Internet Providers in Fayetteville, North Carolina

Hi there! Choosing the right internet service can be confusing anywhere you live. But here in Fayetteville, North Carolina, we actually have it pretty good these days thanks to lots of recent upgrades and strong competition for our business as customers. Let me bring you up to speed on the past, present and future of your home internet options here in town. I‘ve lived in Fayetteville for over 20 years, so I‘ll be your friendly neighborhood guide on this journey!

First, let‘s recap how we got here…

A Quick History of Internet in Fayetteville

In the early days of the consumer internet in the late 90s, Fayetteville residents relied on sluggish dial-up connections through old telephone lines. But as cable and phone companies started wiring homes with faster broadband starting in the 2000s, speeds picked up considerably even if price and reliability were still hit-or-miss.

The first major fiber optic lines arrived around 2010 — allowing incredible bandwidth of 100Mbps up to 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) download speeds. But the downside was that early on, only certain neighborhoods had access.

Fayetteville fell behind other US cities in fiber availability throughout the 2010s. Our saving grace was Spectrum cable upgrading its network to deliver 200-400 Mbps across a wide coverage area. But we still weren‘t getting the dream speeds promised by fiber…until recently, that is!

The fiber revolution is finally here! New fiber optic internet providers like Metronet have arrived, lighting up whole neighborhoods with incredibly fast and reliable fiber connections up to 2 Gbps. Earlier networks like the AT&T GigaPower fiber built out around 2013 are also still going strong across North Fayetteville and out near I-95.

And even Spectrum has driven upgrades to upgrade from basic cable to what’s called “fiber hybrid coax network” in industry speak. They’re now delivering their own branded gigabit speeds to over 75% of households in Fayetteville.

What does this mean for you? More options and faster speeds no matter where you live in the area!

Internet Providers in Fayetteville — An Overview

Let’s run through who the major players are nowadays delivering home internet to locals like us. Depending on exactly where you live in Fayetteville or surrounding Cumberland County, you’ll likely have between 3 to 5 different providers to choose from.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the provider landscape in 2023:

• Spectrum – offers cable internet powered by fiber optics behind the scenes. As the legacy provider in town, they have the widest overall coverage.

• Metronet – rapidly growing independent fiber optic provider that promises future-proof speeds and reliability

• AT&T – offers high speed fiber internet in select neighborhoods of Fayetteville on top of slower legacy DSL service

• CenturyLink – an option mostly for rural areas outside city limits. Max speeds lag behind cable and fiber.

• T-Mobile Home Internet – new 5G fixed wireless home internet delivered over the air vs cables

• Viasat + HughesNet – satellite internet only as last resort if no other option reaches your address

Spectrum clearly still holds the dominant position when it comes to coverage area as the incumbent cable TV provider for decades.

But the new fiber kids on the block like Metronet and AT&T Fiber offer legit competition when it comes to speed and reliability. Parts of north and downtown Fayetteville also now have access to ultra-fast 2 Gig symmetrical speeds thanks to brand new fiber lines installed in just the past 2-3 years.

So unless you live super rural like out near Manchester or Stoney Point, you’ve got good options!

Now as for wireless, some areas do have coverage from T-Mobile’s 5G home internet service. And if no other provider can reach your physical address, satellite internet providers HughesNet and Viasat operate in the area. But those should only be considered a last choice in my book which I’ll explain why later.

A Data-Driven Look at Speeds and Prices

Alright, let’s get into the nitty gritty specs that matter most — how fast will my internet be and how much is it gonna cost me each month, right? Fair questions!

The table below summarizes the types of plans you’ll commonly see advertised by the major players for Fayetteville. I built this out based on recent 2023 rates plus the typical speed ranges seen by actual customers in FCC filings:

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Some key takeaways here:

• You’ll enjoy the fastest overall speeds in Fayetteville with Metronet and Spectrum Gigabit cable plans thanks to that shiny new fiber infrastructure I mentioned earlier.

• Spectrum does still offer competitive pricing with intro deals that bundle TV & mobile savings.

• AT&T fiber is solid if available in your area — not quite as new as Metronet but still way faster than old school DSL.

• CenturyLink is fine in a budget pinch but expect slower speeds more suitable for light use than heavy streaming.

• And pay attention to typical speed ranges — T-Mobile 5G can vary wildly by location and congestion as the network continues improving.

Weighing Pros and Cons of Connection Types

Okay, we talked providers and plans. But how do all these fancy acronyms actually work? What are the strengths and weaknesses behind cable, fiber optic, DSL and wireless internet?

Let’s quickly break that down:

Cable Internet

Cable was built mainly for TV service but can deliver fast internet by tapping into underground fiber optic lines that have massively expanded capacity over the years.

Pros

• Established infrastructure – uses existing cable wiring for quick installation
• Fast downloads – 600 Mbps typical Fayetteville speeds

Cons

• Slower uploads than fiber since the network traffic flows mainly downstream
• Smaller capacity than full fiber networks as 4K streaming grows

Fiber Optic Internet

Fiber optic lines use flexible glass strands rather than metal wires to encode data as light pulses creating almost limitless capacity for the future.

Pros

• Future-proof speeds – symmetrical Gigabit up AND down
• Massive capacity that won‘t slow down even as 8K video takes off!

Cons

• More involved installation since it requires running all new wiring to homes

DSL Internet

DSL piggybacks off telephone infrastructure to connect your router using copper lines originally built for analog voice calls.

Pros

• Uses existing telephone infrastructure making it widely available

Cons

• Much slower max speeds than cable and fiber
• Performance fades over long distances from provider sites

5G and Fixed Wireless Internet

The new generation of 5G cellular taps higher radio spectrum allowing for home internet without cables.

Pros

• Portable “hot spot” hardware without professional installation
• Leverages cell towers for quick deployment

Cons

• Patchy coverage today and congestion slows speeds
• Walls and weather disrupt signals more than fiber/cable

Satellite Internet

Communications satellites launched to orbit 22,000 miles above earth can beam internet anywhere with clear access to the southern sky.

Pros

• Available even in rural areas miles from any ground infrastructure

Cons

• Slow speeds with high latency from immense distances involved
• Weather impacts and traffic congestion hurt consistency
• Restrictive data caps still common

Recent Developments Improving Fayetteville’s Connectivity

If I haven’t made it clear yet, these are exciting times for internet availability in Fayetteville!

Beyond the bold fiber expansion I touched on earlier, here are couple other major technology upgrades giving locals access to faster and more reliable internet across town:

Spectrum Upgrading to “Fiber Deep” DOCSIS 3.1

While not full end-to-end fiber to each home, Spectrum continues to upgrade its existing cable network by extending fiber much deeper into neighborhoods.

Combined with new DOCSIS 3.1 cable modems many customers received for free in the past couple years, Spectrum’s hybrid fiber network can now deliver gigabit download speeds matching full blown fiber optic connections.

Expanding 5G Improving Wireless Coverage

Exciting as fiber may be, drilling up roads and pulling fiber lines inch-by-inch remains very time and labor intensive.

That‘s why wireless providers are racing to activate brand new 5G cell sites taking advantage of newly available radio spectrum ideal for home internet delivery.

The catch is that current average download speeds for T-Mobile 5G Home Internet customers still range widely across Fayetteville from just 33 Mbps up to 180 Mbps based on proximity to towers and line of sight obstructions.

But the outlook remains positive for faster options without cables as 5G coverage and capacity expands thanks to aggressive network investments by national carriers. We’re still early days!

More Challenges (and Options) Coming From Space!

Believe it or not, a new generation of satellite constellations thousands of times closer to earth than old satellites promises to massively upgrade rural internet in the years ahead thanks to innovators like SpaceX Starlink.

But despite the exciting tech, satellite will likely remain a niche option even as speeds and reliability improve since fiber and wireless networks continue pushing closer to every home down here on terra firma!

How Does Fayetteville‘s Internet Stack Up State and Nationwide?

Thanks to our recent investments in cutting edge internet infrastructure, Fayetteville is actually ahead of the curve now versus broader NC and national internet speed averages based on extensive research from the FCC.

• Fayetteville – Median 145 Mbps / 48% Gigabit availability

• North Carolina – Median 91 Mbps / 34% Gigabit availability

• National – Median 73 Mbps / 25% Gigabit availability

We came out relatively late to the fiber party versus other mid-sized metro areas. But companies like Metronet are making up for lost time having wired nearly 50% of homes in Fayetteville for gigabit speeds over just the past 3 years!

And our average still comes out well ahead of smaller surrounding towns like Hope Mills, Spring Lake and Fort Bragg that lack extensive fiber and cable buildouts. Rural areas of Cumberland County dependent on sluggish DSL and satellite continue dragging down state-wide numbers for now.

So pat yourself on the back, Fayetteville residents! Odds are your home’s internet connectivity is the envy of much of non-metro North Carolina thanks to the competitive marketplace we enjoy.

Choosing Your Best (Not Just Fastest) Internet Service

Okay, let‘s connect all this history and technical mumbo jumbo back to REAL LIFE.

What does it all mean for choosing the right internet provider for YOUR household here in Fayetteville?

Here‘s my suggested decision tree given 2023 options:

I‘ll start with Step 1 since this affects everything below it…

Step 1: Check Fiber Availability

Due to its clear advantages in speed and future-proof capacity, my #1 recommendation is to start your search by checking fiber availability from either Metronet or AT&T Fiber using their qualification tools for your address:

• Metronet availability map

• AT&T fiber checker

If those say fiber is available, lock it in! Gigabit plans generally run just $70-90/month for nearly limitless bandwidth that won‘t slow down even as 8K video streaming goes mainstream in a few years.

Step 2: Compare Cable Plans

If no fiber access yet, Spectrum Cable should be available nearly everywhere across Fayetteville proper with max gigabit speeds rivaling fiber for most practical uses today.

I do suggest checking their offers frequently for discounts as 12 month intro deals are common – especially when bundling TV/mobile. Lock in the 1 to 2 year rate guarantee before regular prices kick in.

Step 3: Research Wireless Options

If cable AND fiber are both unavailable, T-Mobile Home Internet is worth exploring since their 5G signal could give you wireless flexibility assuming no hills/bldgs blocking antenna sight lines.

Just temper speed expectations and watch out for congestion during peak hours. Consider trying a no commitment $50 month-to-month plan before switching permanently from a wired provider.

Step 4: Satellite Only As Last Resort!

I only recommend satellite internet from HughesNet or Viasat in DIRE circumstances like:

• Living remotely with NO other provider able to reach address
• Being unable to mount antenna on roof for line of sight

Bandwidth allowances as low as 50GB/month guarantee a frustrating experience in 2023 given how much modern apps consume. But I suppose slow internet beats NO internet if that‘s truly your only option.

I know that‘s A LOT of nitty gritty info to process on available internet provider options here in town. Please reach out or comment below with any other questions – I‘m always happy to help a neighbor!

Hope this guide from a long-time local resident makes the decision between Spectrum, Metronet, AT&T and our other providers crystal clear. We no longer have to feel left behind in the race for fast, reliable and reasonably priced home internet.

Fayetteville has clearly arrived thanks to the massive investments made right here in our neighborhoods – enjoy that speed!