11 Best Internet Providers in Balsam, NC

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

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

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 Balsam ratings may vary and are shown below.

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3. Balsam, NC Internet Service Providers
   

Who is the Best Internet Provider in Balsam, NC?

BalsamWest is the highest-rated internet provider in Balsam based on 268 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 Balsam, North Carolina, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Balsam

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

Based on 268 reviews from North Carolina internet customers, BalsamWest is the best internet service provider for Balsam residents. BalsamWest was rated at an average of 5.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Skyrunner Internet wins for second-place in North Carolina, with 5.00 out of 5 stars and 56.5% coverage in Balsam.

At a national level, based on 4117 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 Balsam?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the city, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by BalsamWest. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, Spectrum and BalsamWest 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 Balsam

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	BalsamWest	1,000 Mbps
	Spectrum	1,000 Mbps
	Optimum	940 Mbps
	Verizon	300 Mbps
	Frontier Communications	115 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	SkyFi	25 Mbps
	Skyrunner Internet	25 Mbps
	AT&T	25 Mbps
	EarthLink	25 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps
	US Cellular	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Balsam

Based on data reported by Balsam ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through Spectrum and BalsamWest. These internet providers offer speeds up to 1,000 Mbps in Balsam. 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 city 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 Balsam?

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. Skyrunner Internet is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Balsam customers with an average price rating of 5.00 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Balsam

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

Balsam ISP Report Card: B

	Metric (hover for details)	Balsam	North Carolina	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Balsam that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	94.39%	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.	956 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 Balsam.	8.7	7.0	6.8

 

Balsam Digital Connectivity Index: 25 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Balsam	North Carolina	USA
	Average Household SizeA larger household size in a city indicates that there will be a greater need for bandwidth due to simultaneous usage, multiple devices, and network congestion.	2.1	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.	8%	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.	93%	94%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	79%	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.	51%	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.	51%	77%	76%

Balsam ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Balsam is B, which is worse than other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Balsam is high with a score of 25 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Balsam have done a poor job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Balsam ISP Report Card evaluates the city on availability and speed metrics compared to other cities in the United States. ISP Infrastructure can vary greatly and on its own isn’t a perfect measure of what a city 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.

79% of Balsam households have an internet connection despite having 100.00% availability. 51% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 13% 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 51% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 51% subscribe to it. A low number of Balsam 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 Cities Compare to Balsam?

How Much Speed does a Balsam Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Balsam is 2.1, which is smaller than the North Carolina average of 2.5 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Balsam's average household income is $74,358 which is higher than the North Carolina average of $80,144 and about average for the national average of $90,606. Homes with fewer people living in them and with higher incomes tend to indicate a fairly average device usage pattern.

Balsam also has 7% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the North Carolina average of 16%. Additionally, 8% 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 Balsam has a very low need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Balsam households are about average when it comes to technological engagement. 93% of households have some sort of computing device, 71% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 92% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Balsam?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Balsam?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Balsam?

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

Which ISP Should You Choose in Balsam?

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 Balsam is BalsamWest.
• The fastest internet provider should be Spectrum and 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 Balsam is BalsamWest.
• Viasat, US Cellular, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in Balsam, 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 Balsam compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Balsam 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 Balsam's B ISP Report Card and 25 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.