Greatest Web Suppliers in South Carolina

What’s the finest web supplier in South Carolina?

For people in South Carolina, Spectrum is CNET’s decide for the very best web supplier, as a consequence of its widespread availability all through the state, quick speeds and customer-friendly service phrases. Greater than one million and a half South Carolina houses are serviceable for Spectrum web, in keeping with the Federal Communications Fee, and obtain speeds as much as 1,000Mbps can be found all through all service areas.

AT&T additionally has a big presence within the Palmetto State and should show to be the higher selection for velocity and total worth, significantly if a fiber-optic connection is out there at your handle. Different nationwide ISPs, together with Xfinity, Kinetic and WideOpenWest, additionally serve South Carolina and are value contemplating together with the numerous regional suppliers that provide service all through the state.

As a lifelong resident of the Carolinas, I do know firsthand the advantages of residing in South Carolina. We have a number of the lowest taxes within the South, the very best seashores on the East Coast and the highest colleges in teachers and athletics within the nation. Web service will be first rate too, relying on the place you reside within the state. You will discover my picks for the very best web suppliers in South Carolina under, adopted by suggestions for affordable and quick web plans within the state.

Greatest web in South Carolina in 2024

South Carolina web suppliers in contrast

The above web suppliers do a good job of overlaying South Carolina, however they aren’t the one ones it’s possible you’ll encounter relying on the place you reside. Right here’s a take a look at all potential web choices all through the Palmetto State.

An outline 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. Contemplate it if no different wired connection varieties can be found at your handle.

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 Seaside. HTC affords quick, symmetrical speeds (500Mbps, 750Mbps and 1Gbps) at cheap charges. Verify 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 most popular, however DSL can be a good possibility, with rural web speeds sooner than most. 

Starlink: Like different satellite tv for pc web companies, Starlink is out there all through South Carolina. Not like different satellite tv for pc web companies, 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 keeping with Starlink’s service description.

Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon’s residence web service advertises sooner most speeds than T-Cell for across the identical month-to-month value ($50 for 50-300Mbps, $70 for 85-1,000Mbps), however service is at present restricted to elements of Columbia and Greenville.

Viasat: Satellite tv for pc web from Viasat is a little more costly than Hughesnet, however it’s possible you’ll get sooner speeds and a better month-to-month knowledge allowance for the additional price. Examine Hughesnet and Viasat plans carefully 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 all the way down to Augusta, West Carolina Tel affords fiber-optic service with speeds starting from 250Mbps to 1Gbps for $50 to $80 monthly with no contracts or knowledge caps.

WideOpenWest: A pacesetter in low introductory pricing, WideOpenWest provides some cable web competitors to the Charleston and Mount Nice areas.

What’s the very best rural web in South Carolina?

I’ve pushed 77 and 85 (and Freeway 521 down previous Lancaster and Freeway 9 to the seaside) sufficient instances 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-Cell’s residence web service covers many South Carolina households, in keeping with the FCC. 5G is probably not accessible to your entire protection space (T-Cell nonetheless depends on its 4G LTE community typically), however the potential speeds, pricing and repair phrases might be the very best 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 could function a workable broadband answer in rural areas the place such connections are unavailable. 

Satellite internet: It’s practically all the time 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 whole state and provides particular person cities the eye they deserve. That’s why we additionally compile lists of the very best web suppliers in cities throughout the US, together with these in South Carolina. We deal with particulars reminiscent of web connection varieties, most speeds and most cost-effective suppliers. Verify again later in the event you don’t discover the town you’re on the lookout for under. We’re working so as to add extra places each week. 

Least expensive web plans in South Carolina

What you pay for web every month will rely on the place you reside and the supplier and plan you select, however you possibly can count on to pay at the very least $20 to $30 monthly for residence web, plus taxes and costs. In lots of areas all through South Carolina, residence web plans begin at $40 to $55 monthly, and in the event you’re in a rural space, the most cost effective web plans might price $60 to $120 monthly, relying on the supplier you go together with.

Web choices for low earnings households in South Carolina

All South Carolina residents can apply to the Inexpensive Connectivity Program, which gives a credit score of $30 monthly ($75 on tribal lands) to assist pay for residence web service. See CNET’s ACP guide for extra info, together with learn 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 sometimes price $30 or much less — for a web month-to-month price 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 very least 100Mbps down and 20Mbps up, can be found to 100% of South Carolina households, in keeping with the FCC. Satellite tv for pc web inflates that quantity a bit as solely 90% can get these speeds over a wired connection reminiscent of DSL, cable or fiber. Sooner speeds can be found to most residents with 89% of the state eligible for obtain speeds of 250Mbps or increased and add speeds of 25Mbps or increased. 

Current Ookla speed test data ranks South Carolina sixteenth amongst US States for the quickest median obtain speeds at 224Mbps. That’s decrease than the nationwide common (254Mbps) and our northern neighbor (North Carolina clocked 231Mbps, good for seventh total), however sooner than close by Georgia (188Mbps, thirty eighth). 

A fiber web connection can be your finest guess for quick speeds in South Carolina and comes with the added benefit of symmetrical (or shut) obtain and add speeds. Cable web from suppliers reminiscent of Comporium, Spectrum, Xfinity and WOW remains to be a lot quick, however count on slower add speeds starting from 10 to 50Mbps. Cable web may also be extra inclined to slowed speeds as a consequence of community congestion throughout peak utilization instances.

How CNET selected the very best web suppliers in South Carolina

Web service suppliers are quite a few and regional. Not like the newest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it is impractical to personally check 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 velocity 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 seek out particular choices for residents. We take a look at sources, together with the American Buyer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Energy, to judge how glad clients are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and costs are topic to frequent adjustments; all info offered is correct as of publication. 

As soon as we now have this localized info, we ask three essential questions: 

• Does the supplier supply entry to moderately quick web speeds? 
• Do clients get first rate worth for what they’re paying? 
• Are clients proud of their service? 

Whereas the reply to these questions is usually layered and complicated, the suppliers who come closest to “sure” on all three are those we advocate. When choosing the most cost effective web service, we search for the plans with the bottom month-to-month price, though we additionally consider issues like value will increase, gear charges and contracts. Selecting the quickest web service is comparatively simple. We take a look at marketed add and obtain speeds and contemplate real-world velocity 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 closing phrase on web suppliers in South Carolina?

Spectrum is CNET’s decide for the very best 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-Cell Dwelling Web and Xfinity, together with regional suppliers like Comporium, HTC and WCTel, could also be the very best ISPs on your residence, relying in your wants and your location.

These in rural areas could need to contemplate DSL from AT&T or Kinetic and 5G from T-Cell 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