'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
Money.com released its annual 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S., and a Charlotte neighborhood secured fifth place. Charlotte, NC, has old-world southern charm and bustling cosmopolitan vibrancy. Additionally, there are several noteworthy internet service providers in Charlotte, NC.
If you're a resident (or about to become one) of Charlotte, one of the first services you'll probably be in search of is internet service. There are plenty of providers offering everything from DSL to cable broadband to high-speed fiber-optic service -- how will you know which one is best for you?
Our review of Charlotte internet providers can help you explore and compare your options.
Defining trait | Best Bundles | Best Features | Widest Charlotte Coverage | Best Value |
Connection type | Fiber | Fiber | DSL | Fiber |
Download speeds (Mbps) | 100Mbps 300Mbps 1000Mbps | 1000Mbps | 200Mbps | |
Prices starting at | $50 per month | $70 per month | $49.99 per month | $37 per month |
Contract length | 12 months | None | None | |
Data cap | 1TB or unlimited | None | None | None |
If you prefer to keep your home phone, internet and TV on one bill, AT&T is a good option. The provider offers a small selection of affordable bundles to meet your needs.
Take a closer look at what AT&T has to offer in Charlotte, NC:
Google's foray into internet services ranks them as providers with the most (and best) features in our review. Google Fiber is only available in 18 cities at this time, but that number is set to expand. When you sign up for Google Fiber high-speed internet, you'll also receive free installation and 1TB of free cloud storage.
Google Fiber features:
Spectrum Internet service is available to all Charlotte residents. The internet provider wins our award for widest coverage because 100% of Charlotte residences are eligible for Spectrum internet.
Spectrum features:
Choosing an internet provider based solely on price often comes with drawbacks -- lower speeds or limitations on your monthly data usage. Windstream tops our list for best value because they have one of the lowest prices for high-speed internet without many inconvenient restrictions you'd expect when choosing a low-cost provider.
Windstream features:
We analyzed a dozen companies to find the best internet providers in Charlotte. Some of the key features we looked for are:
Coverage: Internet providers who offer widespread coverage throughout Charlotte make our list of best internet providers. Transferring your service if you move is a perk of being signed up with a provider with larger area coverage.
Value: We weighed the pricing vs features of all the available Charlotte internet service providers in determining which offer readers the most value. Some of the features we looked at were speed, packages, contract lengths, and data caps.
Customer Satisfaction: Satisfaction ratings from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) and J.D. Power were also considered. Because most internet service providers earned mediocre customer satisfaction ratings, we examined industry averages to understand better which internet providers resolved customer service issues best.
Google Fiber is Google's new high-speed internet service. It's only available in select cities, including Charlotte, North Carolina.
Packages start at $50 per month for 100 to 1000Mbps.
Depending on the Charlotte, NC neighborhood, you'll have access to speeds of up to 1000Mbps.
Yes, fibre internet is faster than broadband cable. Fiber optic internet is delivered straight to your home through fibers that can carry light.
Broadband internet is carried on coaxial cable wires and is shared with other neighborhood users, potentially slowing down your speeds when several users are online at once.
The larger the movie or music files you stream, or the more photos or videos you may upload or download, the more data or bandwidth you use. Many internet providers will limit the amount of monthly data.
If you reach your limit, your internet provider may shut off your internet or slow your speed down.