If you want fast fiber and furious fiber, you’re in luck. The elusive Google Fiber and its 8Gbps maximum speeds are available in Durham.
Google Fiber can only be found only at certain addresses. Plans also vary depending on where you live; the fastest options aren’t available for all homes—but that’s okay because Google Fiber’s 1Gbps plan is the perfect pick. It costs $70 per month and gives you enough bandwidth to cover pretty much anything you throw at it.
You can’t get fiber without a fiber line, so be prepared for some yard digging. But hey, the installation is free.
Best Google Fiber internet plan for most people: 1 Gig, 100Mbps for $70.00/mo.
A gig is Google Fiber’s minimum, and since that’s about twice as much speed as a residence needs, you’re all set and then some. You can play high-res video games, stream in 4K (maybe even 8K), take 100-person conference calls, and set up the fanciest home security cameras you can find.
If you want to get the most out of your internet subscription, consider signing up for Spectrum home internet.
Spectrum’s cable service includes free antivirus software, a modem, and a 12-month Unlimited Mobile line on qualifying plans. It doesn’t offer a free router, though—if you want Wi-Fi instead of Ethernet, you need to either rent a Spectrum router or provide a compatible device. But you can partially offset the cost of the router by signing up for Spectrum’s autopay, which nets you a discount.
Spectrum prices start low, but users experience price hikes after 12 months. While the price hikes are modest compared to some, your service area determines the exact amount.
Best Spectrum internet plan for most people: Internet Ultra, 500Mbps for $44.99/mo.
The Internet Ultra plan has more than enough megabits per second for typical internet use. You can work at home for a healthcare company by day, then stream movies and play games by night, all with minimal lag and buffering.
If this is your first internet rodeo and you want to start with a straightforward service, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a good fit. The wireless, 5G network-based setup is painless. And while there’s just one plan to choose from, there’s also only one price, and it’s a good one: $50 a month.
T-Mobile 5G Internet has no data caps, so feel free to stream Bull Durham repeatedly in 4K while Alexa reads you a recipe for homemade biscuits. And there are no contracts either, so if you find the 245Mbps max isn’t enough, you can easily cancel your no-contract service and switch to something else.
Best T-Mobile 5G Home internet plan for most people: T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, 72–245Mbps for $50.00/mo.
While a 245Mbps max speed is low compared to some other internet options, you can complete most online tasks with no problems unless you have a bigger-than-average household. Just stay away from downloading long movies from your favorite streaming service.
