Best Internet Providers in Lexington, South Carolina
Our Experts
What is the best internet provider in Lexington?
Spectrum will be the best internet service provider for most Lexington, South Carolina, residents. The area’s largest cable internet provider offers the best local availability of high-speed internet, with plans ranging from 300 to 1,000 megabits per second available to nearly 90% of Lexington households. Service includes free modem rental, unlimited data and no contract requirements.
Far less available but equally worth a look are fiber internet providers Comporium and Kinetic. Comporium has better local fiber coverage and speed variety, including a 2,000Mbps plan, the fastest in Lexington, but Kinetic has slightly lower pricing on single-gig service. Both providers and Spectrum offer internet starting at $40 per month, which is the cheapest rate for internet in Lexington.
If fiber internet isn’t available in your area, and you’re looking for an alternative to Spectrum, fixed wireless internet from T-Mobile Home Internet or Verizon 5G Home Internet may be an option. Verizon potentially offers faster speeds and lower pricing, but T-Mobile has more than twice the coverage in Lexington.
Our methodology
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Lexington across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider's website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs, while the text is specific to what's available in Lexington. The prices referenced within this article's text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month -- a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might also be available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
Best internet in Lexington, South Carolina
Spectrum
Best internet provider in Lexington, SC
Our take - Cable internet is typically second-best to fiber internet, but in Lexington, Spectrum’s cable internet stands out for its high availability and low pricing. Service includes a free modem, and router rental is just $7 per month, a few bucks cheaper than Comporium and Kinetic.
Comporium
Best fiber internet provider in Lexington, SC
Our take - Comporium is largely a cable internet provider, but its service in Lexington uses a fiber-optic network. As a fiber internet provider, Comporium can deliver symmetrical upload and download speeds, giving it a unique advantage over Spectrum’s cable internet service.
T-Mobile Home Internet
Best fixed wireless internet in Lexington, SC
Our take - Around two-thirds of Lexington homes are eligible for T-Mobile Home Internet. Speeds aren't particularly impressive at 72 to 245Mbps, but there are no contracts, so you can try it out to see what speeds you get and cancel penalty-free if it doesn't meet your needs.
Kinetic by Windstream
Best broadband coverage in Lexington, SC
Our take - Kinetic barely edges out Spectrum regarding broadband availability in Lexington, according to the FCC. The catch is that said coverage is mostly over a DSL network, with slow speeds and spotty reliability compared with cable or fiber internet. Kinetic does, however, offer fiber service in Lexington but to fewer homes than Comporium.
Lexington, South Carolina, internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Comporium Read full review | Cable, fiber | $40-$120 | 100-2,000Mbps | $10 Premium Wi-Fi (optional) | None | None | N/A |
| Kinetic | DSL, fiber | $40-$70 | 15-100Mbps DSL, 300-1,000Mbps fiber | $10 (optional) | None | None | 6.7 |
|
Spectrum Read full review | Cable | $40-$60 | 300-1,000Mbps | $7 (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | Fixed wireless | $60 ($40 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) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What is the cheapest internet plan in Lexington?
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Comporium Essential Read full review | $40 | 100Mbps | $10 Premium Wi-Fi (optional) |
| Kinetic 300Mbps | $40 | 300Mbps | $10 (optional) |
|
Spectrum Internet Read full review | $40 | 300Mbps | $7 (optional) |
|
Comporium Standard Read full review | $50 | 400Mbps | $10 Premium Wi-Fi (optional) |
|
Spectrum Internet Ultra Read full review | $50 | 500Mbps | $7 (optional) |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($35 with eligible mobile plans) | 300Mbps | None |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | $60 ($40 with eligible mobile plans) | 245Mbps | None |
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Lexington
The best internet deals and the top promotions in Lexington depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Lexington internet providers, such as Spectrum, may offer lower introductory pricing or other incentives for a limited time. Many, however, including Kinetic and Comporium, 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 Lexington
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Comporium Zipstream 2 Gig Read full review | $120 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Comporium Zipstream Read full review | $76 | 1,000Mbps | 50Mbps cable, 1,000Mbps fiber | None | Cable, fiber |
| Kinetic 1 Gig | $70 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review | $60 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
|
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review | $70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) | 1,000Mbps | 75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
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 Lexington, South 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.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Internet providers in Lexington, South Carolina FAQs
What is the best internet service provider in Lexington?
Spectrum boasts the best availability of high-speed internet plans and has the lowest equipment rental fee ($7, optional) among wired internet providers in Lexington. The cable internet provider is available to nearly 90% of Lexington households, whereas fiber internet, from Comporium or Kinetic, covers only around a third of local addresses.
Is fiber internet available in Lexington?
According to the most recent FCC data, approximately 34% of Lexington residential addresses are serviceable for fiber-optic internet. Serviceability is greatest along W. Main Street, though fiber internet can be found in random neighborhoods throughout the city. Comporium and Kinetic are the main fiber internet providers in Lexington.
What is the cheapest internet provider in Lexington?
Comporium, Kinetic and Spectrum all share the lowest starting price for internet in Lexington at $40 per month. You’ll get a good bit more speed with Kinetic and Spectrum compared with Comporium (300Mbps versus 100Mbps), but upload speeds from Spectrum are considerably lower. That said, Spectrum has a lower equipment rental fee, though each provider allows you to use your own equipment and skip the fee.
Which internet provider in Lexington offers the fastest plan?
Comporium’s fiber internet service offers symmetrical upload and download speeds of 2,000Mbps, the fastest in Lexington. Kinetic offers up to 8,000Mbps in select areas, but max speeds in Lexington are 1,000Mbps. Spectrum also has a 1,000Mbps plan, and Verizon 5G Home Internet can reach 1,000Mbps, though speeds vary widely by location.
Home Internet Guides
- Sometimes a provider is available in your Zip code, but not at your exact address
- See what exact plans are available at your home
