Best Internet Providers in Durham, North Carolina

What is the best internet provider in Durham?

Our broadband experts here at CNET recommend AT&T Fiber as the top internet provider in Durham, North Carolina. Thanks to its high-speed service, high customer satisfaction and variety when it comes to plans, it's difficult not to recommend choosing AT&T Fiber to any newcomer or long-time resident of Durham. For other fiber alternatives, consider Google Fiber. It offers even faster speeds than AT&T Fiber, reaching up to 8,000Mbps. That said, its price of $150 per month may be off-putting to some.

For residents or newcomers looking for something cheaper, Frontier Fiber offers a far more affordable internet plan without forcing you to lose out on high speeds in the process. It provides symmetrical speeds of up to 500Mbps at $30 a month -- the cheapest price for internet in the city. There is also Spectrum, which has a variety of different plans -- the most affordable being $30 for 100Mbps. Unfortunately, Spectrum is known for significant price hikes after a year or two, so be sure to read the details of what's being offered before committing to anything.

Two other cheaper alternatives when it comes to internet are Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet. Both offer solid plans and, depending on whether you're an eligible mobile customer or not, can provide plans at just $35 per month.

In the Durham area, you have a range of internet providers to choose from, but selecting the right one for your needs is crucial. Your ideal provider will depend on the availability of service at your specific address and your unique needs. Explore the details of the top providers below to make an informed decision.

Best internet in Durham, North Carolina

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

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How to find internet deals and promotions in Durham

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

Durham internet providers, such as AT&T Fiber, may offer gift cards or other signup bonuses for a limited time. Many, including Frontier, Google 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.

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 Durham

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?

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 selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in factors such as 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 (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis) and FCC reports.

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

Internet providers in Durham FAQs