What is the best internet provider in Kingsport, Tennessee?
Spectrum is the best internet provider in Kingsport for most residents. It offers widespread coverage and reliable speeds across the city. Some neighborhoods in the southern part of Kingsport even have access to fiber internet, which is rare in the area. Spectrum stands out compared with other local cable and fixed wireless providers, which typically offer slower speeds.
If Spectrum isn’t available in your neighborhood or you want to avoid price hikes after your first year or two, BrightRidge Broadband and Verizon 5G Home Internet are good alternatives. BrightRidge offers fiber plans starting at $60 per month. Verizon has plans starting at $50 per month. Most internet plans in Kingsport begin around $50, so there aren’t many budget options.
The fastest internet in Kingsport comes from BrightRidge’s fiber network, which reaches up to 10,000Mbps. Availability is limited to neighborhoods in the south, including Summer Hills, Deerfield and Lake Crest. But if you can get it, you won’t find a faster connection in the area.
Kingsport internet providers compared
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment | Data cap | Contract | CNET review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum Read full review |
Cable | $30-$70 | 100-1,000Mbps | Free modem; $10 router rental (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$55 with eligible phone plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 with eligible phone plans) | 300-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
| Brightspeed | Fiber, DSL | $30-$90 | 300-2,000Mbps | None | None | None | n/a |
| BrightRidge Broadband | Fixed wireless, fiber | $60-$160 | 300-10,000Mbps | None | None | None | n/a |
| Point Broadband | Fixed wireless, fiber | $15-$140 | 25-2,000Mbps | None | None | None | n/a |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
What’s the cheapest internet in Kingsport?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download | Monthly equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum Internet Read full review |
$30 | 100Mbps | Free modem; $10 router rental (optional) |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Unlimited Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible phone plans) | 240Mbps | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible phone plans) | 300Mbps | None |
| BrightRidge Broadband | $60 | 300Mbps | None |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
How to find internet deals and promotions in Kingsport
The best internet deals and top promotions in Kingsport depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Kingsport internet providers, such as Spectrum and Verizon, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, including , Brightspeed and BrightRidge Broadband 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 providers in Kingsport
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speeds | Max upload speeds | Data Cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrightRidge Broadband | $160 | 10,000Mbps | 10,0000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Point Broadband | $79 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
| Spectrum Read full review |
$70 | 1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | None | Cable |
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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 and 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 Kingsport
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. What’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
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?
The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but the providers who 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. (Disclosure: 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 Kingsport FAQs
What is the best internet provider in Kingsport?
The best internet provider in Kingsport is Spectrum Internet. With a wide availability of 89%, according to the FCC, and speeds ranging from 300Mbps to 1,000Mbps, residents of Kingsport have a good chance of getting a fast internet connection at an affordable rate. Just keep in mind that Spectrum’s prices increase by $30 every year or two, depending on the plan you choose.
Is fiber internet available in Kingsport?
Yes, fiber internet is available in select neighborhoods of Kingsport through internet service providers BrightRidge Broadband, Brightspeed and Point Broadband. Unfortunately, Point Broadband is available to just under half a percent, and Brightspeed’s fiber offering is even more scarce. You’d be better off getting fiber from BrightRidge, which covers 6% of the city and is mostly concentrated in the southern neighborhoods, according to the FCC. You can check your availability for BrightRidge fiber internet with their availability checker.
What’s the cheapest internet provider in Kingsport?
There isn’t necessarily a “cheap” internet provider in Kingsport, as most of the plans start at $50 a month. You can get some of that price trimmed off from providers like T-Mobile and Verizon by bundling phone plans with 5G internet plans. BrightRidge Broadband offers fixed wireless internet service at $40 monthly for just 20mbps down and 3Mbps up, which we don’t recommend.
Which internet provider in Kingsport offers the fastest plan?
BrightRidge offers the fastest internet plans in Kingsport with multi-gig tiers, climbing up to 10,000Mbps. You can also get gig-tier plans from Spectrum and from Point Broadband.
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