What is the best internet provider in Wake Forest?
CNET’s top recommended Internet service providers in Wake Forest include:
- The spectrum: The best Internet provider in Wake Forest
- T-Mobile Home Internet: The best fixed wireless Internet in Wake Forest
- Fiber Ting: Best Fiber 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 cap | contracts | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber Read the full review |
Fiber | $55-$245 | 300-5000Mbps | ANY | ANY | ANY | 7.4 |
| The speed of light | DSL, fiber | $49-$75 | 10-100 Mbps DSL, 200-1000 Mbps fiber | ANY | ANY | ANY | 6.6 |
| The spectrum Read the full review |
CABLES | 30-70 dollars | 100-1000Mbps | Free modem, $10 router (optional) | ANY | ANY | 7.2 |
| Fiber Ting | Fiber | 89 dollars | 1000 Mbps | $11 (optional) | ANY | ANY | N/A |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$55 with eligible cellular plans) | 87-415 Mbps | ANY | ANY | ANY | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible cellular plans) | 50-1000Mbps | ANY | ANY | ANY | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Wake Forest?
| Plan | Initial price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet spectrum advantage Read the full review |
30 dollars | 500 Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| Brightspeed Fiber 200 | 49 dollars | 200 Mbps | ANY |
| Spectrum Internet Premier Read the full review |
50 dollars | 500 Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible cellular plans) | 318 Mbps | ANY |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read the full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible cellular plans) | 300 Mbps | ANY |
| AT&T Fiber 300 Read the full review |
55 dollars | 300 Mbps | ANY |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Fastest internet plans in Wake Forest
| Plan | Initial price | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Internet 5000 Read the full review |
245 dollars | 5000 Mbps | 5000 Mbps | ANY | Fiber |
| AT&T Internet 2000 Read the full review |
145 dollars | 2000 Mbps | 2000 Mbps | ANY | Fiber |
| AT&T Internet 1000 Read the full review |
80 dollars | 1000 Mbps | 1000 Mbps | ANY | Fiber |
| Brightspeed Fiber 1 Gig | 75 dollars | 1000 Mbps | 1000 Mbps | ANY | Fiber |
| Spectrum Internet Concert Read the full review |
70 dollars | 1000 Mbps | 35 Mbps | ANY | CABLES |
| Ting Fiber Gigabit | 89 dollars | 1000 Mbps | 1000 Mbps | ANY | Fiber |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read the full review |
$70 ($45 with eligible cellular plans) | 1000 Mbps | 75 Mbps | ANY | 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, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a stronger connection. Here is a summary of the minimum recommended download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are guidelines only 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 5 Mbps lets you handle the basics: web browsing, sending and receiving email, and streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40 Mbps gives you the highest quality video streaming and video conferencing.
- 40 to 100 Mbps should give a user enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommunications, 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 1000 Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.
How CNET picked the best Internet providers in Wake Forest, North Carolina
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router, or kitchen appliance, it’s 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 ISP data, provider sites, and map information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
It doesn’t stop there: We go to the FCC website to check our records and make sure we account for every ISP that provides service in an area. We also enter local addresses into provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look to 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 at the time of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three key questions:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Are customers getting good value for what they are paying?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
The answer to these questions is often layered and complex, but 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 consider things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. 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 page on how we test ISPs.
Internet providers in Wake Forest, North Carolina, FAQ
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, according to the FCC. Along with high availability, Spectrum offers fast speeds for the price, even after standard pricing kicks in after the first year.
Is fiber internet available at Wake Forest?
According to the most recent FCC data, fiber internet is available to approximately 70% of Wake Forest. Ting Fiber is the most widely available fiber ISP in Wake Forest, although Brightspeed and AT&T Fiber also offer fiber connections in parts of the city.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Wake Forest?
Spectrum’s 100 Mbps Internet Advantage plan has the lowest starting rate for Internet in Wake Forest at $30 per month. Brightspeed, T-Mobile Home Internet, and Verizon 5G Home Internet aren’t far behind, with service starting around $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 rentals at no extra cost. But note, Spectrum also has a higher rate increase than other free ISPs in Wake Forest as the price of standalone Internet service increases by at least $20 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 maximum symmetrical 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 5G Home Internet advertises a speed range of 85 to 1,000 Mbps, but actual speeds will vary by location and network congestion.
