Best Internet Providers in Raleigh, North Carolina for 2025
Compare the Best Internet Service Providers in Raleigh, NC
Not all plans are available in all areas. Provider plan, availability, and speed tier data provided by BroadbandNow.com. Speedtest real-world data is only present where sample size has reached significance within a region. Additionally, averages may include aggregated tests across multiple Internet Types (Fiber, DSL, Cable, etc.).
Here at Speedtest, our unwavering commitment revolves around furnishing you with precise and dependable data, forming the bedrock of our evaluations on Internet Service Providers. Anchored in millions of Speedtests conducted worldwide, our analysis of ISP performance stands as a testament to its credibility and currency, ensuring an unbiased and up-to-date viewpoint on ISP offerings. These metrics, encompassing download speed, upload speed, and latency, equip users with indispensable insights essential for making well-judged decisions tailored to their specific internet needs.
The choice of ISP technology significantly shapes your online encounters, with fiber optics typically delivering top-tier speeds, ideal for bandwidth-intensive online activities. Cable internet, more prevalent, delivers commendable download rates but may lag in upload speeds. DSL offers satisfactory speeds for basic online functions, while satellite internet, often a last resort, frequently grapples with high latency and diminished speeds.
At Speedtest, we're dedicated to empowering you with the knowledge necessary to navigate the diverse landscape of internet service provision, ensuring that your online experience is as seamless and satisfactory as possible.
How Much Speed Do I Need?
Download speeds of at least 100 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 10 Mbps are widely considered fast enough to handle nearly any online activity. A quick guide to what speeds you need for different online activities is below, and you can read our full guide to internet speeds and performance for more information. Keep in mind that the numbers below are the bare minimum for one device at a time. If you’re trying to use multiple devices on a network at the same time, you’ll want higher speeds.
0–5 Mbps (Slow)
- Stream SD video
- Connect on Slack
- Use Microsoft Teams
- Write and read email
- Scroll social media
- General web browsing
5–20 Mbps (Better)
- Stream HD video at 1080p
20–40 Mbps (Solid)
- Stream 4K video
- Play games online
40–100 Mbps (Good)
- Stream HD games
100+ Mbps (Fast)
- Engage in multi-player gaming
- Download huge files
1+ Gbps (Very fast)
- Do anything you want on multiple devices
ISP Speeds in Raleigh, NC
In Raleigh, North Carolina, our comprehensive Speedtest data identified Google Fiber as offering the fastest recorded median download speed of 396 Mbps. Known for its cutting-edge technology, Google Fiber's fiber internet service stands out for providing incredibly high-speed internet to residents which demonstrates a significant leap forward in internet connectivity within the city.
Among the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Raleigh, Google Fiber and AT&T Fiber boast the highest advertised maximum download speeds, with both potentially reaching speeds of up to 8 Gbps and 5 Gbps, respectively. The discrepancy between advertised maximum speeds and the recorded median speeds highlights the variability that users may experience, emphasizing the importance of real-world performance data. Both providers utilize fiber technology, indicating top-tier internet capabilities intended for the most demanding of internet users like those who work from home or stream large amounts of data.
A good rule of thumb to bear in mind is that download speeds of at least 100 Mbps and upload speeds of 10 Mbps are widely considered fast enough to handle nearly any online activity. At 100 Mbps, residents can stream 4K high-definition (HD) videos on multiple devices, download large files for work, or engage in high-definition gaming across various platforms. Considering that the needs for speed varies per household, it's pivotal to understand how the network will be used and by how many people. As internet is cumulative, meaning the number of connected devices is a critical factor in determining your required speed.
Raleigh Fixed Speeds
Download Mbps
Median download speed
Upload Mbps
Median upload speed
Latency ms
Median latency
Historical performance (download)
To be added to this list for mobile or fixed broadband, 75% of a city's monthly unique user totals over a 13-month period must have a minimum of 200 monthly unique user results. To be updated for mobile or fixed broadband, 75% of a city's monthly unique user totals over a 13-month period must have a minimum of 100 monthly unique user results.
Expected Speed Range
Expected speed range (download)
An operator or ISP must account for 3% or more of total test samples in the market to be on this list. We display data if at least two operators or ISPs meet this threshold in a designated region or city.
Internet Providers in Nearby Cities
- Apex
- Asheboro
- Asheville
- Belmont
- Boone
- Burlington
- Carolina Beach
- Carrboro
- Cary
- Chapel Hill
- Charlotte
- Clayton
- Clemmons
- Concord
- Cornelius
- Davidson
- Durham
- Elizabeth City
- Fayetteville
- Fort Bragg
- Franklin
- Fuquay Varina
- Garner
- Gastonia
- Goldsboro
- Greensboro
- Greenville
- Harrisburg
- Havelock
- Hendersonville
- Hickory
- High Point
- Holly Springs
- Hope Mills
- Huntersville
- Indian Trail
- Jacksonville
- Kannapolis
- Kernersville
- Kill Devil Hills
- Kings Grant
- Kings Mountain
- Kinston
- Kitty Hawk
- Knightdale
- Lake Norman of Catawba
- Laurel Park
- Leland
- Lenoir
- Lexington
- Linden
- Lumberton
- Matthews
- Mebane
- Mint Hill
- Monroe
- Mooresville
- Morganton
- Morrisville
- Mount Airy
- Mount Holly
- New Bern
- Oak Island
- Pinehurst
- Raleigh
- Reidsville
- Rocky Mount
- Salisbury
- Sanford
- Shelby
- Silver Lake
- Smithfield
- Southern Pines
- Statesville
- Summerfield
- Thomasville
- Wade
- Wake Forest
- Waynesville
- Weddington
- Wesley Chapel
- Wilmington
- Wilson
- Winston-Salem
Home Internet in Raleigh
Raleigh, a burgeoning tech hub in North Carolina, benefits from a diverse array of internet services, including fiber, cable, 5G internet, and more. This variety caters to the evolving demands of Raleigh's residents and businesses and ensures that whether you are streaming high-definition videos to managing large-scale data transactions, there's an internet option available to meet every need.
Raleigh's internet landscape is ripe with providers like Spectrum and AT&T Fiber, both of which offer the most extensive coverage (when excluding satellite and fixed wireless types from the data set), thus reinforcing Raleigh's commitment to providing reliable, high-speed internet to the majority of the city. Spectrum, with its 93.34% coverage, stands out for its comprehensive availability, followed closely by AT&T Fiber, which is notable for its advanced fiber-optic network that ensures faster and more stable connections.
With an average starting price of $63.69 for internet services in Raleigh, the market offers a wide range of plans that cater to various budget levels. Plans from providers such as Brightspeed can start as low as $29, which is well below the city's average and a good choice for folks who value economy over speed. Of course, the price of internet plans scales up to their maximum advertised download speed of 140 Mbps. While this provides an economical starting point for consumers, it's pertinent to note that the advertised maximum speeds might not always align with real-world experiences, and plan prices can fluctuate, offering a caveat for potential subscribers.
How we test the speed of ISPs
Speedtest is the definitive way to test the performance and quality of an internet connection. Millions of users like you use Speedtest.net and our Android and iOS apps every day to test internet performance (including bandwidth, latency, coverage, video metrics, and more) in real world situations. We then use rigorous scientific approaches to aggregate and anonymize those results to empower people like you with content like this so you can understand and optimize your internet experience.

The data found within has not been subjected to the rigorous Speedtest marketing claims and data methodology, and therefore cannot be used in commercial applications. Additionally, promised speeds and plans offered are always subject to change.
How to test your internet speed
Speedtest can help you test the speed and overall performance of your internet for free from any device. Click here to open a new page and take a Speedtest. You can then compare your results with what you’ve learned about internet performance near you. If you aren’t getting the results you expect, you can either use this guide to use your Speedtest results to talk to your internet provider or you can shop for a new provider.