7 Best Internet Providers in Shelby, AL

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

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

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3. Shelby, AL Internet Service Providers
   

Who is the Best Internet Provider in Shelby, AL?

Verizon is the best internet provider in Shelby based on Alabama customer satisfaction ratings and reviews. Based on our extensive and unbiased survey, Verizon had the best reviews at the local, state, and national levels versus all available providers in Shelby, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. Verizon is an option for 50.61% of the city.

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Shelby, Alabama, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Shelby

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

Based on 51 reviews from Alabama internet customers, Verizon is the best internet service provider for Shelby residents. Verizon was rated at an average of 4.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Central Access wins for second-place in Alabama, with 4.00 out of 5 stars and 3.3% coverage in Shelby.

At a national level, based on 2037 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Central Access is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.00 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Shelby?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the city, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by AT&T. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, EarthLink and AT&T 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 Shelby

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	AT&T	5,000 Mbps
	EarthLink	5,000 Mbps
	Central Access	1,000 Mbps
	Coosa Valley Technologies	1,000 Mbps
	Verizon	300 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	Brightspeed	80 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Shelby

Based on data reported by Shelby ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through EarthLink and AT&T. These internet providers offer speeds up to 5,000 Mbps in Shelby. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 3,197 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 AT&T. This indicates AT&T reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Shelby?

Alabama 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 4.20 out of 5, which is about average for the average across all internet providers in the country. Central Access is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Shelby customers with an average price rating of 4.00 out of 5.

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

Rated Affordability in Shelby

Shelby 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 Shelby below, including the metrics used and how Shelby compares to the rest of Alabama and nation.

Shelby ISP Report Card: B-

	Metric (hover for details)	Shelby	Alabama	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Shelby that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	64.95%	68.19%	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.	3,048 Mbps	3,158 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 Shelby.	5.1	6.3	6.8

 

Shelby Digital Connectivity Index: 40 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Shelby	Alabama	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.	2.5	2.6	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.	9%	8%	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.	89%	93%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	81%	86%	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.	59%	66%	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.	60%	67%	76%

Shelby ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Shelby is B-, which is worse than other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Shelby is high with a score of 40 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Shelby have done a poor job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Shelby 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.

81% of Shelby households have an internet connection despite having 98.42% availability. 59% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 9% have satellite, 1% 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 59% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 60% subscribe to it. A low number of Shelby 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 Shelby?

How Much Speed does a Shelby Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Shelby is 2.5, which is smaller than the Alabama average of 2.6 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Shelby's average household income is $76,054 which is higher than the Alabama average of $70,756 and about average for the national average of $90,606. Homes with more people living in them and with higher incomes tend to indicate more devices being used more often.

Shelby also has 18% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is higher than the Alabama average of 16%. Additionally, 9% of residents work from home, which is higher than the 8% of residents in Alabama who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Shelby has a low need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Shelby households are more technology-disengaged. 89% of households have some sort of computing device, 72% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 85% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Shelby?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Shelby?

According to the most recently submitted data by internet service providers to the FCC, there are currently no cable providers available in Shelby, AL.

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Shelby?

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

Which ISP Should You Choose in Shelby?

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 Shelby is Verizon.
• The fastest internet provider should be EarthLink and AT&T. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, AT&T may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in Shelby is T-Mobile Home Internet.
• T-Mobile Home Internet, Viasat, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in Shelby, 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 Shelby compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Shelby 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 Shelby's B- ISP Report Card and 40 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.