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David AndersSenior Writer
David Anders is a senior writer for CNET covering broadband providers, smart home devices and security products. Prior to joining CNET, David built his industry expertise writing for the broadband marketplace Allconnect. In his 5 plus years covering broadband, David’s work has been referenced by a variety of sources including ArcGIS, DIRECTV and more. David is from and currently resides in the Charlotte area with his wife, son and two cats.
ExpertiseBroadband providers, Home internet, Security Cameras
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What is the best internet provider in Greensboro?
Greensboro residents may have access to multiple home internet options, but AT&T Fiber stands out as the best ISP in Greensboro for its local fiber coverage, fast plans and high customer satisfaction. AT&T Fiber also offers the fastest internet plan in Greensboro, up to 5,000 megabits per second, and free equipment rental, a perk not available from all internet providers in the area.
Lumos Fiber shares fiber coverage with AT&T in Greensboro and has the cheapest plan of any major provider in the area, starting at $40 per month for speeds up to 500Mbps.
If fiber internet is unavailable at your address, Spectrum is your best bet for wired internet with coverage spanning 92% of Greensboro, according to the FCC. As CNET’s top pick for cable internet, it’s not a bad option to consider, especially if you’re interested in bundling internet and TV.
Aside from fiber internet and cable service from Spectrum, fixed wireless internet from Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet is easy to recommend for internet in Greensboro. Both providers include free equipment, unlimited data and no contracts with plans starting at $50 per month, plus an added discount for qualifying mobile customers.
methodology page.
Best internet in Greensboro
Speed range
300 – 5,000Mbps
Price range
$55 – $250 per month
Our take – AT&T Fiber is about as customer-friendly as it gets with multiple plan options, stable pricing, unlimited data and free equipment. New customers can also take advantage of bonus offers such as free gift cards or contract buyouts when signing up.
Our take – Spectrum doesn’t quite match the speed and value potential of Greensboro’s fiber internet providers, but it does have the advantage of widespread availability throughout the city. Like AT&T Fiber and Lumos Fiber, service comes with unlimited data and no contract requirements.
Our take – Fiber-optic is preferred for its fast, symmetrical speeds and superior reliability, but it’s uncommon for it to also be the cheapest source of home internet. Lumos Fiber, with speeds up to 500Mbps starting at $40 per month, offers the cheapest internet plan in Greensboro.
Speed range
200 – 2,000Mbps
Price range
$40 – $100 per month
Speed range
85 – 1,000Mbps
Price range
$50 – $70 per month
Our take – Greensboro is a Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband capable city, meaning many residents will have access to Verizon 5G Home Internet. Customers can choose from two plans: Home, with speeds ranging from 50 to 300Mbps for $50 per month, and Home Plus, which starts at $70 monthly for speeds of 85 to 1,000Mbps. That’s quite the range, so the overall value will depend on the available speeds at your address.
$50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers)
50-1,000Mbps
None
None
None
7.2
Show more (1 item)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Greensboro
The best internet deals and the top promotions in Greensboro depend on what discounts are available during that time period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Greensboro internet providers such as Lumos Fiber may offer lower introductory pricing for a limited time. Many, however, including AT&T Fiber and Spectrum run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of deals, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines — and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics — browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Greensboro
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
Are customers happy with their service?
While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When it comes to selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and also take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.