What’s the finest web supplier in South Carolina?
As a lifelong resident of the Carolinas, I do know firsthand the advantages of residing in South Carolina. We have got among the lowest taxes within the South, the most effective seashores on the East Coast and the highest faculties in lecturers and athletics within the nation. Web service might be first rate too, relying on the place you reside within the state.
Spectrum is CNET’s decide as the most effective web service supplier for many South Carolinians. The cable internet large boasts the most effective broadband protection of any wired supplier within the state, providing fast speeds and favorable service phrases to over one million South Carolina properties.
AT&T additionally has a big presence within the Palmetto State and should show to be the higher alternative for pace and total worth, significantly if a fiber-optic connection is accessible at your tackle. Different nationwide ISPs together with Xfinity, Kinetic and WideOpenWest additionally serve South Carolina and are price contemplating together with the various regional suppliers that provide service all through the state.
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer support and total worth to advocate the most effective web service in South Carolina throughout a number of classes. Our analysis contains referencing a proprietary database constructed over years of reviewing web providers. We validate that towards supplier info by spot-checking native addresses for service availability. We additionally do an in depth learn of suppliers’ phrases and circumstances and, when wanted, will name ISPs to confirm the main points.
Regardless of our efforts to search out the newest and correct info, our course of has some limitations you need to learn about. Pricing and pace knowledge are variable: sure addresses might qualify for various service tiers, and month-to-month prices might fluctuate, even inside a metropolis. The easiest way to establish your choices is to plug your tackle right into a supplier’s web site.
Additionally, the costs, pace and different info listed above and within the supplier playing cards beneath might differ from what we present in our analysis. The playing cards show the total vary of a supplier’s pricing and pace throughout the US, in response to our database of plan info offered instantly by ISPs. On the identical time, the textual content is particular to what’s accessible in South Carolina. The costs referenced inside this text’s textual content come from our analysis and embody relevant reductions for establishing computerized funds every month — a typical {industry} providing. Reductions and promotions may additionally be accessible for signing a time period contract or bundling a number of providers.
To study extra about how we evaluation web suppliers, go to our full methodology page.
Greatest web in South Carolina in 2024
100 – 1,000 Mbps
$30- $90 per 30 days
Our take – Spectrum has the most effective availability of any wired web supplier in South Carolina, however the cable ISP additionally deserves recognition for its easy plans and pricing.
100 – 1,000 Mbps
$30- $90 per 30 days
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per 30 days
Our take – AT&T Fiber impresses with its quick speeds, aggressive pricing and industry-leading buyer satisfaction, to not point out the benefits of a 100% fiber-optic connection.
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per 30 days
Mounted wi-fi
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per 30 days
Our take – T-Cellular Residence Web doesn’t fairly have the pace and reliability to rival most cable and fiber web providers but. Nonetheless, the low pricing makes it a tempting different to contemplate.
Mounted wi-fi
72 – 245 Mbps
$60 per 30 days
$50 – $150 per 30 days
Our take – Satellite tv for pc web isn’t significantly fascinating, however in some components of South Carolina, it might be the one method to get a broadband connection. If that’s your scenario, I’d advocate HughesNet for its (comparatively) low pricing and pace consistency.
$50 – $150 per 30 days
75 – 2,000 Mbps
$20 – $120 per 30 days
Our take – Spectrum steals the cable web present in South Carolina nearly in every single place apart from Charleston. When you’re shifting to or round Charleston, count on Xfinity to be one among your web choices.
75 – 2,000 Mbps
$20 – $120 per 30 days
All South Carolina web suppliers
The above web suppliers do an honest job of overlaying South Carolina, however they aren’t the one ones chances are you’ll encounter relying on the place you reside. Right here’s a have a look at all potential web choices all through the Palmetto State.
South Carolina ISP fast comparability
Supplier | Month-to-month value vary | Obtain pace vary (Mbps) | Connection sort |
---|---|---|---|
AT&T Internet | $55 | 10-100 | Copper (DSL) |
AT&T Fiber | $55-$250 | 300-5,000 | Fiber |
Comporium | $30-$76 | 100-1,000 | Cable, fiber |
HTC | $50-$75 | 500-1,000 | Fiber |
HughesNet | $65-$125 | 25 | Satellite tv for pc |
Kinetic by Windstream | $40-$70 | 50-1,000 | Copper (DSL), fiber |
T-Mobile Home Internet | $50 | 72-245 | 5G wi-fi |
Spectrum | $50-$90 | 300-1,000 | Cable |
Starlink | $120 | 25-220 | Low-orbit satellite tv for pc |
Verizon 5G Home Internet | $50-$70 | 50-1,000 | 5G wi-fi |
Viasat | $70-$300 | 12-100 | Satellite tv for pc |
West Carolina Rural Phone | $50-$80 | 250-1,000 | Fiber |
WideOpenWest | $20-$95 | 100-1,200 | Cable |
Xfinity | $20-$85 | 75-1,200 | Cable |
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An summary of different South Carolina ISPs
AT&T Web: AT&T’s copper-based service has a broader buyer base in South Carolina than AT&T Fiber, however speeds are slower for a similar beginning value. Think about it if no different wired connection sorts can be found at your tackle.
Comporium: Primarily a cable supplier with some fiber-to-the-home blended in, Comporium serves Rock Hill and Lancaster together with choose areas north of Spartanburg and west of Columbia. Pricing and speeds are on par with different native suppliers. I’ve Comporium, and I’ve no complaints.
Horry Phone Cooperative: The go-to for fiber web in Myrtle Seashore. HTC affords quick, symmetrical speeds (500Mbps, 750Mbps and 1Gbps) at cheap charges. Test them out in the event you’re shifting to or across the Grand Strand.
Kinetic by Windstream: You’ll discover Kinetic service round Lexington, Kershaw, Saint Matthews and within the northwesternmost a part of the state. The fiber service is extra fascinating, however DSL can be an honest possibility, with rural web speeds sooner than most.
Starlink: Like different satellite tv for pc web providers, Starlink is accessible all through South Carolina. In contrast to different satellite tv for pc web providers, speeds can attain as much as 200Mbps or increased, and latency is estimated to be a lot decrease at 25 to 60ms or over 100ms in “sure distant places,” in response to Starlink’s service description.
Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon’s residence web service advertises sooner most speeds than T-Cellular for across the identical month-to-month value ($50 for 50-300Mbps, $70 for 85-1,000Mbps), however service is at present restricted to components of Columbia and Greenville.
Viasat: Satellite tv for pc web from Viasat is a little more costly than HughesNet, however chances are you’ll get sooner speeds and the next month-to-month knowledge allowance for the additional value. Evaluate HughesNet and Viasat plans intently if satellite tv for pc service is your solely broadband possibility.
West Carolina Rural Phone: Serving the Clemson/Seneca space and communities alongside the Georgia border right down to Augusta, West Carolina Tel affords fiber-optic service with speeds starting from 250Mbps to 1Gbps for $50 to $80 per 30 days with no contracts or knowledge caps.
WideOpenWest: A frontrunner in low introductory pricing, WideOpenWest provides some cable web competitors to the Charleston and Mount Nice areas.
What’s the most effective rural web in South Carolina?
I’ve pushed 77 and 85 (and Freeway 521 down previous Lancaster and Freeway 9 to the seaside) sufficient occasions to know South Carolina has some lovely however distant areas. What’s the best way to get internet in these rural areas?
5G home internet: T-Cellular’s residence web service covers over 80% of South Carolina households, in response to the FCC. 5G will not be accessible to the whole protection space (T-Cellular nonetheless depends on its 4G LTE community typically), however the potential speeds, pricing and repair phrases may very well be the most effective you’ll discover in rural areas.
DSL: AT&T and Kinetic are the primary DSL suppliers in South Carolina. Speeds are slower than you’d get with cable or fiber web, however DSL might function a workable broadband resolution in rural areas the place such connections are unavailable.
Satellite internet: It’s almost at all times an possibility wherever you’re, however satellite tv for pc web speeds are low whereas knowledge caps and costs are excessive in comparison with different varieties of web. I’d advocate exploring different potential choices earlier than selecting satellite tv for pc service.
Web breakdown by metropolis in South Carolina
It’s laborious to cowl the broadband choices of a complete state and provides particular person cities the eye they deserve. That’s why we additionally compile lists of the most effective web suppliers in cities throughout the US, together with these in South Carolina. We deal with particulars similar to web connection sorts, max speeds and most cost-effective suppliers. Test again later in the event you don’t discover the town you’re in search of beneath. We’re working so as to add extra places each week.
How a lot is web in South Carolina?
What you pay for web every month will rely upon the place you reside and the supplier and plan you select, however you’ll be able to count on to pay at the least $20 to $30 per 30 days for residence web, plus taxes and charges. In lots of areas all through South Carolina, residence web plans begin at $50 to $55 per 30 days, and in the event you’re in a rural space, the most affordable web plans may value $65 to $120 per 30 days, relying on the supplier you go together with.
Most cost-effective web plans in South Carolina
Plan | Beginning month-to-month value | Max obtain speeds (Mbps) | Gear payment |
---|---|---|---|
WOW Simply the Fundamentals | $20 | 100 | $14 (non-compulsory) |
Xfinity Connect | $20 | 75 | $15 (non-compulsory) |
T-Mobile Home Internet | $30 (with qualifying cell low cost) | 72-245 | None |
Comporium Web Important | $30 | 100 | None, $10 for Premium Wi-Fi |
Verizon 5G Home Internet | $35 (with qualifying cell low cost) | 50-300 | None |
Kinetic 200 | $40 | 200 | $10 (non-compulsory) |
HTC Tier 1 | $50 | 500 | None |
Spectrum Internet | $50 | 300 | $5 (non-compulsory) |
WCTel 250Mbps Bundle | $50 | 250 | $8 (non-compulsory) |
AT&T Fiber 300 | $55 | 300 | None |
AT&T Internet | $55 | 100 | None |
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Web choices for low earnings households in South Carolina
All South Carolina residents can apply to the Reasonably priced Connectivity Program, which offers a credit score of $30 per 30 days ($75 on tribal lands) to assist pay for residence web service. See CNET’s ACP guide for extra info, together with find out how to apply.
Choose South Carolina web suppliers like AT&T, Spectrum and Xfinity additionally supply a separate web plan for qualifying low-income households. Such plans usually value $30 or much less — for a web month-to-month value of $0 when mixed with the ACP credit score — and supply speeds starting from 30 to 100Mbps.
South Carolina web speeds
Broadband speeds, outlined as at the least 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up, can be found to 100% of South Carolina households, in response to the FCC. Satellite tv for pc web inflates that quantity a bit as solely 90% can get these speeds over a wired connection similar to DSL, cable or fiber. Sooner speeds can be found to most residents with 86% of the state eligible for obtain speeds of 250Mbps or increased and add speeds of 25Mbps or increased.
Latest Ookla speed test data ranks South Carolina seventeenth amongst US States for quickest median obtain speeds at 203Mbps. That’s barely slower than the nationwide common (207Mbps) and our northern neighbor (North Carolina clocked 215Mbps, good for seventh total), however sooner than close by Georgia (178Mbps, thirty first).
Spectrum recorded the quickest median obtain speeds in South Carolina at round 237Mbps. The provider also logged the fastest speeds nationwide in Q2 2023 at 243Mbps.
Quickest web plans in South Carolina
Present extra (5 objects)
A fiber web connection can be your finest wager for quick speeds in South Carolina and comes with the added benefit of symmetrical (or shut) obtain and add speeds. Cable web from suppliers similar to Comporium, Spectrum, Xfinity and WOW remains to be loads quick, however count on slower add speeds, like within the 10 to 35Mbps vary. Cable web can be extra prone to slowed speeds as a consequence of community congestion throughout peak utilization occasions.
How CNET selected the most effective web suppliers in South Carolina
Web service suppliers are quite a few and regional. In contrast to the most recent smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it is impractical to personally take a look at each web service supplier in a given metropolis. What’s our method? For starters, we faucet right into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and pace info that attracts from our personal historic ISP knowledge, companion knowledge and mapping info from the Federal Communications Fee at FCC.gov.
It doesn’t finish there: We go to the FCC’s web site to test our knowledge and guarantee we contemplate each ISP that gives service in an space. We additionally enter native addresses on supplier web sites to search out particular choices for residents. We have a look at sources, together with the American Buyer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Energy, to guage how completely satisfied prospects are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and costs are topic to frequent modifications; all info offered is correct as of publication.
As soon as we’ve got this localized info, we ask three predominant questions:
- Does the supplier supply entry to moderately quick web speeds?
- Do prospects get first rate worth for what they’re paying?
- Are prospects pleased with their service?
Whereas the reply to these questions is commonly layered and complicated, the suppliers who come closest to “sure” on all three are those we advocate. When deciding on the most affordable web service, we search for the plans with the bottom month-to-month payment, though we additionally consider issues like value will increase, gear charges and contracts. Selecting the quickest web service is comparatively easy. We have a look at marketed add and obtain speeds and contemplate real-world pace knowledge from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To discover our course of in additional depth, go to our how we test ISPs web page.
What is the ultimate phrase on web suppliers in South Carolina?
Spectrum is CNET’s decide for the most effective web supplier in South Carolina as a consequence of its excessive availability, quick speeds and favorable service phrases like low gear charges and limitless knowledge.
AT&T Fiber, T-Cellular Residence Web and Xfinity, together with regional suppliers like Comporium, HTC and WCTel, could also be the most effective ISPs to your residence, relying in your wants and your location.
These in rural areas might need to contemplate DSL from AT&T or Kinetic and 5G from T-Cellular earlier than resorting to satellite tv for pc web. If no such connections can be found, look to HughesNet, Viasat or satellite tv for pc newcomer Starlink for residence web service.
Web suppliers in South Carolina FAQs
Is web in South Carolina any good?
Broadband speeds (25Mbps down, 3Mbps up) can be found to all South Carolina households, in response to the FCC. Cable and fiber web suppliers similar to AT&T, Kinetic and Xfinity can be found all through a lot of the state. They’re able to a lot sooner obtain speeds, as much as 1,000Mbps or increased in some areas.
Latest Ookla pace take a look at knowledge ranks South Carolina seventeenth amongst US states for quickest median obtain speeds at 203Mbps. Spectrum was the quickest supplier within the state, with median obtain speeds of 237Mbps.
Does South Carolina have fiber web?
Sure. Fiber web connections can be found to roughly 39% of South Carolina households, per the newest FCC knowledge. AT&T is the most important fiber supplier within the state, though some areas could also be serviceable for fiber web from Kinetic, HTC or WCTel.
Is AT&T or Spectrum higher?
Many South Carolina households can be serviceable for AT&T and Spectrum. A very good rule of thumb is fiber is preferable to cable web, and cable is best than DSL, so the most effective supplier to your residence will probably come right down to which AT&T connection sort is accessible at your tackle.
If AT&T Fiber is accessible, the pricing, service phrases and total worth are higher than Spectrum. Alternatively, in case your tackle is barely serviceable for AT&T Web, a copper-based service, Spectrum will probably be the sooner, extra dependable supplier.
Try our AT&T versus Spectrum comparison page for a extra in-depth have a look at how the 2 suppliers stack up.