Best Internet Providers in Greensboro, North Carolina

What is the best internet provider in Greensboro?

If you’re looking for the best internet provider in Greensboro, you’ll need to consider a few factors, including budget, speed and overall availability. Some providers may offer top speeds but aren’t budget-friendly; others may be affordable but not available at your address. CNET’s experts have tested available internet providers to help you find the best option to fit your needs. AT&T Fiber stands out as the best ISP in Greensboro due to its local fiber coverage, fast plans and high customer satisfaction. AT&T Fiber also offers a fast 5,000 megabits per second internet plan in Greensboro and free equipment rental, a perk not available from all internet providers in the area.

Fellow fiber internet provider, Lumos Fiber, has the fastest speeds of any major provider in the area, with plans ranging from 500Mbps to 8,000Mbps.

If fiber internet is unavailable at your address, Spectrum is your best bet for wired internet with coverage spanning 92% of Greensboro, according to the Federal Communications Commission. As CNET’s top pick for cable internet, it’s not a bad option to consider, especially if you’re interested in cheap internet. Spectrum internet starts at $50 a month, tied for the cheapest in the area, for speeds up to 500Mbps.

Aside from fiber internet and cable service from Spectrum, fixed wireless internet from Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet is easy to recommend for internet in Greensboro. Both providers include free equipment, unlimited data and no contracts, plus an added discount for qualifying mobile customers.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What other internet options are there in Greensboro?

Other than T-Mobile Home Internet, there are few options for home internet outside of the ones included in the list above. Here’s a brief look at what to expect from other Greensboro ISPs.

T-Mobile Home Internet: Expected speeds range between 72 to 245Mbps. That’s slower than most Greensboro ISPs, but the straightforward pricing — no equipment rental fees, data caps or contracts — plus the $10 or $20 discount for T-Mobile voice customers, makes it an option worth considering.

Satellite internet: Yes, satellite internet is the only other option for broadband in Greensboro. While Hughesnet recently increased its speeds, Viasat dropped its data caps and Starlink is showing promise as a high-speed ISP, there are too many better internet options in Greensboro to consider satellite internet.

Greensboro broadband at a glance

Greensboro is similar to other major North Carolina cities when it comes to broadband options and available speeds. Most homes will have the choice of two or more wired internet providers. Cable internet from Spectrum is a popular choice, as is fiber internet from Lumos and AT&T.

Nearly 95% of local households are serviceable for internet speeds of 250Mbps down and 25Mbps up, while speeds of 1,000Mbps down and 100Mbps up are available to more than half the city.

Internet pricing in Greensboro

The average starting price for home internet in Greensboro is around $53 a month, not including taxes and additional fees. Spectrum and Lumos Fiber are tired for the lowest starting price at $50 monthly. Both providers offer download speeds up to 500Mbps for the price, but you’ll get faster uploads with Lumos Fiber.

What’s the cheapest internet plan in Greensboro?

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Greensboro

The best internet deals and the top promotions in Greensboro depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Greensboro internet providers such as Lumos Fiber may offer lower introductory pricing for a limited time. Many, including AT&T Fiber and Spectrum, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

How fast is Greensboro broadband?

Recent Ookla speed test data ranked Greensboro 45th fastest among major US cities with median download speeds of 234Mbps. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) North Carolina cities of Charlotte, Durham and Raleigh ranked higher (Raleigh ranked number one overall at 290Mbps), but Greensboro’s speed results are still impressive.

Fastest internet plans in Greensboro

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 Greensboro

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:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. Are customers happy with their service?

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When it comes to 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 also take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Internet in Greensboro recap

Wherever you are or are moving to in Greensboro, Spectrum is likely to be an option. The ISP is a popular choice due to its decent speeds and low introductory pricing, but before you commit to cable internet, check to see if fiber internet is available at your address. Lumos Fiber and AT&T Fiber offer faster speeds and lower standard pricing.

If you’re looking for an alternative to cable or fiber service, consider wireless internet from Verizon 5G Home Internet or T-Mobile Home Internet. The latter has greater availability in the Greensboro area, but Verizon 5G Home Internet has lower pricing and a faster speed range.

Internet providers in Greensboro FAQs

Which internet provider in Greensboro offers the fastest plan?

Lumos Fiber has the fastest internet plan in Greensboro with symmetrical speeds up to 8,000Mbps (8Gbps) starting at $240 a month. Lumos Fiber and AT&T Fiber also offer 5Gbps, 2Gbps and 1Gbps. Lumos Fiber has slightly lower pricing on its high-speed plans, but AT&T Fiber is more widely available in the Greensboro area.