Find internet service and providers in North Carolina
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Overview of internet satisfaction and availability in North Carolina
North Carolina has more internet providers spread out from the frigid mountains to the feet-burning shores than you can shake a stick at. AT&T and Spectrum are your top providers, offering fast fiber internet complemented by DSL (AT&T) or cable (Spectrum) internet. If you want superfast speeds, Google Fiber reaches up to 5Gbps in The Triangle and Charlotte. Other options include Verizon and T-Mobile 5G Home internet, Hughesnet and Viasat satellite internet, and DSL internet from Kinetic, Brightspeed, and Frontier.
Internet providers received an average satisfaction rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars from customers in North Carolina.
That ranks North Carolina 29th nationwide for internet customer satisfaction.
Learn more about our methodologyInternet customer satisfaction in North Carolina
3.7/5 average customer satisfaction rating
29th
national ranking for customer satisfaction
$69.73 average price per payment for internet, per household
84.7% of the time, advertised speeds meet household needs
3.7/5 average customer service rating of internet services
3.6/5 average reliability rating of services state-wide
Population:
10,807,491 people
2.66 average people per household
$55,903 average income per household
43 average age per household
53% of population employed
7% higher than national average
Ranked 3rd nationally
3% lower than national average
Ranked 44th nationally
11% higher than national average
Ranked 45th nationally
6% higher than national average
Ranked 11th nationally
Fastest internet providers in North Carolina
| Provider | Avg download speed | Avg upload speed | Availability | Order online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cox Communications | 418.26 Mbps | 278.76 Mbps | 95.73% | View Plans for Cox Communications |
| Google Fiber | 311.52 Mbps | 206.7 Mbps | 65.79% | View Plans for Google Fiber |
| Brightspeed | 300.2 Mbps | 257.53 Mbps | 77.59% | View Plans for Brightspeed |
| Ting | 266.25 Mbps | 229.97 Mbps | 50.71% | View Plans for Ting |
| MetroNet | 260.4 Mbps | 218.62 Mbps | 52.22% | View Plans for Metronet |
Internet by tech type
| Internet tech type | Avg download speed | % of people with access | % availability | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satellite | 118.2 Mbps | 41.29% | 96.45% | See all providers for Satellite |
| LTE Home | 99.28 Mbps | 28.8% | 98.99% | See all providers for LTE Home |
| Fixed Wireless | 92.84 Mbps | 22.83% | 65.61% | See all providers for Fixed Wireless |
| Fiber | 3835.84 Mbps | 70.82% | 61.71% | See all providers for Fiber |
| DSL | 65.87 Mbps | 40.59% | 79.53% | See all providers for DSL |
| Cable | 976.68 Mbps | 93.02% | 51.87% | See all providers for Cable |
| 5G Home | 241.14 Mbps | 92.73% | 54.09% | See all providers for 5G Home |
Best cities for internet in North Carolina
Cities in North Carolina with the fastest internet
| City | Avg download speed | Avg upload speed | Fiber availability | Fastest provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cary | 257.43 Mbps | 124.64 Mbps | 64% | Google Fiber |
| Apex | 255.39 Mbps | 118.4 Mbps | 69% | Google Fiber |
| Wendell | 248.41 Mbps | 130.65 Mbps | 69% | AT&T |
| Davidson | 247.85 Mbps | 148.54 Mbps | 60% | Spectrum |
| Belmont | 237.37 Mbps | 96.11 Mbps | 65% | AT&T |
| Matthews | 236.74 Mbps | 86.77 Mbps | 68% | Google Fiber |
| Graham | 235.72 Mbps | 53.43 Mbps | 31% | AT&T |
| Huntersville | 230.49 Mbps | 96.78 Mbps | 67% | AT&T |
Cary is the best city in North Carolina for internet, shooting to the top of the list thanks to a combination of record-setting average download speeds, wide fiber-optic internet availability, and the presence of a reliable and well-rated internet provider. Apex and Wendell also earn top rankings, according to our data.
The most connected cities in North Carolina
| City | Population | Percent with access to high speed internet | Percent with access to fiber internet | Percent with access to 3+ providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh | 465,517 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Asheville | 93,695 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Cary | 174,880 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Charlotte | 875,045 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Flat Rock | 3,483 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Apex | 65,541 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Clayton | 26,837 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Garner | 31,684 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Raleigh is the most internet-connected city in North Carolina. Raleigh makes it to the top of the list due to the high number of its residents who have access not only to high-speed internet, but also to fiber internet specifically. A large number of Raleigh's residents also have access to three or more internet providers—an uncommon number of options compared to the rest of the state. Asheville and Cary also make it to the top of our list.
Top cities in North Carolina
Charlotte
Population: 875,045
Median income: $72,619
205.26 Mbps
avg. download speed
73.42 Mbps
avg. upload speed
100% have access to high speed internet
100% have access to fiber internet
100% have access to 3 or more providers
Raleigh
Population: 465,517
Median income: $74,737
225.9 Mbps
avg. download speed
102.09 Mbps
avg. upload speed
100% have access to high speed internet
100% have access to fiber internet
100% have access to 3 or more providers
Greensboro
Population: 297,202
Median income: $68,792
208.58 Mbps
avg. download speed
63.85 Mbps
avg. upload speed
100% have access to high speed internet
100% have access to fiber internet
100% have access to 3 or more providers
Methodology
HighSpeedInternet.com relies on proprietary and exclusive data to analyze the customer and provider trends presented on this page. We analyze millions of results from our speed test tool to determine average statewide speeds, fastest speeds, and availability. Our annual customer satisfaction survey provides us with data for developing the satisfaction rating. We also draw from data provided to us directly by internet providers to determine available tech types and average speeds.