What is the best internet provider in Hickory?
CNET recommends Spectrum as the best internet provider in Hickory, thanks to its wide availability, fast download speeds, simple pricing and bundle options that include TV and internet. Unlike many towns in North Carolina, Hickory offers a fairly consistent range of choices with fewer coverage gaps.
If you’re after the fastest or cheapest plans in town, fiber provider Metronet is worth a look. It offers blazing speeds up to 5,000Mbps and a budget-friendly $35 plan with 150Mbps service. Spectrum’s entry-level plan is slightly cheaper at $30, but it’s not available to every household. While Metronet delivers on speed and value, it only reaches about a third of the area, giving Spectrum the edge in overall coverage.
Fixed wireless internet is another option across much of Hickory, though speeds can be inconsistent. T-Mobile Home Internet is the most promising in this category, with Open Broadband and Verizon 5G Home Internet possibly filling in the gaps as availability expands.
Best internet in Hickory, North Carolina
Hickory, North Carolina, internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brightspeed | DSL | $50 | 10-100Mbps | $15 | None | None | N/A |
| Metronet Read full review |
Fiber | $35-$110 | 100-5,000Mbps | None, $13 monthly tech fee | None | None | 6.9 |
| Spectrum Read full review |
Cable | $30-$70 | 100-1,000Mbps | $10 (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$55 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible mobile plans) | 50-250Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Hickory?
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum Internet Read full review |
$30 | 100Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| Metronet 150 Read full review |
$35 | 150Mbps | None, $13 monthly tech fee |
| Brightspeed Internet | $50 | 10Mbps | None |
| Spectrum Internet Read full review |
$50 | 500Mbps | $10 (optional) |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 85Mbps | None |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
| Metronet Read full review |
$50 | 1,000Mbps | None, $13 monthly tech fee |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Hickory
The best internet deals and the top promotions in Hickory depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Hickory internet providers, such as Spectrum and T-Mobile Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or other incentives for a limited time. Others, including Metronet, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Fastest internet plans in Hickory, NC
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metronet 5Gbps Read full review |
$110 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Metronet 2Gbps Read full review |
$70 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Metronet 1Gbps Read full review |
$50 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review |
$70 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
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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 Hickory, North Carolina
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:
- Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
- Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
- Are customers happy with their service?
While the answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that 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. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in Hickory, North Carolina, FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Hickory?
Spectrum is the best internet service provider in Hickory due to its wide availability and straightforward pricing on a selection of speeds ranging from 100 to 1,000Mbps. Select plans come with a two-year price increase, whereas Metronet’s introductory rates on all plans expire after one year.
Is fiber internet available in Hickory?
Fiber internet is available to around 35% of Hickory residential addresses, according to recent FCC data. Serviceability is greatest in the southern part of the city as well as to the northwest. Metronet is the largest fiber internet provider in Hickory, though Brightspeed may offer fiber internet in a select few areas.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Hickory?
Spectrum offers a 100 Mbps plan for $30 per month at select addresses. Metronet has the lowest introductory rate on home internet in Hickory at $35 per month for speeds up to 150Mbps, assuming you’re in the lucky third of town that Metronet services. Spectrum also offers 100Mbps for $30, but the plan is available to only select households. Other Metronet plans are competitively priced as well, with speeds up to 5,000Mbps starting at $110 per month and gig service starting at $50 monthly.
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 internet provider in Hickory offers the fastest plan?
Metronet is the only Hickory internet provider to offer multigigabit speeds with 5,000Mbps and 2,000Mbps plans available starting at $130 and $120 a month, respectively. As a fiber-optic provider, Metronet has the ability to deliver symmetrical upload and download speeds. For comparison, Spectrum’s fastest download speeds in Hickory top out at 1,000Mbps while max upload speeds are much slower at 35Mbps.
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