Charlotte residential internet coverage
AT&T, Google Fiber , and Spectrum are the largest internet providers in Charlotte.
AT&T has the fastest fiber in Charlotte, with speeds ranging from 300 Mbps to 5,000 Mbps. AT&T also offers slower DSL internet plans that use existing telephone lines—with speeds up to 100 Mbps. AT&T’s service area covers most of the city and surrounding areas, from Highland Creek all the way down to Ballantyne and Provincetowne.
Google Fiber is the second fastest internet provider in the area. Its fiber connections reach up to 1,000 Mbps or 2,000 Mbps, depending on the plan.
EarthLink is another fiber internet provider, but its coverage isn’t quite as widespread as AT&T. Its DSL internet plans top out at 80 Mbps, while its fiber services support up to 5,000 Mbps.
Windstream rounds out the fiber providers list supporting up to 2,000 Mbps. Like EarthLink, its availability isn’t as widespread as AT&T. Windstream is primarily in eastern communities like Villa Heights, Idlewild, East Forest, Providence Crossing, and Piper Glen Estates.
Spectrum is a cable internet provider with a larger footprint than AT&T in the Charlotte area. Top speeds range from 300 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps. Plus, customers can take advantage of Spectrum’s WiFi hotspots scattered throughout the city.
Finally, Viasat and HughesNet provide satellite internet to areas where landlines can’t reach. They’re also a good alternative if you’re not happy with the land-based providers. Satellite internet is slower and more expensive, however.
Highest-rated internet service providers in Charlotte
The best internet provider in the area is Google Fiber according to our annual customer satisfaction survey. It outranks every other provider in the area in overall satisfaction, speed, price, reliability, and customer service. In fact, it’s above average in speed satisfaction when compared to other regional internet providers.
Of all the national internet providers in the area, EarthLink ranks the highest in our survey but doesn’t quite reach Google Fiber’s numbers. Spectrum has the second-best speed satisfaction of the group, while EarthLink has the second-best customer service satisfaction. Windstream ranks in the bottom half of every category.