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What is the best internet provider in Wake Forest?
CNET’s highest recommended internet service providers in Wake Forest include:
- Spectrum: Best internet provider in Wake Forest
- T-Mobile Home Internet: Best fixed wireless internet in Wake Forest
- Ting Fiber: Best fiber ISP in Wake Forest
Brightspeed and AT&T Fiber are also decent 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 cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber Read full review |
Fiber | $55-$250 | 300-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Brightspeed | DSL, fiber | $49-$75 | 10-100Mbps DSL, 200-1,000Mbps fiber | None | None | None | 6.6 |
| Spectrum Read full review |
Cable | $50-$70 | 500-1,000Mbps | Free modem, $10 router (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
| Ting Fiber | Fiber | $89 | 1,000Mbps | $11 (optional) | None | None | N/A |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50 ($40 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible mobile plans) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Wake Forest?
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brightspeed Fiber 200 | $49 | 200Mbps | None |
| Spectrum Internet Read full review |
$50 | 500Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($40 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 300Mbps | None |
| AT&T Fiber 300 Read full review |
$55 | 300Mbps | None |
Show more (1 item)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Fastest internet plans in Wake Forest
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Internet 5000 Read full review |
$245 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| AT&T Internet 2000 Read full review |
$145 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| AT&T Internet 1000 Read full review |
$80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Brightspeed Fiber 1 Gig | $75 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review |
$70 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
| Ting Fiber Gigabit | $89 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review |
$70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s 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 videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.
- 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics: browsing the internet, sending and receiving email and streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
- 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Wake Forest, North Carolina
Internet service 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’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
It doesn’t end there: We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate 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?
- Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
- Are customers happy with their service?
The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in Wake Forest, North Carolina, FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Wake Forest?
Spectrum is the best internet service provider in Wake Forest. The cable internet provider has the best broadband coverage in Wake Forest, available to approximately 93% of local households, per the FCC. Along with high availability, Spectrum offers fast speeds for the price, even after standard pricing goes into effect after the first year.
Is fiber internet available in Wake Forest?
Nearly seven in 10 Wake Forest homes are serviceable for fiber internet, according to the most recent FCC data. Ting Fiber is the most widely available fiber ISP in Wake Forest, although Brightspeed and AT&T Fiber also offer fiber connections in part of the city.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Wake Forest?
Brightspeed’s 200Mbps fiber plan has the lowest starting rate for internet in Wake Forest at $49 a month. Spectrum, T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet aren’t far behind, with service starting at $50 a month. Renting a router with Spectrum will add $10 to your bill while Brightspeed, T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet include equipment rental at no extra cost. Spectrum also has a higher rate hike than other cheap ISPs in Wake Forest as the price of standalone internet service goes up 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 5,000Mbps, or 5 gigabits per second. AT&T Fiber availability is highly limited in Wake Forest. Other high-speed providers in Wake Forest, including Brightspeed, Spectrum and Ting Fiber, offer maximum download speeds of 1,000Mbps. Additionally, Verizon 5G Home Internet advertises a speed range of 85 to 1,000Mbps, but actual speeds will vary by location and network congestion.
