What is the best internet provider in Wake Forest?
CNET’s highly recommended internet providers in Wake Forest include:
- Spectrum: Best internet provider in Wake Forest
- T-Mobile Home Internet: Best wired wireless internet in Wake Forest
- Ting fiber: Best Fiber Optic ISP in Wake Forest
Brightspeed and AT&T Fiber are also good choices for fiber internet in Wake Forest, but local availability is much more limited than Ting Fiber. Read on to learn more about Wake Forest internet providers, including the cheapest and fastest plans available.
Wake Forest, North Carolina, internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data limit | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber Optic Read the full review |
Fiber | $55-$250 | 300-5,000 Mbps | No | No | No | 7.4 |
| Brightness speed | DSL, fiber optic | $49-$75 | 10-100 Mbps DSL, 200-1,000 Mbps fiber optic | No | No | No | 6.6 |
| Spectrum Read the full review |
Cable | $50-$70 | 500-1,000 Mbps | Free modem, $10 router (optional) | No | No | 7.2 |
| Ting fiber | Fiber | $89 | 1,000 Mbps | $11 (optional) | No | No | N/A |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50 ($40 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | No | No | No | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G home internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible mobile plans) | 50-1,000 Mbps | No | No | No | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Wake Forest?
| Plan | From price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brightspeed Fiber 200 | $49 | 200Mbps | No |
| Spectrum Internet Read the full review |
$50 | 500Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($40 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | No |
| Verizon 5G home internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 300Mbps | No |
| AT&T Fiber 300 Read the full review |
$55 | 300Mbps | No |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Fastest Internet Plans in Wake Forest
| Plan | From price | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | Data limit | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Internet 5000 Read the full review |
$245 | 5,000 Mbps | 5,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
| AT&T Internet 2000 Read the full review |
$145 | 2,000 Mbps | 2,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
| AT&T Internet 1000 Read the full review |
$80 | 1,000 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
| Brightspeed fiber optic 1 gig | $75 | 1,000 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
| Spectrum internet performance Read the full review |
$70 | 1,000 Mbps | 35Mbps | No | Cable |
| Ting Fiber Gigabit | $89 | 1,000 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps | No | Fiber |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read the full review |
$70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) | 1,000 Mbps | 75Mbps | No | Fixed wireless |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is a good internet speed?
Most internet plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that’s suitable for video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here you will find an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Please note that these are guidelines only and internet speed, service and performance will vary by connection type, provider and address.
For more information, see our guide to how much internet speed you really need.
- With 0 to 5 Mbps you can handle the basics: surfing the web, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40 Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
- 40 to 100 Mbps should give a single user enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- With 100 to 500 Mbps, one to two users can simultaneously participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- With 500 to 1,000 Mbps, three or more users can perform high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.
How CNET chose the best Internet providers in Wake Forest, North Carolina
Internet providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router, or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What is our approach? We’ll start by examining the price, availability, and speed information, based on our own historical ISP data, the carriers’ sites, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission on FCC.gov.
It doesn’t stop there: we go to the FCC’s website to check our data and make sure we’re taking into account every ISP that provides service in an area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look to sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to evaluate how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate at the time of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably high internet speeds?
- Do customers get a good price for what they pay?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
The answers to these questions are often layered and complex, but the providers that come closest to ‘yes’ to all three questions are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look at the subscriptions with the lowest monthly amount, but we also take into account things such as price increases, equipment costs and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively easy. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
Visit our page on how we test ISPs to explore our process in more depth.
Internet Service Providers in Wake Forest, North Carolina, Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best internet provider in Wake Forest?
Spectrum is the best internet provider in Wake Forest. The cable internet provider has the best broadband coverage in Wake Forest, available to about 93% of local households, according to the FCC. In addition to high availability, Spectrum offers high speeds for the price, even after standard pricing kicks in after the first year.
Is fiber optic internet available in Wake Forest?
According to the most recent FCC data, nearly seven in 10 Wake Forest homes are ready for fiber-optic internet. Ting Fiber is the most available fiber ISP in Wake Forest, although Brightspeed and AT&T Fiber also offer fiber connections in some parts of the city.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Wakker?
Brightspeed’s 200 Mbps fiber plan has the lowest internet starting rate in Wake Forest: $49 per month. Spectrum, T-Mobile Home Internet, and Verizon 5G Home Internet aren’t far behind, with service starting at $50 per month. Renting a router from Spectrum adds $10 to your bill, while Brightspeed, T-Mobile Home Internet, and Verizon 5G Home Internet include equipment rental at no additional cost. Spectrum also has a higher rate increase than other low-cost ISPs in Wake Forest, as the price of standalone internet service increases by $30 after the first year.
Which internet provider in Wake Forest offers the fastest plan?
AT&T Fiber offers the fastest internet plan in Wake Forest, with symmetrical maximum speeds of 5,000 Mbps or 5 gigabits per second. AT&T fiber availability is very limited in Wake Forest. Other high-speed providers in Wake Forest, including Brightspeed, Spectrum and Ting Fiber, offer maximum download speeds of 1,000 Mbps. Additionally, Verizon is advertising 5G Home Internet with a speed range of 85 to 1,000 Mbps, but actual speeds will vary depending on location and network congestion.
