[ad_1]
What is the best ISP in Hickory?
The largest broadband provider in the area, Spectrumis the best internet service provider in Hickory, North Carolina. Along with wide availability in the Hickory area, Spectrum is known for its fast download speeds, clear pricing and TV and internet packages.
The Spectrum isn’t the fastest or the the cheapest internet provider in Hickory, however. Fiber ISP Metronet offers the fastest speeds in Hickory, up to 5,000 megabits per second, and the cheapest plan with service starting at $30 per month for speeds up to 100Mbps. Considering speeds and prices, Metronet is a contender for the best ISP in Hickory, but it lacks the same breadth of coverage as Spectrum, available to only about 15% of local households.
Brightspeed (formerly CenturyLink in the Hickory area), competes with Spectrum in terms of availability, but DSL service fails to deliver speeds that can be considered broadband.
Similarly, fixed wireless Internet is available in much of Hickory, but speeds are often below the broadband threshold of 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. T-Mobile Home Internet and possibly Open Broadband when it becomes available are your best bets for fixed wireless broadband in Hickory. Verizon 5G Home Internet may also offer fixed wireless internet in Hickory, but availability is currently quite limited.
The best internet in Hickory, NC
Hickory, North Carolina Internet Providers Compared
| Supplier | Internet technologies | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data Limitation | Contract | CNET review result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brightspeed | DSL | $50 | 20-100Mbps | $15 | None | None | N/A |
| Metronet | fiber | $30-$110 | 100-5000 Mbps | None, $13 monthly tech fee | None | None | 6.9 |
| Spectrum | Cable | $50-$80 | 300-1000 Mbps | $7 (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($40-$50 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible mobile plans) | 50-1000 Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
Shop suppliers at my address
Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Hickory?
| Plan | Starting price | Maximum download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metronet 100 | $30 | 100Mbps | None, $13 monthly tech fee |
| Metronet 500 | $40 | 500Mbps | None, $13 monthly tech fee |
| Bright internet | $50 | 10 Mbps | None |
| Internet spectrum | $50 | 300Mbps | $7 (optional) |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet | $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 100Mbps | None |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | $50 ($40 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
Show more (1 item)
Shop suppliers at my address
Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.
How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Hickory
The best internet deals and the best promotions in Hickory depend on what discounts are available during a given time period. Most deals are short-lived, but we’re often on the lookout for the latest deals.
Hickory Internet providers, such as Spectrum and T-Mobile Home Internet, may offer lower introductory rates or other incentives for a limited time. Others, including Metronet, maintain the same standard prices year-round.
For a more extensive list of promotions, see our guide to the best internet deals.
The fastest internet plans in Hickory, NC
| Plan | Starting price | Maximum download speed | Maximum upload speed | Data Limitation | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metronet 5Gbps | $110 | 5000 Mbps | 5000 Mbps | None | fiber |
| Metronet 2Gbps | $90 | 2000 Mbps | 2000 Mbps | None | fiber |
| Metronet 1Gbps | $50 | 1000 Mbps | 1000 Mbps | None | fiber |
| Spectrum Internet Gig | $80 | 1000 Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet | $70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) | 300Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
Shop suppliers at my address
Source: CNET analysis of vendor data.
What is a good internet speed?
Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an Internet plan that can include video conferencing, streaming video, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more stable connection. Here’s an overview of recommended minimum download speeds for different apps, according to the FCC. Note that these are guidelines only — and that Internet speed, service, and performance vary by connection type, provider, and address.
For more information, see our guide to how much internet speed do you really need?.
- 0 to 5 Mbps lets you handle the basics – surfing the web, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
- 5 to 40 Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
- 40 to 100 Mbps should provide a single user with enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
- 100 to 500Mbps allows one or two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
- 500 to 1000 Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.
How CNET chose the best ISPs in Hickory, North Carolina
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest ones smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it is not practical to personally test every ISP in a city. So what is our approach? We start by researching pricing, availability, and speed information, drawing on our own historical data from ISPs, provider sites, and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission on FCC.gov.
But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we’re looking at every ISP that provides service in an area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power to gauge how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent change; all information provided is accurate at the time of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
- Does the provider offer relatively fast internet access?
- Are customers getting decent value for what they pay?
- Are customers satisfied with their service?
While the answers to these questions are often multi-layered and complex, the vendors that come closest to saying yes to all three are the ones we recommend. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also take into account things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively easy. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
ISPs in Hickory, NC FAQ
What is the best ISP in Hickory?
Spectrum is the best internet service provider in Hickory because of its wide availability and clear pricing for a selection of speeds ranging from 300 to 1000 Mbps. Select plans come with two-year price increases, while Metronet’s introductory rates for all plans expire after one year.
Is fiber optic internet available in Hickory?
Fiber Internet is available to about 24 percent of Hickory residential addresses, according to latest FCC data. Serviceability is greatest in the southern part of the city, as well as in the northwest. Metronet is the largest fiber internet provider in Hickory, although Brightspeed may offer fiber internet in a select few areas.
What is the cheapest ISP in Hickory?
Metronet has the lowest introductory home internet rate in Hickory at $30 per month for speeds up to 100Mbps. Other Metronet plans are also competitively priced, with speeds up to 500Mbps starting at $40 per month and Concert service starting at $50 per month. Both plans are priced $30 less than the same potential download speed from Spectrum.
Metronet includes equipment rental at no extra cost with all plans, but there is an unavoidable tech fee that will add $13 to your monthly bill.
Which ISP in Hickory offers the fastest plan?
Metronet is Hickory’s only ISP that offers multi-gigabit speeds with 5000Mbps and 2000Mbps plans available starting at $110 and $90 per month respectively. As a fiber optic provider, Metronet has the ability to provide symmetrical upload and download speeds. In comparison, Spectrum’s fastest download speeds in Hickory top out at 1000Mbps, while peak upload speeds are much lower at 35Mbps.
[ad_2]
