Best Internet Providers in Wilmington, North Carolina
What is the best internet provider in Wilmington?
AT&T fiber optic best internet provider in wilmingtonaccording to our CNET experts. The supplier offers fast, symmetrical loading and unloading speeds, competitive prices and easy service conditions, including unlimited data and free equipment rental.
It also offers the fastest data plan in Wilmington: multi-gigabit speeds up to 5000 megabits per second from $245 per month. While this may be more than most are willing to spend, AT&T Fiber offers a number of other plans ranging from $55 to $145 per month.
If AT&T Fiber is not available at your address, you still have many great options. Spectrum is the cheapest internet in Wilmington, with plans starting at $50 per month with download speeds of up to 500 Mbps, making it a strong contender best budget internet plan. Fixed wireless providers such as T-Mobile Home InternetUS Cellular and Verizon 5G Home Internet also start at $50 per month, but don’t match Spectrum in terms of speed and reliability.
Best Internet in Wilmington, NC
Wilmington Internet Provider Comparison
| Supplier | Internet technologies | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment cost | Data limitation | Agreement | CNET Review Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Read full review |
DSL, fiber optic | DSL – $55, fiber – $55-$245. | DSL 10–100 Mbit/s, fiber optic 300–5000 Mbit/s | Nobody | 1.5 TB DSL, no fiber | Nobody | 7.4 |
| Spectrum Read full review |
Cable | 50-70 dollars | 500–1000 Mbit/s | Free modem, router rental for $10 (optional). | Nobody | Nobody | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$55 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245 Mbit/s | Nobody | Nobody | Nobody | 7.4 |
| US Cellular | Fixed wireless | 50 US dollars | 45-195 Mbit/s | Varies | 600 GB | N/A | |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50 – $70 ($35 – $45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 50–1000 Mbit/s | Nobody | Nobody | Nobody | 7.2 |
| Starlink Read full review |
Low Earth orbit satellite | US$120; $140-$500 (Priority); US$150–5,000 (mobile) | 100-220 Mbit/s | one-time purchase valued at $499. | Unlimited; 1–5 TB (priority) | Nobody | N/A |
| Viasat Read full review |
Satellite | US$99 | 25-150 Mbit/s | One-time purchase of $15 or $250. | 850 GB | 2 years | 6.1 |
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Supplier store at my address
Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Wilmington?
| Plan | Starting price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum Internet Read full review |
50 US dollars | 500 Mbit/s | Free modem, router rental for $10 (optional). |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245 Mbit/s | Nobody |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 50-300 Mbit/s | Nobody |
| US Cellular | 50 US dollars | 25-100 Mbit/s | Varies |
| AT&T Fiber 300 Read full review |
US$55 | 300 Mbit/s | Nobody |
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Supplier store at my address
Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.
How to Find Online Deals and Promotions in Wilmington
The best online deals and best promotions in Wilmington depend on what discounts are available during that period. Most deals are short term, but we are often on the lookout for the latest deals.
Wilmington internet providers like Spectrum may be offering lower introductory prices for a limited time. Many providers, including AT&T Fiber, T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet, use the same standard prices year-round.
For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide to best internet offers.
Fastest Internet Plans in Wilmington
| Plan | Starting price | Maximum download speed | Maximum download speed | Data limitation | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Internet 5000 Read full review |
US$245 | 5000 Mbit/s | 5000 Mbit/s | Nobody | Fiber |
| AT&T Internet 2000 Read full review |
US$145 | 2000 Mbit/s | 2000 Mbit/s | Nobody | Fiber |
| Spectral Internet concert Read full review |
70 US dollars | 1000 Mbit/s | 35 Mbit/s | Nobody | Cable |
| AT&T Internet 1000 Read full review |
80 US dollars | 1000 Mbit/s | 1000 Mbit/s | Nobody | Fiber |
| Internet Verizon 5G Home Plus Read full review |
$70 ($45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 85–1000 Mbit/s | 50-75 Mbit/s | Nobody | Fixed wireless |
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Supplier store at my address
Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.
What is a good internet speed?
Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that allows for video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll benefit from a more reliable connection. Below is an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications. according to the Federal Communications Commission. Please note that these are guidelines only and that internet speed, quality of service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
For more information, refer to our guide to what internet speed do you really need.
- Speeds from 0 to 5 Mbps allow you to perform basic tasks: surfing the Internet, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality video.
- From 5 to 40 Mbps provides higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
- Speeds of 40 to 100 Mbps should provide a single user with enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern remote work, video streaming and online gaming.
- Speeds of 100 to 500 Mbps allow one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming, and online gaming.
- Speeds of 500 to 1000 Mbps allow three or more users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities.
How CNET Selected the Best Internet Providers in Wilmington
Internet providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latter smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen toolIt is not practical to personally test every ISP in a particular city. What is our approach? We start by researching pricing, availability, and speed information using ISPs’ own historical data, ISP websites, and FCC mapping information at: FCC.gov.
It doesn’t end there: we go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we’re counting every ISP providing service in a given region. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We review sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power to gauge how satisfied customers are with an internet service provider. Internet service providers’ plans and prices may change frequently; All information provided is correct at the time of publication.
Once we have localized information, we ask three basic questions:
- Does your provider offer access to high enough internet speeds?
- Are customers getting a decent price for what they pay?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
While the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, we recommend those vendors that come closest to answering yes to all three questions. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for plans with the lowest monthly fees, although we also consider factors such as price increases, hardware fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest Internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real speed data from sources such as Okla And Federal Communications Commission Reports (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
To explore our process in more detail, visit our how we test internet providers page.
Internet Service Providers in Wilmington: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best internet provider in Wilmington?
AT&T Fiber is the best internet service provider in Wilmington due to its fast, consistent speeds, great value terms (free hardware, unlimited data, no contracts) and high customer satisfaction.
Spectrum ranks second to AT&T Fiber in Wilmington. The region’s largest cable Internet provider is available to more local households than AT&T Fiber and has a lower starting price of $30 to $50 per month. Affordable Spectrum plans also offer faster maximum download speeds than similarly priced AT&T Fiber plans: 500 Mbps compared to 300 Mbps.
Is fiber internet available in Wilmington?
Yes. About a third of Wilmington addresses are connected to fiber, most say latest FCC data. The greatest coverage is found in the South Oleander, Princess Place and Pine Valley Estates areas, but fiber can be found in random areas throughout the city. AT&T Fiber is the largest and, in fact, the only fiber optic Internet provider in Wilmington.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Wilmington?
Spectrum, T-Mobile Home Internet, US Cellular and Verizon 5G Home Internet all have plans starting at $50 per month. Spectrum offers the fastest download speeds, up to 1000 Mbps. Equipment rentals, while optional, will add $10 to your monthly Spectrum bill, while T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet include equipment rentals at no additional cost.
Which internet provider in Wilmington offers the fastest rate?
AT&T Fiber offers the fastest plan in Wilmington with speeds up to 5,000 Mbps starting at $245 per month. The service has the unique advantage of fiber optic symmetrical download and upload speeds, a benefit not available on cable Internet such as Spectrum or fixed wireless Internet.
2025-01-11 23:30:00