Business internet options in North Carolina include fiber from AT&T (available to 31% of NC addresses), Spectrum cable and fiber (56% coverage), Ting fiber (select cities), fixed wireless, and satellite alternatives like Starlink Business. Choosing the right combination depends on your location, bandwidth requirements, uptime needs, and budget constraints.
Key takeaway: According to FCC broadband data and NC Broadband analysis, fiber is available in 69% of North Carolina, but more than 420,000 households and businesses still lack high-speed internet access. The state has dedicated $568 million to broadband expansion, meaning coverage continues to improve for businesses in underserved areas.
For North Carolina businesses in manufacturing, construction, and professional services, reliable internet is not optional. Cloud applications, VoIP phone systems, remote access, and data backup all depend on consistent connectivity. Whether your business operates in High Point, Greensboro, Charlotte, Raleigh, or rural areas of the Piedmont Triad, understanding your options and planning for redundancy is essential.
Need help selecting and configuring business internet? Preferred Data Corporation designs reliable network solutions for North Carolina businesses. Call (336) 886-3282 or schedule a network consultation.
Fiber Internet Providers in North Carolina
AT&T Business Fiber
AT&T is the most widely available fiber provider in North Carolina, covering approximately 31% of addresses statewide.
Speeds: 1 Gbps to 5 Gbps symmetrical (equal upload and download)
Advantages:
- Symmetrical speeds ideal for cloud applications and large file transfers
- National carrier with enterprise-grade SLAs available
- Scalable from basic business to dedicated enterprise circuits
- Strong presence in Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, and urban Piedmont Triad areas
Limitations:
- Limited availability in rural areas and smaller towns
- Standard business service may share infrastructure with residential
- Dedicated internet access (DIA) with SLA carries premium pricing
- Installation timelines can extend 30-90 days
Best for: Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, and Greensboro businesses needing symmetrical bandwidth for cloud-heavy operations.
Spectrum Business
Spectrum provides cable service to 56.2% of North Carolina and fiber to approximately 16% of addresses.
Speeds: Up to 1 Gbps download, with upload speeds varying from 35 Mbps to 1 Gbps depending on service tier
Advantages:
- Widest overall coverage in North Carolina
- Competitive pricing for download-heavy workloads
- No data caps on business plans
- Quick installation timelines (typically 7-14 days)
- Active expansion into underserved NC communities
Limitations:
- Asymmetric speeds on cable plans (low upload speeds)
- Shared medium can experience congestion during peak hours
- SLA options more limited than dedicated fiber
- Cable infrastructure less reliable than fiber in severe weather
Best for: Businesses in Piedmont Triad suburban areas, smaller NC towns, and organizations where download bandwidth matters most (web browsing, streaming, software updates).
Ting Fiber
Ting offers symmetric fiber in select North Carolina cities, covering approximately 1.2% of state addresses with plans for expansion.
Speeds: 1 Gbps to 2 Gbps symmetrical
Advantages:
- Highly rated customer service (4.3/5 rating)
- No contracts required
- Transparent pricing without promotional rate increases
- Consistently symmetrical speeds
- Growing NC presence in select markets
Limitations:
- Very limited geographic availability
- Smaller company with fewer enterprise support options
- One-time installation fee up to $200
- Less robust SLA options than national carriers
Best for: Businesses in Ting-served NC areas wanting straightforward pricing and reliable symmetric speeds without long-term contracts.
Cable and DSL Options
Spectrum Cable (Standard Business)
For businesses outside fiber coverage areas, Spectrum's cable service remains the most widely available high-speed option in North Carolina.
Speeds: 200 Mbps to 1 Gbps download, 10-35 Mbps upload
Considerations:
- Adequate for 5-20 users with standard business applications
- Upload speeds may limit cloud backup, VoIP quality, and video conferencing
- More susceptible to weather-related outages than fiber
- Suitable as a secondary connection in redundant configurations
DSL (Limited Viability)
DSL service from AT&T and other providers is still available in some NC areas but offers limited speeds (5-100 Mbps) that are generally insufficient for modern business operations. DSL should only be considered as a backup connection in areas with no other options.
Alternative Connectivity Options
Fixed Wireless
Fixed wireless providers deliver internet through radio signals from towers to antennas installed at business locations. Several providers serve rural North Carolina areas.
Speeds: 25 Mbps to 1 Gbps depending on provider and distance
Advantages:
- Available where fiber and cable infrastructure does not reach
- Faster installation than fiber construction (days vs. months)
- Can provide dedicated circuits with SLA guarantees
- Growing capacity with 5G fixed wireless from major carriers
Limitations:
- Line-of-sight requirements between tower and antenna
- Performance can be affected by weather and interference
- Higher latency than fiber connections
- Capacity may be limited in congested areas
Best for: Rural Piedmont Triad, Randolph County, and other NC locations outside fiber/cable coverage needing better-than-satellite performance.
Starlink Business
SpaceX's satellite internet service provides global coverage regardless of terrestrial infrastructure.
Speeds: 40-220 Mbps download, 8-25 Mbps upload (variable)
Advantages:
- Available anywhere with clear sky view in North Carolina
- No terrestrial infrastructure required
- Quick self-installation
- Portable (can move between job sites)
Limitations:
- Higher latency (25-60ms) than terrestrial options
- Variable speeds affected by congestion and weather
- Monthly cost higher than terrestrial alternatives ($120-500/month)
- Not suitable as a primary connection for latency-sensitive applications
- Limited upload bandwidth restricts cloud backup and VoIP
Best for: Backup connectivity for any NC business, primary connectivity for remote construction sites, and businesses in locations with no other available options.
Bandwidth Planning for NC Businesses
Calculating Your Requirements
Use these guidelines to estimate bandwidth needs:
| Application | Per-User Bandwidth |
|---|---|
| Email and web browsing | 2-5 Mbps |
| Cloud applications (Microsoft 365, ERP) | 5-10 Mbps |
| VoIP phone calls | 100 Kbps per concurrent call |
| Video conferencing | 3-8 Mbps per participant |
| Cloud backup (continuous) | 10-50 Mbps per TB/day |
| Large file transfers (CAD, engineering) | 50-100+ Mbps |
| VDI/Remote desktop | 5-15 Mbps per session |
Formula: (Number of concurrent users x average per-user bandwidth) x 1.5 (overhead factor) = minimum download speed
Upload consideration: Cloud-dependent businesses should ensure upload speed meets at least 25% of download speed, with symmetric connections preferred for heavy cloud usage.
Preferred Data Insight: For Piedmont Triad manufacturers with 50-100 employees using cloud ERP, VoIP, and regular CAD file transfers, we typically recommend minimum 500 Mbps symmetric fiber with a secondary 200+ Mbps connection for redundancy.
Internet Redundancy for Business Continuity
Why Single-Connection Businesses Are at Risk
A single internet connection creates a single point of failure. North Carolina businesses face risks from:
- Provider outages (equipment failure, fiber cuts from construction)
- Severe weather (hurricanes, ice storms affecting infrastructure)
- Hardware failure (router, modem, or ONT equipment)
- Capacity exhaustion during peak usage
Redundancy Architectures
Dual-Provider Active/Passive:
- Primary fiber connection carries all traffic
- Secondary cable or fixed wireless activates on primary failure
- Automatic failover through SD-WAN or dual-WAN router
- Cost: $200-$500/month additional
Dual-Provider Active/Active:
- Both connections carry traffic simultaneously
- Load balancing distributes applications across connections
- Either connection can handle full load independently
- Cost: $300-$800/month additional
Dual-Provider with Cellular Backup:
- Primary fiber plus secondary cable for normal operations
- 4G/5G cellular modem activates if both wired connections fail
- Provides ultimate failover for critical operations
- Cost: $400-$1,000/month additional
Recommended by Business Type
| Business Type | Minimum Redundancy |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing (production-critical) | Dual-provider active/active |
| Professional services | Dual-provider active/passive |
| Retail/hospitality | Primary + cellular backup |
| Construction (field offices) | Cellular primary + Starlink backup |
| Healthcare/regulated | Dual-provider + cellular |
SLA Comparison by Provider Type
| Feature | Residential-Grade | Business Cable | Business Fiber | Dedicated (DIA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uptime SLA | None | 99% | 99.5% | 99.99% |
| Repair Response | Best effort | 4-8 hours | 4 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Speed Guarantee | None | None | Partial | 100% |
| Monthly Cost | $50-$100 | $100-$300 | $200-$500 | $500-$3,000+ |
| Bandwidth Type | Shared | Shared | Shared/Dedicated | Dedicated |
Urban vs. Rural NC Connectivity Challenges
Urban Areas (Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro)
Urban North Carolina businesses typically have multiple fiber options and can achieve enterprise-grade connectivity at competitive prices. The primary challenge is selecting the right combination of providers for redundancy.
Suburban/Small City (High Point, Burlington, Thomasville)
Piedmont Triad suburban areas often have one fiber provider and one cable provider. Redundancy may require mixing technologies (fiber primary, cable secondary, cellular tertiary).
Rural Areas (Randolph, Davidson, Alamance Counties)
Rural North Carolina businesses face the greatest connectivity challenges. Options may be limited to:
- Single cable provider with limited speeds
- Fixed wireless if tower line-of-sight exists
- Starlink or other satellite service
- Cellular (4G/5G if coverage permits)
The NC Broadband Division's $568 million expansion investment is actively improving rural connectivity, but construction timelines extend through 2027-2028.
How Preferred Data Optimizes NC Business Connectivity
With 37 years serving North Carolina businesses and a BBB A+ rating, Preferred Data Corporation designs, implements, and manages network infrastructure solutions that maximize reliability and performance across all connectivity types.
Our network services include:
- Internet service provider evaluation and selection
- Multi-WAN and SD-WAN configuration for redundancy
- Bandwidth planning and capacity management
- Managed firewall and network security
- Quality of Service (QoS) configuration for VoIP and video
- Cloud connectivity optimization
- Ongoing network monitoring and performance management
- Vendor management and escalation for outages
We serve businesses throughout High Point, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, and the entire Piedmont Triad region, providing on-site support within 200 miles of our High Point headquarters.
Need reliable business internet? Call (336) 886-3282 or contact us online to optimize your network connectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What internet speed does my NC business actually need?
Calculate your needs based on concurrent users and applications. A 25-employee office using cloud apps, VoIP, and video conferencing typically needs 200-500 Mbps download and 50-100 Mbps upload minimum. Manufacturing facilities with large file transfers or cloud backup needs may require 500 Mbps to 1 Gbps symmetric connections.
Is Starlink Business reliable enough for primary business use?
Starlink Business provides viable internet where no terrestrial options exist, but its variable speeds (40-220 Mbps), higher latency (25-60ms), and weather sensitivity make it less suitable as a primary connection for businesses that depend on consistent performance. It works well as a backup connection or for remote construction sites in rural North Carolina.
How much does business internet redundancy cost in North Carolina?
Adding a secondary internet connection for failover typically costs $200-$500 per month for a standard cable backup alongside a fiber primary. SD-WAN configuration for automatic failover adds $50-$200/month depending on the solution. The total investment is minimal compared to the cost of an extended outage for most businesses.
What is the difference between shared and dedicated business internet?
Shared connections (standard business cable/fiber) provide bandwidth alongside other customers, meaning speeds may decrease during peak hours. Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) provides guaranteed bandwidth exclusively for your business with 99.99% uptime SLAs, but costs 3-10 times more than shared connections. Most NC small businesses achieve adequate performance with shared fiber plus redundancy.
When will rural North Carolina areas get better internet access?
The NC Broadband Division has committed $568 million to expansion projects, with construction underway through 2027-2028. The FCC's BEAD program provides additional federal funding. Contact your county economic development office for specific timelines in your area, and consider fixed wireless or Starlink as interim solutions.