What is the best internet provider in Winston-Salem?

AT&T Fiber is the best internet provider in Winston-Salem. It's our top pick because the fiber internet provider has the best selection of high-speed plans, including the two fastest plans with speeds up to 2,000 megabits per second and 5,000Mbps, and the highest customer satisfaction rating of any major internet provider in Winston-Salem. All fiber plans have free equipment rental, unlimited data and no contract requirements.

AT&T Fiber is a top choice for speed and value, but it’s not the cheapest internet provider in Winston-Salem. Kinetic by Windstream has the cheapest plan in the area, with service starting at $40 per month for speeds up to 100Mbps. That’s not a bad deal, but for $10 more per month, Spectrum offers up to five times the download speed potential plus a lower equipment cost should you opt to rent your router.

Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet are also decent options for cheap internet, particularly if you qualify for their mobile bundle discounts. Both services start at $50 per month (before any discounts) and include your equipment and unlimited data at no extra cost.

Best internet in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Winston-Salem

The best internet deals and top promotions in Winston-Salem depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Winston-Salem internet providers, such as AT&T Fiber, may throw in bonus offers such as gift cards or streaming services for a limited time. Most, however, including Spectrum and Kinetic, run the same standard offers year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s 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 accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines -- and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

• 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics -- browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Winston-Salem

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. Are customers happy with their service?

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. 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.

Internet providers in Winston-Salem FAQs