Greatest Web Suppliers in South Carolina | Digital Noch

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 most effective seashores on the East Coast, and the highest faculties in teachers and athletics within the nation. Web service is not half dangerous both, relying on the place you reside within the state.

The perfect web supplier to your dwelling will rely in your wants and what’s accessible in your space, however Spectrum is CNET’s choose as the most effective ISP for many South Carolinians. The cable web big boasts the most effective broadband protection of any wired supplier within the state, providing quick speeds and favorable service phrases to over 1,000,000 South Carolina houses.

AT&T additionally has a big presence within the Palmetto State and will show to be the higher selection for velocity and general worth, notably if a fiber-optic connection is on the market 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.

In the event you’re searching for web within the state capital or South Carolina’s largest metropolis, take a look at our greatest ISP picks for Columbia and Charleston. 

Greatest web suppliers in South Carolina

CNET considers availability, velocity, pricing, service phrases, buyer satisfaction and different components when figuring out the most effective web suppliers in an space. After evaluating probably the most prevalent ISPs in South Carolina, I’ve landed on the next suppliers as those I’d suggest most. They is probably not the one suppliers in your space nevertheless, so it’s at all times essential to discover all of your accessible choices earlier than selecting an web supplier to your dwelling.

Notice: The costs, speeds and options detailed within the article textual content could differ from these listed within the product element playing cards, which characterize suppliers’ nationwide choices. Your specific web service choices — together with costs and speeds — rely in your tackle and will differ from these detailed right here.

All costs listed on this web page replicate accessible reductions for establishing paperless billing. In the event you determine to not go along with computerized month-to-month funds, your worth shall be larger.

Spectrum

Greatest web supplier general

Worth vary

$40 – $70 per thirty days

Pace vary

300 – 940Mbps

Connection

Cable

Key Information

Limitless knowledge, easy pricing, no contracts, modem included, free entry to nationwide Wi-Fi hotspots

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. 

Availability: You’ll discover Spectrum all through a lot of the Upstate, together with Gaffney and the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson metro space. Different key metro areas serviceable for Spectrum are Columbia, Florence, Sumter and Orangeburg. Spectrum can be the first cable web supplier at a lot of South Carolina’s well-liked seashores like Myrtle Seaside, Hilton Head and Pawleys Island. Nonetheless, Xfinity has a maintain on the Charleston space.

Plans and pricing: Spectrum plans and pricing can fluctuate barely relying on the native competitors, however most prospects can anticipate three velocity tiers to select from: 300Mbps, 500Mbps and gig service (round 1,000Mbps) beginning at $50, $70 and $90 per thirty days, respectively.

Charges and repair particulars: Your cable modem is included at no further value, however renting a Wi-Fi router by means of Spectrum prices $5 per thirty days. Service contains limitless knowledge and requires no contract.

Learn our Spectrum Web assessment.

Test Spectrum Web availability

AT&T Fiber

Greatest fiber web supplier

Worth vary

$55 – $250 per thirty days

Pace vary

300 – 5,000Mbps

Connection

Fiber

Key Information

Limitless knowledge, no contracts, gear included

AT&T Fiber impresses with its quick speeds, aggressive pricing and industry-leading buyer satisfaction, to not point out some great benefits of a 100% fiber-optic connection.

Availability: Fiber web suppliers largely persist with metro areas, and that’s true of AT&T Fiber in South Carolina. These in Columbia, the Upstate, Charleston, Florence or the Carolina suburbs of Augusta are almost definitely to be serviceable for AT&T Fiber.

Plans and pricing: AT&T Fiber lately launched 2- and 5-gigabit web plans (and extra lately raised the costs of these plans) in choose areas. Test these plans out in the event that they’re accessible, however I’d suggest sticking to one of many supplier’s decrease and extra fairly priced velocity tiers: 300Mbps (beginning at $55 per thirty days), 500Mbps ($65 per thirty days) and 1,000Mbps ($80 per thirty days).

Charges and repair particulars: There are not any gear rental charges, knowledge caps or contracts with AT&T Fiber web service.

Learn our AT&T dwelling web assessment.

Test AT&T Fiber availability

T-Cellular Dwelling Web

Greatest 5G dwelling web protection

Worth vary

$50 per thirty days ($30 for eligible cellular prospects)

Pace vary

72 – 245Mbps

Connection

Fastened wi-fi

Key Information

Limitless knowledge, gear included, no contracts, no further charges

T-Cellular Dwelling Web doesn’t fairly have the velocity and reliability to rival most cable and fiber web companies but. Nonetheless, the low pricing makes it a tempting various to contemplate.

Availability: T-Cellular’s dwelling web protection reaches over 80% of South Carolina households, in response to the FCC. That’s larger than complete cable and fiber protection all through the state, so T-Cellular could also be a good choice for broadband should you’re in a rural space. Nonetheless, it’s potential that 5G dwelling web is probably not accessible, even when you will get 5G in your cellphone. Test the T-Cellular web eligibility web page to see in case your tackle qualifies for service.

Plans and pricing: You’ll have only one choice from T-Cellular Dwelling Web: $50 per thirty days (or $30 for qualifying Magenta Max prospects) for the quickest obtain speeds accessible, usually between 72 and 245Mbps. 

Charges and repair particulars: There are not any gear rental charges, knowledge caps or contracts with T-Cellular Dwelling Web.

Learn our T-Cellular Dwelling Web assessment.

Test T-Cellular availability

HughesNet

Greatest for satellite tv for pc web

Worth vary

$50 – $150 per thirty days

Pace vary

25Mbps

Connection

Satellite tv for pc

Key Information

No arduous knowledge cap, nationwide availability

Satellite tv for pc web isn’t notably fascinating, however in some components of South Carolina, it could be the one option to get a broadband connection. If that’s your scenario, I’d suggest HughesNet for its (comparatively) low pricing and velocity consistency.

Availability: In the event you’ve received a transparent view of the southern sky in your property, you’re all however assured to be serviceable for HughesNet in South Carolina.

Plans and pricing: All HughesNet plans include max speeds of 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up, the usual of what’s thought-about “broadband” web. Your month-to-month knowledge allowance will decide your fee with plans starting from 15GB of information beginning at $65 per thirty days as much as 100GB of information beginning at $125 per thirty days.

Service particulars: When you’ve reached your month-to-month knowledge allowance, which is actually potential should you use your web for streaming, HughesNet could gradual your speeds considerably for the remainder of your billing cycle. You should buy extra knowledge any time or benefit from the “Bonus Zone” — an additional pool of 50GB every month between 2 and eight within the morning. Service additionally comes with a two-year contract and the selection of paying $15 per thirty days for gear or buying upfront for $450.

Learn our HughesNet web assessment.

Test HughesNet availability

Xfinity

Greatest web protection in Charleston

Worth vary

$20 – $300 per thirty days

Pace vary

75 – 6,000Mbps

Connection

Cable

Key Information

Knowledge caps on some plans, a lot of plan choices, strong buyer satisfaction numbers

Spectrum steals the cable web present in South Carolina nearly all over the place aside from Charleston. In the event you’re transferring to or round Charleston, count on Xfinity to be one in every of your web choices.

Availability: Apart from Charleston and Mount Nice, Xfinity covers a lot of Beaufort, Newberry and Walterboro, together with components of Aiken and the larger Augusta space. 

Plans and pricing: Xfinity plans fluctuate from area to area, however these within the Charleston space will see 5 or 6 plan choices, with obtain speeds starting from 75Mbps to 1,200Mbps and beginning pricing between $20 and $85 per thirty days.

Charges and repair particulars: Once more, the effective print can fluctuate from one area to a different. Your gear prices could also be included within the worth relying on the place you reside and your chosen plan. Or, it might add $15 to $25 to your month-to-month invoice do you have to lease your router and go for whole-home Wi-Fi. Contract necessities and knowledge caps rely in your area and the plan you select. A one-year contract could also be required to qualify for the bottom pricing, and a 1.25TB per thirty days knowledge cap could apply with potential charges for going over.

Learn our Xfinity Web assessment.

Test Xfinity Web availability

All South Carolina web suppliers

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

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 worth. Contemplate 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 Seaside. HTC provides quick, symmetrical speeds (500Mbps, 750Mbps and 1Gbps) at affordable charges. Test them out should you’re transferring 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 a good choice, with rural web speeds quicker than most. 

Starlink: Like different satellite tv for pc web companies, Starlink is on the market all through South Carolina. However in contrast to different satellite tv for pc web companies, speeds can attain as much as 200Mbps or larger, and latency is estimated to be a lot decrease at 25 to 60ms or over 100ms in “sure distant areas,” in response to Starlink’s service description.

Verizon 5G Dwelling Web: Verizon’s dwelling web service advertises quicker max speeds than T-Cellular for across the similar month-to-month worth ($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 you could get quicker speeds and a better month-to-month knowledge allowance for the additional value. Examine HughesNet and Viasat plans carefully if satellite tv for pc is your solely broadband choice.

West Carolina Rural Phone: Serving the Clemson/Seneca space and communities alongside the Georgia border right down to Augusta, West Carolina Tel provides fiber-optic service with speeds starting from 250Mbps to 1Gbps for $50 to $80 per thirty days with no contracts or knowledge caps.

WideOpenWest: A pacesetter in low introductory pricing, WideOpenWest, or WOW, 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 stunning however distant areas. What’s one of the simplest ways to get web in these rural areas? 

5G dwelling web: T-Cellular’s dwelling web service covers over 80% of South Carolina households, in response to the FCC. 5G is probably not accessible to all the protection space (T-Cellular nonetheless depends on its 4G LTE community generally), however the potential speeds, pricing and repair phrases might 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 could function a workable broadband answer in rural areas the place such connections are unavailable. 

Satellite tv for pc web: It’s practically at all times an choice wherever you’re, however satellite tv for pc web speeds are low whereas knowledge caps and costs are excessive in comparison with different forms of web. I’d suggest exploring different potential choices earlier than selecting satellite tv for pc service.

How a lot is web in South Carolina?

What you pay for web every month will depend upon the place you reside and the supplier and plan you select, however you possibly can count on to pay no less than $20 to $30 per thirty days for dwelling web, plus taxes and costs. In lots of areas all through South Carolina, dwelling web plans begin at $50 to $55 per thirty days, and should you’re in a rural space, the most cost effective web plans might value $65 to $120 per thirty days, relying on the supplier you go along with.

Web choices for low revenue households in South Carolina

All South Carolina residents can apply to the Inexpensive Connectivity Program, which supplies a credit score of $30 per thirty days ($75 on tribal lands) to assist pay for dwelling web service. See CNET’s ACP information for extra info, together with how one can 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 no less than 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 reminiscent of DSL, cable or fiber. Quicker speeds can be found to most residents with 86% of the state eligible for obtain speeds of 250Mbps or larger and add speeds of 25Mbps or larger. 

Current Ookla velocity check knowledge 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 general), however quicker than close by Georgia (178Mbps, thirty first). 

Spectrum recorded the quickest median obtain speeds in South Carolina at round 237Mbps. The supplier additionally logged the quickest speeds nationwide in Q2 2023 at 243Mbps.

A fiber web connection shall 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 reminiscent of Comporium, Spectrum, Xfinity and WOW continues to be lots quick, however count on slower add speeds, like within the 10 to 35Mbps vary. Cable web will also be extra prone to slowed speeds attributable to community congestion throughout peak utilization occasions.

Recap of dwelling web in South Carolina

Spectrum is CNET’s choose for the most effective web supplier in South Carolina attributable to its excessive availability, quick speeds and favorable service phrases like low gear charges and limitless knowledge. 

AT&T Fiber, T-Cellular Dwelling Web and Xfinity, together with regional suppliers like Comporium, HTC and WCTel, could also be the most effective ISPs to your dwelling, relying in your wants and your location.

These in rural areas could need to take into account 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 dwelling web service.

How CNET selected the most effective web suppliers in South Carolina

Web service suppliers are quite a few and regional. Not like the most recent smartphone, laptop computer, router or kitchen device, it’s impractical to personally check each ISP in a given metropolis. So what’s our strategy? We begin by researching the pricing, availability and velocity info drawing on our personal historic ISP knowledge, the supplier websites and mapping info from the Federal Communications Fee at FCC.gov.

Nevertheless it doesn’t finish there. We go to the FCC’s web site to test our knowledge and guarantee we’re contemplating each ISP that gives service in an space. We additionally enter native addresses on supplier web sites to search out particular choices for residents. To judge how joyful prospects are with an ISP’s service, we have a look at sources together with the American Buyer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Energy. ISP plans and costs are topic to frequent modifications; all info offered is correct as of the time of publication. 

As soon as we’ve this localized info, we ask three major questions: 

• Does the supplier supply entry to fairly quick web speeds? 
• Do prospects get respectable worth for what they’re paying? 
• Are prospects pleased with 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 suggest. 

To discover our course of in additional depth, go to our how we check ISPs web page.

South Carolina web FAQs