What is the best ISP in Wilmington?
AT&T fiber is the best internet service provider in Wilmingtonaccording to our CNET experts. The provider offers fast, symmetrical upload and download speeds, competitive pricing and clear terms of service, including unlimited data and free equipment rental.
It also has the fastest internet plan in Wilmington, with multi-gigabit speeds up to 5,000 megabits per second starting at $245 per month. While this may be more than most are willing to spend, AT&T Fiber provides a variety of other plans priced between $55 and $145 per month.
If AT&T Fiber is not available at your address, you still have many great options. Spectrum connects for the cheapest internet in Wilmington, with plans starting at $50 per month for download speeds of up to 500 Mbps, making it a strong contender for best budget internet plan. Fixed wireless providers like T-Mobile Home InternetUS Cellular and Verizon 5G Home Internet they also start at $50 per month, but can't match Spectrum in terms of speed and reliability.
Best Internet in Wilmington, North Carolina
Compared to Wilmington ISPs
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Agreement | CNET Review Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Read the full review |
DSL, fiber | DSL from $55, fiber from $55 to $245 | 10-100Mbps DSL, 300-5,000Mbps fiber optic | No one | 1.5 TB DSL, no fiber | No one | 7.4 |
| Spectrum Read the full review |
Cable | 50-70 dollars | 500-1,000 Mbps | Free modem, $10 router rental (optional) | No one | No one | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$55 with eligible cellular plans) | 72-245 Mbps | No one | No one | No one | 7.4 |
| US Cellular | Fixed wireless | 50 dollars | 45-195 Mbps | It varies | 600 GB | N/A | |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 50-1,000 Mbps | No one | No one | No one | 7.2 |
| Starlink Read the full review |
Low Earth Orbit Satellite | 120 dollars; $140-$500 (Priority); $150-$5,000 (mobile) | 100-220 Mbps | One time purchase of $499 | Unlimited; 1TB-5TB (priority) | No one | N/A |
| Viasat Read the full review |
Satellite | 99 dollars | 25-150 Mbps | $15 or $250 one time purchase | 850 GB | 2 years | 6.1 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Wilmington?
| Plan | Starting price | Maximum download speed | Monthly subscription for equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum Internet Read the full review |
50 dollars | 500 Mbps | Free modem, $10 router rental (optional) |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible cell phone plans) | 72-245 Mbps | No one |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible cell phone plans) | 50-300 Mbps | No one |
| US Cellular | 50 dollars | 25-100 Mbps | It varies |
| AT&T Fiber 300 Read the full review |
55 dollars | 300 Mbps | No one |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find online deals and promotions in Wilmington
The best online deals and top promotions in Wilmington depend on what discounts are available at that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we often look for the latest offers.
Wilmington ISPs like Spectrum may offer lower introductory rates for a limited time. Many providers, including AT&T Fiber, T-Mobile Home Internet, and Verizon 5G Home Internet, run the same standard prices year-round.
For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide to the best internet deals.
Fastest internet plans in Wilmington
| Plan | Starting price | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Internet 5000 Read the full review |
245 dollars | 5,000 Mbps | 5,000 Mbps | No one | Hair |
| AT&T Internet 2000 Read the full review |
145 dollars | 2,000 Mbps | 2,000 Mbps | No one | Hair |
| Spectrum Internet gig Read the full review |
70 dollars | 1,000 Mbps | 35 Mbps | No one | Cable |
| AT&T Internet 1000 Read the full review |
80 dollars | 1,000 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps | No one | Hair |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read the full review |
$70 ($45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 85-1,000 Mbps | 50-75 Mbps | No one | Fixed wireless |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider 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 can accommodate video conferencing, streaming video, or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a stronger connection. Here's an overview of recommended minimum download speeds for different apps, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Note that these are guidelines only and that internet speed, service and performance will vary by connection type, provider and address.
For more information, see our guide to how much internet speed do you really need?.
- 0 to 5 Mbps lets you handle the basics: web browsing, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality video.
- From 5 to 40 Mbps, you can enjoy video streaming and video conferencing with higher quality.
- 40 to 100 Mbps should give a user enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500 Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming, and online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000 Mbps allows three or more users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities.
How CNET picked the best ISPs in Wilmington
Internet providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest ones smart phone, laptop, router or kitchen toolit is impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What is our approach? We start by researching price, availability and speed information based on our historical data from ISPs, provider locations and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
It doesn't stop there: We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we account for every ISP that provides service in a certain area. We also enter local addresses on supplier websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to gauge how satisfied customers are with an ISP's service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent change; all information provided is correct as of the time of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Are customers getting decent value for what they are paying for?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
While the answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that come closest to saying yes to all three are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also take into account factors such as price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and look at real-world speed data from sources like Okla and The FCC 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 ISPs page.
ISPs in Wilmington Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best internet service provider in Wilmington?
AT&T Fiber is the best internet service provider in Wilmington because of its fast, symmetrical speeds, favorable terms of service (free equipment, unlimited data, no contracts) and record of high customer satisfaction.
Spectrum is a close second to AT&T Fiber in Wilmington. The area's largest cable ISP is available to more local households than AT&T Fiber and has a lower starting price of $30 to $50 per month. Available Spectrum plans also offer higher maximum download speeds than similarly priced plans from AT&T Fiber, 500Mbps compared to 300Mbps.
Is fiber optic internet available in Wilmington?
Yes. By most estimates, about a third of Wilmington's addresses are wired for fiber optic Internet service recent FCC data. Coverage is greatest in the South Oleander, Princess Place and Pine Valley Estates neighborhoods, but fiber service can be found in random areas throughout the city. AT&T Fiber is the largest and essentially the only fiber internet provider in Wilmington.
What is the cheapest ISP 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 1000Mbps. Equipment rental, while optional, will add $10 to your monthly bill with Spectrum, while T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet include equipment rental at no additional cost.
Which ISP in Wilmington offers the fastest plan?
AT&T Fiber offers the fastest internet plan in Wilmington with speeds up to 5,000 Mbps starting at $245 per month. The service comes with the unique fiber benefit of symmetrical upload and download speeds, a benefit not available from cable internet like Spectrum or fixed wireless internet.