Advanced Home WiFi is a newer service that gives you more control over your WiFi network, but you must use its standalone Wi-Fi 6 router.

How much you pay for home internet with Wi-Fi depends on which provider you choose and which plan you select. The cheapest internet plans in Charlotte come in at about $40 per month, from either Spectrum or Earthlink fiber. Both are fast enough to meet the needs of most households. If you can't get those plans, you can find options in the $50 to $55 range from Earthlink DSL or AT&T, but the plans will only be fast enough for browsing and checking email. If you can get Google Fiber, the cheapest plan is $70 per month but the speeds will be lightning-fast.

Spectrum and Earthlink offer internet plans in the range of $40 per month for speeds of 300Mbps, not counting equipment fees. If you can prove you qualify for low-income status, however, you may be able to sign up for a plan from Spectrum for as low as about $25 per month for top speeds of 50Mbps.

Xfinity does not offer home internet service in Charlotte, but you can get comparable cable internet from Spectrum. The biggest difference is that Spectrum doesn’t have data caps but may have equipment fees and price hikes after a year or two of service.

Yes, fiber internet from AT&T, Google Fiber, and Earthlink is available to certain homes and businesses in Charlotte. To see if your location qualifies, navigate to either EarthLink, GFiber, or AT&T and enter your address.