What is the best internet provider in Fayetteville?
If you want the top internet provider in Fayetteville, CNET’s broadband experts have got you covered. For most households, CNET recommends Metronet as the best internet service provider in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Our experts chose it for its local fiber coverage, speed variety and affordable pricing. It boasts both Fayetteville’s cheapest internet plan — at $35 per month for speeds of up to 150 megabits per second — and its highest speed option of up to 5,000Mbps starting at $110 per month.
Still a relatively new internet provider in the Fayetteville area, Metronet’s availability was limited to less than half the city’s addresses, though it’s recently expanded coverage to more areas with more available for pre-order.
In areas where Metronet is unavailable, Fayetteville residents can rely on Spectrum, Hughesnet and Brightspeed (operating on networks formerly owned by CenturyLink) for home internet service.
Check out wireless internet service from Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet for more home broadband options. Both offer competitive speeds at attractive prices, provide free equipment, offer unlimited data and have special discounts on mobile bundles, though T-Mobile’s coverage is much more limited than Verizon’s.
Best internet in Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brightspeed | DSL, fiber | $50-$79 | 10-100Mbps DSL, up to 2,000Mbps fiber | $15 | None | None | N/A |
| Metronet Read full review |
Fiber | $35-$110 | 150-5,000Mbps | None ($12 tech service fee) | None | None | 6.9 |
| Spectrum Read full review |
Cable | $50-$70 | 500-1,000Mbps | Free modem, $10 router rental (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $60 ($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 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Cheap internet options in Fayetteville, NC
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metronet 150 Read full review |
$35 | 150Mbps | None ($12 tech service fee) |
| Spectrum Internet Read full review |
$30 | 100Mbps | Free modem; $10 router rental (optional) |
| Spectrum Internet Read full review |
$50 | 500Mbps | Free modem; $10 router rental (optional) |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 50-300Mbps | None |
| Brightspeed | $50 | 20-100Mbps | $15 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$60 ($40 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Fayetteville
The best internet deals and top promotions in Fayetteville depend on the discounts available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Fayetteville internet providers, such as Metronet, may offer lower introductory pricing or promotional gift cards for a limited time. Others, including Spectrum and Brightspeed, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Fastest internet plans in Fayetteville
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metronet 5Gbps Read full review |
$110 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review |
$70 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review |
$70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) | 85-1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
| Brightspeed Fiber | $79 | 940Mbps | 940Mbps | None | Fiber |
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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 Federal Communications Commission. 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 Fayetteville
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 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 Fayetteville FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Fayetteville?
Metronet is Fayetteville’s best internet service provider. It has the largest fiber-optic network, capable of delivering fast, symmetrical upload and download speeds, in the area. Fayetteville’s largest fiber provider also has the cheapest internet plan and the fastest internet speed tier. Service comes with unlimited data, no contract requirements and free equipment rental, although customers should be aware of the unavoidable $12 monthly tech service fee.
Is fiber internet available in Fayetteville?
Yes. Fiber internet is available to around 45% of Fayetteville addresses, according to the most recent FCC data. Serviceability is greatest in the Haymount area and much of southwest Fayetteville. Metronet is the largest fiber internet provider in Fayetteville. Brightspeed also offers fiber internet in select areas after recently acquiring networks from Lumen Technologies (Quantum Fiber), but that availability is rare. It’s a shame; Brightline’s $30 per month for 200Mbps internet is the best value around, if you can get it.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Fayetteville?
Depending on your specific address, the price of the cheapest internet plan available won’t change much, but the speeds you get for it will. Metronet offers $35 per month — plus a $13 equipment fee — for 150Mbps. For those of us unlucky enough to not live in an area with access to fiber, the cheapest plan becomes Spectrum’s 100Mbps Internet Advantage plan for $30 per month — plus an optional $10 router rental fee. Technically, Spectrum’s $30 plan isn’t available at all addresses, but the option appeared for every address we tried in Fayetteville. Spectrum can be cheaper if you have your own router, but it’ll be slower than Metronet.
Which internet provider in Fayetteville offers the fastest plan?
Fayetteville is luckier than most North Carolinan towns when it comes to high-speed internet, with both Metronet and AT&T offering gigabit speeds. Metronet’s top plan actually goes up to 5Gbps for both download and upload speeds, if you’re willing to spend $110 a month on it. Spectrum has a 1,000Mbps plan for $70 monthly, which is also the price of Metronet’s 2Gbps plan. Most other Fayetteville ISPs — Hughesnet, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile — tend to max out between 100Mbps and 300Mbps, as both AT&T and T-Mobile’s internet coverage in the city is over older networks, not 5G. Verizon’s 5G Home internet is capable of up to gigabit speeds, but the gigabit plans are only available in limited areas; the widely available plans top out at 85Mbps and 250Mbps, respectively.
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