Hey there! Moving to or within North Carolina? With so many internet providers serving the Tar Heel state, it can get confusing as you try to find the right high-speed internet setup for your home.
This comprehensive guide lays out North Carolina‘s top 12 home internet providers available across different cities, rural areas and remote regions. I‘ll overview the types of internet connections offered, speed capabilities, pricing and key coverage details to help you evaluate your options.
Sizing Up North Carolina‘s Internet Provider Landscape
North Carolina has one of the fastest growing populations in the U.S. Fiber and cable broadband access is spreading, but rural regions still lag behind national average connection speeds.
As an experienced technology analyst and longtime North Carolina resident, I’ve researched the options in-depth. Here’s an overview of key providers and infrastructure across our state:
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AT&T, Spectrum and CenturyLink have the most extensive infrastructure statewide combining aging DSL and new fiber networks. They offer a range of speed tiers from 10Mbps to 1Gbps.
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Fiber and cable networks are concentrated around metro regions like Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Winston-Salem where you’ll have many more options.
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Rural Western counties and remote Eastern parts of the state have limited wired broadband access and therefore more reliance on rural fixed wireless, satellite and dial-up connections.
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Several high-speed fiber upstarts like Google Fiber and North State have begun constructing networks in select metro areas to challenge the big telcos.
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The Chart below summarizes what percentage of NC residents have access to various internet types according to FCC data:
Now let‘s explore the key internet providers available within reach across our beautiful state of North Carolina…
1. AT&T
As the largest internet provider in North Carolina, AT&T leve…
