Best Internet Providers in Durham, North Carolina for 2026
Compare the Best Internet Service Providers in Durham, NC
Speedtest aggregates all of the millions of daily tests across our website and apps by users just like you. We’ve filtered those tests down to those taken in Durham, North Carolina, to give you a real sense of what performance is like across the top providers, and to help you make a more informed ISP decision.
Speedtest aggregates all of the millions of daily tests across our website and apps by users just like you. We’ve filtered those tests down to those taken in Durham, North Carolina, to give you a real sense of what performance is like across the top providers, and to help you make a more informed ISP decision.
| Download | 461.65 | Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| Upload | 351.52 | Mbps |
| Latency | 18 | ms |
Speedtest aggregates all of the millions of daily tests across our website and apps by users just like you. We’ve filtered those tests down to those taken in Durham, North Carolina, to give you a real sense of what performance is like across the top providers, and to help you make a more informed ISP decision.
| Download | 350.47 | Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| Upload | 282.38 | Mbps |
| Latency | 24 | ms |
Speedtest aggregates all of the millions of daily tests across our website and apps by users just like you. We’ve filtered those tests down to those taken in Durham, North Carolina, to give you a real sense of what performance is like across the top providers, and to help you make a more informed ISP decision.
| Download | 319.08 | Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| Upload | 22.30 | Mbps |
| Latency | 35 | ms |
Speedtest aggregates all of the millions of daily tests across our website and apps by users just like you. We’ve filtered those tests down to those taken in Durham, North Carolina, to give you a real sense of what performance is like across the top providers, and to help you make a more informed ISP decision.
| Download | - | Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| Upload | - | Mbps |
| Latency | - | ms |
Speedtest aggregates all of the millions of daily tests across our website and apps by users just like you. We’ve filtered those tests down to those taken in Durham, North Carolina, to give you a real sense of what performance is like across the top providers, and to help you make a more informed ISP decision.
| Download | - | Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| Upload | - | Mbps |
| Latency | - | ms |
Speedtest aggregates all of the millions of daily tests across our website and apps by users just like you. We’ve filtered those tests down to those taken in Durham, North Carolina, to give you a real sense of what performance is like across the top providers, and to help you make a more informed ISP decision.
| Download | - | Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| Upload | - | Mbps |
| Latency | - | ms |
Speedtest aggregates all of the millions of daily tests across our website and apps by users just like you. We’ve filtered those tests down to those taken in Durham, North Carolina, to give you a real sense of what performance is like across the top providers, and to help you make a more informed ISP decision.
| Download | - | Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| Upload | - | Mbps |
| Latency | - | ms |
Speedtest aggregates all of the millions of daily tests across our website and apps by users just like you. We’ve filtered those tests down to those taken in Durham, North Carolina, to give you a real sense of what performance is like across the top providers, and to help you make a more informed ISP decision.
| Download | - | Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| Upload | - | Mbps |
| Latency | - | ms |
Speedtest aggregates all of the millions of daily tests across our website and apps by users just like you. We’ve filtered those tests down to those taken in Durham, North Carolina, to give you a real sense of what performance is like across the top providers, and to help you make a more informed ISP decision.
| Download | - | Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| Upload | - | Mbps |
| Latency | - | ms |
Speedtest aggregates all of the millions of daily tests across our website and apps by users just like you. We’ve filtered those tests down to those taken in Durham, North Carolina, to give you a real sense of what performance is like across the top providers, and to help you make a more informed ISP decision.
| Download | - | Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| Upload | - | Mbps |
| Latency | - | ms |
Not all plans are available in all areas. Provider plan, availability, and speed tier data provided by BroadbandNow.com. Speedtest real-world data is only present where sample size has reached significance within a region. Additionally, averages may include aggregated tests across multiple Internet Types (Fiber, DSL, Cable, etc.).
Durham is a city with serious personality; there are college-town energy, research-driven innovation, Black Wall Street legacy, booming food culture, and a community that stays both grounded and forward-thinking. From students streaming lectures at Duke, to biotech professionals running cloud-heavy projects in RTP, to families gaming, working, and streaming in Hope Valley and Southpoint, this city is digitally active from morning until way past midnight.
With its rapid growth, Durham’s internet infrastructure has had to keep up… and it has. Fiber is widespread, cable coverage is solid, and 5G home internet has become a legitimate option for renters and residents who want simpler setups. Whether you’re uploading research slides, streaming your favorite shows, running a business from home, or just trying to get the kids onto their homework sites without buffering, Durham has strong internet options across the board.
How much speed do you really need? Your ideal speed depends on how your household uses the internet day-to-day. If you’re living near Ninth Street or Brightleaf and mostly streaming shows, checking email, and scrolling social media, 25 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload will technically keep things moving. But that’s the exception—most Durham homes run much heavier digital workloads.
A typical household in Woodcroft or North Durham might have two remote workers taking video calls, one kid gaming online, another watching YouTube. That’s already a 200–300 Mbps lifestyle.
If you upload files for work, livestream, or edit video, fiber speeds at 1 Gbps or higher will feel like freedom. Durham’s research, biotech, and creative communities all rely on high upload speeds, making symmetrical fiber plans especially valuable.
Latency (how fast data travels from one server to the next) is also important, especially for online classes, Zoom meetings, and gaming. Under 20 ms will keep everything responsive and frustration-free.
So if you’ve ever shouted “turn off the Wi-Fi on your tablet!” across your home, chances are you need a bigger speed tier.
What’s Coming Down the Pipeline?
Durham continues to invest in its digital infrastructure, driven by both city planning and the needs of Duke University, tech companies, and a thriving startup scene. Several initiatives are shaping the future of internet access across the region:
- Durham County Library—Tech Lending & Digital Literacy: Offers Chromebooks, hotspots, and digital skills classes, especially for job seekers and seniors. Partners: Durham Tech, Kramden Institute, and local nonprofits.
- Durham FY25–26 Budget—Infrastructure & Digital Access Investments: The city’s $772M FY25–26 budget is important because these infrastructure projects often include fiber conduit installation and smart city readiness.
- North Carolina BEAD Program—Durham-Eligible Projects: Durham is included in the state’s $1.5B BEAD allocation, with updated eligible locations published July 2025.
These initiatives help ensure Durham remains one of the Southeast’s most connected, innovation-ready cities.
How to Choose the Right Internet Plan in Durham
Start by looking at your household’s digital habits. If you mostly stream, browse, and scroll, then Spectrum or 5G home internet will serve you just fine. But if you work remotely, upload frequently, participate in online classes, or share your Wi-Fi with several high-demand devices, fiber is the better long-term investment.
Before choosing a plan, check for promotional pricing and when it resets, modem/router rental fees, installation charges, and whether your plan has data caps (cable sometimes does, fiber typically doesn’t).
Since Durham’s broadband availability changes from neighborhood to neighborhood, always check providers by entering your exact address; you may be surprised to know that a house half a mile away may have very different options.
How Much Speed Do I Need?
Download speeds of at least 100 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 10 Mbps are widely considered fast enough to handle nearly any online activity. A quick guide to what speeds you need for different online activities is below, and you can read our full guide to internet speeds and performance for more information. Keep in mind that the numbers below are the bare minimum for one device at a time. If you’re trying to use multiple devices on a network at the same time, you’ll want higher speeds.
0–5 Mbps (Slow)
- Stream SD video
- Connect on Slack
- Use Microsoft Teams
- Write and read email
- Scroll social media
- General web browsing
5–20 Mbps (Better)
- Stream HD video at 1080p
20–40 Mbps (Solid)
- Stream 4K video
- Play games online
40–100 Mbps (Good)
- Stream HD games
100+ Mbps (Fast)
- Engage in multi-player gaming
- Download huge files
1+ Gbps (Very fast)
- Do anything you want on multiple devices
ISP Speeds in Durham, NC
Durham’s broadband environment is one of the strongest in the Southeast, thanks to robust fiber networks and healthy provider competition. According to Speedtest Intelligence®, as of January 2026, the city reports median fixed broadband downloads of 406.41 Mbps, uploads around 130.99 Mbps, and latency near 10 ms.
Based on Speedtest data collected in the second half of 2025, here’s how the major providers stack up:
- Spectrum: The widest-reaching provider, covering around 92% of Durham. It delivers downloads around 319.08 Mbps, uploads around 22.30 Mbps, and latency around 35 ms. A reliable option for streaming and everyday use, though uploads can feel tight for high-demand users.
- AT&T Fiber: One of the city’s dominant fiber providers, offering downloads averaging around 350.47 Mbps, uploads near 282.38 Mbps, and latency around 24 ms. Perfect for remote workers, cloud-heavy workloads, creative projects, and gaming. However, it only reaches about 60% of the city.
- Google Fiber: A major favorite in Durham, offering average download speeds of 461.65 Mbps, upload speeds of 351.52 Mbps, and latency at 18 ms where available. Known for low latency and stable performance, you’d be lucky to be part of the 44% coverage zone.
With fiber widely available in Durham—especially around RTP, South Durham, and neighborhoods near Duke—many households can access top-tier speeds without stretching their budgets.
Durham Fixed Speeds
Download Mbps
Median download speed
Upload Mbps
Median upload speed
Latency ms
Median latency
To be added to this list for mobile or fixed broadband, 75% of a city's monthly unique user totals over a 13-month period must have a minimum of 200 monthly unique user results. To be updated for mobile or fixed broadband, 75% of a city's monthly unique user totals over a 13-month period must have a minimum of 100 monthly unique user results.
An operator or ISP must account for 3% or more of total test samples in the market to be on this list. We display data if at least two operators or ISPs meet this threshold in a designated region or city.
Internet Providers in Nearby Cities
District of Columbia
Maryland
New Jersey
Home Internet in Durham
Durham’s digital habits reflect its unique mix of students, professionals, creators, and remote workers. Whether you’re a startup founder working from a downtown loft, a researcher sending massive files across the globe, a student streaming lectures, or a family sharing a dozen devices, home internet is a must.
Spectrum offers reliable cable coverage across nearly the entire metro, making it a go-to for everyday use like streaming, general browsing, and casual gaming. But upload speeds are limited, which is a problem for Durham’s many remote workers, PhD candidates uploading research, podcasters, and creatives doing large file transfers.
At the time of this writing, pricing in Durham usually starts around $30–$35/month for basic cable, with gigabit fiber ranging from $65–$95/month. Expect equipment fees of $10–$15/month unless you bring your own, and be aware that promo rates usually jump after 12 months.
What About Wireless and Satellite Options?
Wireless home internet is increasingly popular in Durham. T-Mobile and Verizon both offer 5G home internet, delivering 200–400 Mbps downloads depending on signal strength. It’s contract-free, easy to install, and particularly appealing to students, apartment renters, and households that don’t want complex setup.
Satellite internet (primarily Starlink) is mostly used outside the city center in rural areas of Durham County. Starlink offers 150–250 Mbps downloads, 20–40 Mbps uploads, and latency around 40–60 ms. It’s not ideal for competitive gaming, but it’s reliable for streaming and remote work when wired options aren’t available.
How we test the speed of ISPs
Speedtest is the definitive way to test the performance and quality of an internet connection. Millions of users like you use Speedtest.net and our Android and iOS apps every day to test internet performance (including bandwidth, latency, coverage, video metrics, and more) in real world situations. We then use rigorous scientific approaches to aggregate and anonymize those results to empower people like you with content like this so you can understand and optimize your internet experience.
The data found within has not been subjected to the rigorous Speedtest marketing claims and data methodology, and therefore cannot be used in commercial applications. Additionally, promised speeds and plans offered are always subject to change.
How to test your internet speed
Speedtest can help you test the speed and overall performance of your internet for free from any device. Click here to open a new page and take a Speedtest. You can then compare your results with what you’ve learned about internet performance near you. If you aren’t getting the results you expect, you can either use this guide to use your Speedtest results to talk to your internet provider or you can shop for a new provider.