6 Best Internet Providers in 28781, NC

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in 28781, 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 28781 ratings may vary and are shown below.

1. Internet Providers
   

 » 

2. North Carolina
   

 » 

3. 28781, NC Internet Service Providers
   

Who is the Best Internet Provider in 28781, NC?

BalsamWest is the highest-rated internet provider in 28781 based on 63 North Carolina customer reviews, and BalsamWest has the highest rating nationwide. The provider information above and the information immediately below can help you decide. Compare provider ratings and review counts above. The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in 28781, North Carolina, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in 28781

Local, State, and National Ratings for all 28781 Internet Providers

Based on 63 reviews from North Carolina internet customers, BalsamWest is the best internet service provider for 28781 residents. BalsamWest was rated at an average of 5.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. EarthLink wins for second-place in North Carolina, with 4.00 out of 5 stars and 1.3% coverage in 28781.

At a national level, based on 1394 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, BalsamWest is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 2.33 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in 28781?

Based on both FCC data and unbiased customer ratings in 28781, the fastest internet in the zip comes from BalsamWest.

Data Reported to FCC by ISPs: Average Maximum Available in 28781

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	BalsamWest	1,000 Mbps
	Peachtree Fiber	500 Mbps
	Frontier Communications	115 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	AT&T	25 Mbps
	EarthLink	25 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	25 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in 28781

Based on data reported by 28781 ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the zip are available through BalsamWest. The company offers speeds up to 1,000 Mbps in 28781. 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.

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

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in 28781?

North Carolina customers rate BalsamWest 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.

BalsamWest received a local rating of 5.00 out of 5, which is higher than the average across all internet providers in the country. T-Mobile Home Internet is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s 28781 customers with an average price rating of 4.11 out of 5.

The chart and graph below show how customers in 28781, North Carolina, and the United States rated the affordability of their internet service.

Rated Affordability in 28781

28781 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 28781 below, including the metrics used and how 28781 compares to the rest of North Carolina and nation.

28781 ISP Report Card: D-

	Metric (hover for details)	28781	North Carolina	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in 28781 that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	10.89%	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.	219 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 28781.	1.4	7.0	6.8

 

28781 Digital Connectivity Index: 36 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	28781	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.	1.9	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.	11%	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.	87%	94%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	71%	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.	48%	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.	95%	77%	76%

28781 ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in 28781 is D-, which is much better than other zip codes. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in 28781 is high with a score of 36 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in 28781 have done a poor job meeting the needs of its residents.

The 28781 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.

71% of 28781 households have an internet connection despite having 83.08% availability. 48% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 26% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 2% 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 48% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 95% subscribe to it. A very large amount of 28781 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 28781?

How Much Speed does a 28781 Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in 28781 is 1.9, which is smaller than the North Carolina average of 2.5 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. 28781's average household income is $50,057 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.

28781 also has 4% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the North Carolina average of 16%. Additionally, 11% 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 28781 has a low need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, 28781 households are much more technology-disengaged. 87% of households have some sort of computing device, 69% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 82% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in 28781?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in 28781?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in 28781?

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in 28781?

Which ISP Should You Choose in 28781?

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 28781 is BalsamWest.
• The fastest internet provider should be BalsamWest. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, BalsamWest may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in 28781 is BalsamWest.
• Viasat, HughesNet, and Frontier Communications has the broadest coverage in 28781, 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 28781 compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how 28781 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 28781's D- ISP Report Card and 36 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.