Best Internet Providers in Lynchburg, Virginia – CNET [CNET]

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Updated Dec. 24, 2023 5:00 a.m. PT

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Written by 

Hallie Seltzer

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Headshot of writer Hallie Seltzer

Hallie Seltzer Associate Writer

Hallie Seltzer is an associate writer with CNET’s broadband team, covering ISP reviews, provider comparisons and a little bit of everything related to home internet. She is a recent graduate from Rogers State University in Oklahoma with a degree in strategic communications. In her spare time, Hallie enjoys trying new restaurants, watching scary movies and snuggling with her two kitties.

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What is the best internet provider in Lynchburg?

Xfinity is the best internet service provider for most households in Lynchburg. With fast speeds and the lowest prices in the area, Xfinity’s service is available to most addresses in Lynchburg. Glo Fiber and Verizon 5G Home Internet are also great choices for home internet, depending on your location.

If you want to pay the least possible for broadband, Xfinity’s Connect package costs only $25 per month for download speeds up to 75 megabits per second. Although Xfinity also offers some of the fastest plans in the area — with speeds up to 2,000Mbps — Glo Fiber takes the gold with its 5 gigabit service, costing $285 monthly.

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Best internet in Lynchburg, Virginia

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Speed range

75 – 2,000 Mbps

Price range

$20 – $120 per month

Our take – Although we usually recommend fiber service over cable, this ISP’s coverage can’t be beat. Providing service to over 91% of Lynchburg, according to the FCC, Xfinity also offers the cheapest internet plan in the area with unlimited data and no required contract.

Read full review

Speed range

75 – 2,000 Mbps

Price range

$20 – $120 per month

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Speed range

85 – 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $70 per month

Our take – This fixed wireless provider is known for its low prices, fast speeds and simple service details. Verizon 5G Home Internet offers two plans: $50 for 300Mbps or $70 for gigabit speed with no data caps or contracts. Plus, if you’re an eligible mobile customer, you can receive a $20-$25 discount.

Read full review

Speed range

85 – 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $70 per month

Lynchburg internet providers compared

Provider Internet technology Monthly price range Speed range Monthly equipment costs Data cap Contract CNET review score
Glo Fiber Fiber $65-$285 600-5,000Mbps $10 (optional) None None N/A
Shentel Cable $65-$230 150-1,000Mbps $10 (optional) 1.02-3.25TB on some plans None N/A
T-Mobile Home Internet Fixed wireless $50 ($30 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max mobile customers) 72-245Mbps None None None 7.4
Verizon 5G Home Internet Fixed wireless $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible Verizon 5G mobile plans) 50-1,000Mbps None None None 7.2
Xfinity Cable $25-$120 75-2,000Mbps $15 (optional) None 1 year on some plans 7

Show more (1 item)

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s the cheapest internet plan in Lynchburg?

Provider Starting price Max download speed Monthly equipment fee
Xfinity Connect $25 75Mbps $15 (optional)
T-Mobile Home Internet $50 ($30 with eligible mobile plan) 245Mbps None
Verizon 5G Home Internet $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plan) 300Mbps None
Glo Fiber 600Mbps $65 600Mbps $10 (optional)
Shentel 150Mbps $65 150Mbps $10 (optional)

Show more (1 item)

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

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Photo by Sean Pavone/Getty Images

How to find internet deals and promotions in Lynchburg

The best internet deals and top promotions in Lynchburg depend on the discounts available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.

Lynchburg internet providers, such as Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including Verizon and T-Mobile, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals

Fastest internet plans in Lynchburg

Provider Starting price Max download speed Max upload speed Data cap Connection type
Glo Fiber 5Gbps $285 5,000Mbps 5,000Mbps None Fiber
Glo Fiber 2.4Gbps $135 2,400Mbps 2,400Mbps None Fiber
Xfinity Gigabit X2 $120 2,000Mbps 200Mbps None Cable
Xfinity Gigabit Extra $80 1,200Mbps 50Mbps None Cable
Shentel 1Gbps $200 1,000Mbps 35Mbps 3.25 on some plans Cable
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet $70 ($45 with eligible mobile plan) 1,000Mbps 50Mbps None Fixed wireless
Xfinity Gigabit $70 1,000Mbps 20Mbps None Cable

Show more (3 items)

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can 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.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

  • 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 Lynchburg

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:

  1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
  2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
  3. 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 selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fees, 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 consider 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.

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