10 Best Internet Providers in 28526, NC

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in 28526, NC for most people based on high speed internet coverage, speeds, and customer reviews. Click below to see all providers in your zip.

All Providers

Speed and technology may vary by address for all providers. Please note we may have a financial relationship with some of the providers above, which does not impact the customer ratings displayed. Customer ratings listed above are national ratings, local 28526 ratings may vary and are shown below.

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3. 28526, NC Internet Service Providers
   

Who is the Best Internet Provider in 28526, NC?

EarthLink is the best internet provider in 28526 based on North Carolina customer satisfaction ratings and reviews. Based on our extensive and unbiased survey, EarthLink had the best reviews at the local, state, and national levels versus all available providers in 28526, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. Unfortunately, EarthLink is an option for 37.62% of the zip.

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in 28526, North Carolina, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in 28526

Local, State, and National Ratings for all 28526 Internet Providers

Based on 277 reviews from North Carolina internet customers, EarthLink is the best internet service provider for 28526 residents. EarthLink was rated at an average of 4.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Verizon wins for second-place in North Carolina, with 3.71 out of 5 stars and 7.4% coverage in 28526.

At a national level, based on 4035 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, T-Mobile Home Internet is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.04 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in 28526?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the zip, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by EarthLink. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, Spectrum should have faster speeds at a local level. While we typically put more weight on real-world customer ratings, we display both satisfaction and technical maximum information for customers to decide for themselves.

Data Reported to FCC by ISPs: Average Maximum Available in 28526

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Brightspeed	2,000 Mbps
	Spectrum	1,000 Mbps
	Optimum	940 Mbps
	Verizon	300 Mbps
	Eastern Carolina Broadband	100 Mbps
	HarvestBeam	100 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	US Cellular	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	AT&T	25 Mbps
	EarthLink	25 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in 28526

Based on data reported by 28526 ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the zip are available through Spectrum. The company offers speeds up to 2,000 Mbps in 28526. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 1,000 Mbps if they're willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

Additionally, actual customers in the zip rated their satisfaction with internet speed highest with EarthLink. This indicates EarthLink reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in 28526?

North Carolina customers rate T-Mobile Home Internet as the cheapest internet service provider in state. Data comes from customers in the state rating their satisfaction with pricing. This feedback is valuable because it considers price changes and whether the speeds paid for are worth it.

T-Mobile Home Internet received a local rating of 4.11 out of 5, which is about average for the average across all internet providers in the country. Brightspeed is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s 28526 customers with an average price rating of 3.64 out of 5.

The chart and graph below show how customers in 28526, North Carolina, and the United States rated the affordability of their internet service.

Rated Affordability in 28526

28526 Internet Health Assessment

ISP Reports evaluates the technological infrastructure across the United States. This includes assessing a grade for ISP providers and infrastructure in the zip and setting an index number for the digital connectivity of its residents. You can view the ISP Report Card and the Digital Connectivity Index for 28526 below, including the metrics used and how 28526 compares to the rest of North Carolina and nation.

28526 ISP Report Card: B-

	Metric (hover for details)	28526	North Carolina	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in 28526 that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	89.43%	72.63%	67.25%
	Average Download SpeedThe maximum download speed most households can get on average. This is measured by availability in a block group and weighted by the population in that area.	1,358 Mbps	3,368 Mbps	3,293 Mbps
	Provider CountThe number of providers available for most people. This is a weighted average by block rather than a total for 28526.	5.1	7.0	6.8

 

28526 Digital Connectivity Index: 11 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	28526	North Carolina	USA
	Average Household SizeA larger household size in a zip indicates that there will be a greater need for bandwidth due to simultaneous usage, multiple devices, and network congestion.	2.2	2.5	2.7
	Work From Home PercentA higher percent of the population working from home indicates bandwidth requirements being more widely needed rather than consolidated to commercial portions of the city.	3%	15%	14%
	Households with DevicesA higher percentage of households with computing devices in the home indicates a higher level of infrastructure needed to support those households.	84%	94%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	64%	89%	90%
	Households with BroadbandA higher percentage of households with a broadband connection (defined as speeds above 25 Mbps) indicates heavier usage needs within these households.	44%	76%	75%
	Broadband Usage vs. AvailabilityThis measures what percentage of households who have a broadband connection to their home actually have an active subscription to that service.	44%	77%	76%

28526 ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in 28526 is B-, which is much worse than other zip codes. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in 28526 is high with a score of 11 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in 28526 have done a very poor job meeting the needs of its residents.

The 28526 ISP Report Card evaluates the zip on availability and speed metrics compared to other zip codes in the United States. ISP Infrastructure can vary greatly and on its own isn’t a perfect measure of what a zip needs. Please see our ISP Report Card along with the Digital Connectivity Index above to evaluate how well the connectivity demand is met by the existing infrastructure.

64% of 28526 households have an internet connection despite having 100.00% availability. 44% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 6% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 3% of households have internet but don’t pay for a subscription because it’s subsidized by the Affordable Connectivity Program.

As you can see in the table above, while 44% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 44% subscribe to it. A very low number of 28526 residents are taking advantage of the available internet infrastructure.

For more details, please visit our ISP Report Card and Digital Connectivity Index pages.

How do Neighboring Zip Codes Compare to 28526?

How Much Speed does a 28526 Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in 28526 is 2.2, which is smaller than the North Carolina average of 2.5 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. 28526's average household income is $51,088 which is much lower than the North Carolina average of $80,144 and much lower than the national average of $90,606. Homes with fewer people living in them and with lower incomes tend to indicate fewer devices being used less often.

28526 also has 12% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the North Carolina average of 16%. Additionally, 3% of residents work from home, which is lower than the 15% of residents in North Carolina who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of 28526 has a very low need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, 28526 households are much more technology-disengaged. 84% of households have some sort of computing device, 67% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 78% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in 28526?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in 28526?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in 28526?

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in 28526?

Which ISP Should You Choose in 28526?

The right ISP for you depends upon your needs, but in general we can make the following suggestions:

• The best all-around internet service provider in 28526 is EarthLink.
• The fastest internet provider should be Spectrum. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, EarthLink may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in 28526 is T-Mobile Home Internet.
• Viasat, HughesNet, and Brightspeed has the broadest coverage in 28526, and is most likely to cover your home. To find out exactly what's available at your home, please use our address search tool.

How does 28526 compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how 28526 stacks up on the national level, it's useful to look at some other cities with similarly sized populations. Below you can see a list of these cities and how they compare to 28526's B- ISP Report Card and 11 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.