Best Internet Providers in Charlotte, NC: Fiber, Cable and Now 5G – CNET [CNET]

As a lifelong Charlotte-area resident, I remember when Time Warner Cable was the option for internet. Home internet options in Charlotte now are about the same as any city: One or two cable internet providers and one or two fiber internet providers. With Charlotte, that cable option is going to be Spectrum, which is still technically TWC, but has changed over to Spectrum since being acquired by Charter. For fiber service, AT&T will be your best bet, but you may find Google Fiber or Kinetic by Windstream available as well, depending on where you live in the Queen City.

Charlotte also has the unique option of 5G home internet service from T-Mobile, which is currently available to roughly half of the area’s households. There are other internet options, of course, such as DSL and satellite internet, but I won’t waste your time with those, and to be honest, you shouldn’t either. Here’s a look at the best internet providers in the Charlotte area.

Compare Charlotte, NC internet provider details

What other internet options are there in Charlotte?

These providers may be available to parts of Charlotte, but they likely won’t be your first or even second choice for home internet unless you live just outside the city.

• Comporium – Outside of the Steele Creek area, specifically Ayrsley, cable internet from Comporium is only available to the south of Charlotte over the border into South Carolina and parts of Union County. With plans starting at $30 per month, Comporium is the cheapest provider in the area, but customers should expect a price increase after the first three months.
• EarthLink – Internet service from EarthLink runs on the networks of other providers. In the case of Charlotte, that provider is AT&T, so EarthLink is technically available wherever you find AT&T. However, AT&T has many of the same selling points of EarthLink, such as unlimited data and no contracts, not to mention lower pricing, so you’re better off just going with AT&T. 
• Kinetic by Windstream – Kinetic is largely known for offering service in suburban or rural areas, and its coverage in Charlotte is no different. While a few Charlotte neighborhoods are serviceable for Kinetic, you’ll find the best coverage in surrounding areas such as Albemarle, Concord and Matthews. If Kinetic’s fiber service is available at your address, it’s worth checking out, but you may want to pass on the DSL service if that’s all you can get. 

Satellite service from HughesNet and Viasat is also available throughout most of Charlotte and the surrounding area, but again, with plenty of other internet options available, satellite internet is not worth the cost.

A closer look at home internet in Charlotte

Cost and speed are often the two most important factors when choosing a home internet service, but there are others like data caps and contracts that you’ll want to take into consideration as well. 

So, how do Charlotte internet providers stack up? Here’s a look at what to expect when shopping for cheap or high-speed internet plans in Charlotte, as well as the conditions that come with signing up.

Charlotte internet pricing

The average starting price for internet service in Charlotte is just under $50 per month. Comporium has the lowest starting price for internet in Charlotte — $30 per month for speeds up to 100Mbps — but again, serviceability is hard to come by and the price goes up after three months. You’ll find the highest starting price with Google Fiber at $70, but with gig speeds, the plan is also high in value.

The two largest Charlotte internet providers, AT&T and Spectrum, have the same starting price of $55 per month, but Spectrum will be $5 cheaper if you choose to use your own equipment. After the first year, lookout for a price increase of up to $25 per month from Spectrum that will give AT&T the clear pricing advantage. 

What’s the cheapest internet in Charlotte?

Internet service for low income households in Charlotte

Every household needs a broadband connection, but unfortunately not every household can afford one. To help with broadband internet accessibility in low-income Charlotte households and communities, the North Carolina Department of Information and Technology recommends seeking assistance from the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program. 

Per the NCDIT, the program provides a $30 per month benefit to help qualifying Charlotte households afford access to high-speed internet service, plus a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer. For more information, see Trey Paul’s article on what the Affordable Connectivity Program is and how to apply.

Charlotte internet providers AT&T and Spectrum may also offer low income internet options separate from or in conjunction with the Affordable Connectivity Program. AT&T’s affordable internet program, Access from AT&T, may even provide free internet with speeds up to 100Mbps (at a rate of $30 per month, which works out to net $0 when combined with ACP benefits). Spectrum offers a similar plan, Spectrum Internet Assist, which offers speeds up to 30Mbps, but rates may vary by household and there’s still the $5 Wi-Fi equipment rental fee.

Charlotte internet speeds

Charlotte isn’t home to the cheapest internet plans you’ll find, but it does sport some of the fastest home internet speeds available anywhere. Google Fiber has offered multigig speeds of up to 2,000Mbps (2Gbps) in the Charlotte area for a year or so now, and AT&T recently joined the multigig club with a 2,000Mbps plan of its own, plus a 5,000Mbps plan. If neither provider is available at your address, Spectrum still offers download speeds up to 940Mbps throughout the entire Charlotte area. 

What’s the fastest internet in Charlotte?

Most of the fastest internet plans in Charlotte also come with symmetrical, or at least still very fast, upload speeds. The exception is Spectrum — as a cable network, it doesn’t support the same upload speeds that you’ll get from a fiber connection. Comporium has a fiber network, but is primarily a cable internet provider as well, so there may be some locations that are not eligible for the fastest upload speeds the provider has to offer in the area.

Don’t fret over the fine print

When using a high-speed internet connection, it’s easy to consume lots of data each month, which can be a problem if you have a data cap. You won’t have to worry about that in Charlotte, however, as all major ISPs in the area come with unlimited data. 

Contracts aren’t an issue, either, as AT&T, Comporium, Google Fiber, Kinetic, Spectrum and T-Mobile’s 5G home internet service do not require one when signing up.

Charlotte internet FAQs