Greatest Web Suppliers in South Carolina

As a lifelong resident of the Carolinas, I do know firsthand the advantages of residing in South Carolina. We have got a number of 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 is not half unhealthy both, relying on the place you reside within the state.

The very best web supplier on your house will rely in your wants and what’s out there 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 one million 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 total worth, significantly if a fiber-optic connection is out there at your deal with. Different nationwide ISPs together with Xfinity, Kinetic and WideOpenWest additionally serve South Carolina and are value contemplating together with the various regional suppliers that provide service all through the state.

In the event you’re purchasing 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 advocate most. They will not be the one suppliers in your space nonetheless, so it’s at all times necessary to discover all of your out there choices earlier than selecting an web supplier on your house.

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

All costs listed on this web page mirror out there reductions for establishing paperless billing. In the event you resolve to not go together with automated month-to-month funds, your worth can be greater.

Spectrum

Greatest web supplier total

Worth vary

$40 – $70 monthly

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 also be the first cable web supplier at a lot of South Carolina’s in style seashores like Myrtle Seashore, Hilton Head and Pawleys Island. Nonetheless, Xfinity has a maintain on the Charleston space.

Plans and pricing: Spectrum plans and pricing can differ 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 monthly, respectively.

Charges and repair particulars: Your cable modem is included at no extra price, however renting a Wi-Fi router by way of Spectrum prices $5 monthly. Service consists of limitless knowledge and requires no contract.

Learn our Spectrum Web evaluation.

Verify Spectrum Web availability

AT&T Fiber

Greatest fiber web supplier

Worth vary

$55 – $250 monthly

Pace vary

300 – 5,000Mbps

Connection

Fiber

Key Information

Limitless knowledge, no contracts, tools 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 stick 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 probably 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. Verify these plans out in the event that they’re out there, however I’d advocate sticking to one of many supplier’s decrease and extra fairly priced velocity tiers: 300Mbps (beginning at $55 monthly), 500Mbps ($65 monthly) and 1,000Mbps ($80 monthly).

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

Learn our AT&T house web evaluation.

Verify AT&T Fiber availability

T-Cell Residence Web

Greatest 5G house web protection

Worth vary

$50 monthly ($30 for eligible cell prospects)

Pace vary

72 – 245Mbps

Connection

Mounted wi-fi

Key Information

Limitless knowledge, tools included, no contracts, no extra charges

T-Cell Residence Web doesn’t fairly have the velocity and reliability to rival most cable and fiber web providers but. Nonetheless, the low pricing makes it a tempting various to think about.

Availability: T-Cell’s house web protection reaches over 80% of South Carolina households, in response to the FCC. That’s greater than complete cable and fiber protection all through the state, so T-Cell could also be an honest possibility for broadband in case you’re in a rural space. Nonetheless, it’s potential that 5G house web will not be out there, even when you will get 5G in your telephone. Verify the T-Cell web eligibility web page to see in case your deal with qualifies for service.

Plans and pricing: You’ll have only one possibility from T-Cell Residence Web: $50 monthly (or $30 for qualifying Magenta Max prospects) for the quickest obtain speeds out there, typically between 72 and 245Mbps. 

Charges and repair particulars: There are not any tools rental charges, knowledge caps or contracts with T-Cell Residence Web.

Learn our T-Cell Residence Web evaluation.

Verify T-Cell availability

HughesNet

Greatest for satellite tv for pc web

Worth vary

$50 – $150 monthly

Pace vary

25Mbps

Connection

Satellite tv for pc

Key Information

No arduous knowledge cap, nationwide availability

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

Availability: In the event you’ve acquired 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 monthly as much as 100GB of information beginning at $125 monthly.

Service particulars: When you’ve reached your month-to-month knowledge allowance, which is actually potential in case you use your web for streaming, HughesNet could sluggish your speeds considerably for the remainder of your billing cycle. You should buy extra knowledge any time or reap the benefits of 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 monthly for tools or buying upfront for $450.

Learn our HughesNet web evaluation.

Verify HughesNet availability

Xfinity

Greatest web protection in Charleston

Worth vary

$20 – $300 monthly

Pace vary

75 – 6,000Mbps

Connection

Cable

Key Information

Knowledge caps on some plans, numerous plan choices, strong buyer satisfaction numbers

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

Availability: Other than Charleston and Mount Nice, Xfinity covers a lot of Beaufort, Newberry and Walterboro, together with elements of Aiken and the larger Augusta space. 

Plans and pricing: Xfinity plans differ 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 monthly.

Charges and repair particulars: Once more, the positive print can differ from one area to a different. Your tools prices could also be included within the worth relying on the place you reside and your chosen plan. Or, it may 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 monthly knowledge cap could apply with potential charges for going over.

Learn our Xfinity Web evaluation.

Verify Xfinity Web availability

All South Carolina web suppliers

The above web suppliers do an honest job of masking South Carolina, however they aren’t the one ones you might 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. Take into account it if no different wired connection sorts can be found at your deal with.

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 gives quick, symmetrical speeds (500Mbps, 750Mbps and 1Gbps) at affordable charges. Verify them out in case 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 also be an honest possibility, with rural web speeds sooner than most. 

Starlink: Like different satellite tv for pc web providers, Starlink is out there all through South Carolina. However not like different satellite tv for pc web providers, speeds can attain as much as 200Mbps or greater, 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 Residence Web: Verizon’s house web service advertises sooner max speeds than T-Cell for across the identical month-to-month worth ($50 for 50-300Mbps, $70 for 85-1,000Mbps), however service is presently restricted to elements of Columbia and Greenville.

Viasat: Satellite tv for pc web from Viasat is a little more costly than HughesNet, however you might get sooner speeds and a better month-to-month knowledge allowance for the additional price. Evaluate HughesNet and Viasat plans intently if satellite tv for pc 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 gives fiber-optic service with speeds starting from 250Mbps to 1Gbps for $50 to $80 monthly with no contracts or knowledge caps.

WideOpenWest: A frontrunner 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 instances to know South Carolina has some lovely however distant areas. What’s one of the best ways to get web in these rural areas? 

5G house web: T-Cell’s house web service covers over 80% of South Carolina households, in response to the FCC. 5G will not be out there to all the protection space (T-Cell 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 principle DSL suppliers in South Carolina. Speeds are slower than you’d get with cable or fiber web, however DSL could function a workable broadband resolution in rural areas the place such connections are unavailable. 

Satellite tv for pc web: 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 sorts of web. I’d advocate exploring different potential choices earlier than deciding on satellite tv for pc service.

How a lot is web 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 may count on to pay at the very least $20 to $30 monthly for house web, plus taxes and costs. In lots of areas all through South Carolina, house web plans begin at $50 to $55 monthly, and in case you’re in a rural space, the most cost effective web plans may price $65 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 offers a credit score of $30 monthly ($75 on tribal lands) to assist pay for house web service. See CNET’s ACP information for extra info, together with the best way to apply.

Choose South Carolina web suppliers like AT&T, Spectrum and Xfinity additionally provide a separate web plan for qualifying low-income households. Such plans usually price $30 or much less — for a web month-to-month price of $0 when mixed with the ACP credit score — and provide speeds starting from 30 to 100Mbps. 

South Carolina web speeds

Broadband speeds, outlined as at the very 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 corresponding to DSL, cable or fiber. Quicker speeds can be found to most residents with 86% of the state eligible for obtain speeds of 250Mbps or greater and add speeds of 25Mbps or greater. 

Latest Ookla velocity take a look at 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 total), however sooner 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 can be your greatest 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 corresponding to Comporium, Spectrum, Xfinity and WOW remains to be a lot quick, however count on slower add speeds, like within the 10 to 35Mbps vary. Cable web may also be extra prone to slowed speeds resulting from community congestion throughout peak utilization instances.

Recap of house web in South Carolina

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

AT&T Fiber, T-Cell Residence Web and Xfinity, together with regional suppliers like Comporium, HTC and WCTel, could also be the most effective ISPs on your house, relying in your wants and your location.

These in rural areas could need to think about 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 house 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 instrument, it’s impractical to personally take a look at 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.

But it surely 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 seek out particular choices for residents. To judge how pleased 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 adjustments; all info supplied is correct as of the time of publication. 

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

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

Whereas the reply to these questions is commonly layered and sophisticated, the suppliers who come closest to “sure” on all three are those we advocate. 

To discover our course of in additional depth, go to our how we take a look at ISPs web page.

South Carolina web FAQs