West Virginia may not be known for blazing internet speeds, but Charles Town still has access to a few good internet providers.West Virginia may not be known for blazing internet speeds, but Charles Town still has access to a few good internet providers. West Virginia may not be known for blazing internet speeds, but Charles Town still has access to a few good internet providers.
What is the best internet provider in Charles Town?
Xfinity is CNET’s top pick for the best internet service in Charles Town, West Virginia. We’ve picked it because it has wide coverage across the area and offers fast speeds at competitive prices. Ookla’s latest data puts West Virginia in the 43rd spot out of all US states, with a median speed of 172Mbps, but residents of Charles Town have access to a solid variety of internet choices ranging from satellite to fiber. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) According to FCC data, Xfinity leads the pack in Charles Town, though Shentel and Frontier also have solid performance throughout the area. Finding your ideal internet provider depends on what’s actually available at your address and what you need from your connection.
Internet providers in Charles Town overview
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Read full review |
DSL/fiber | $30-$110 | 200-7,000Mbps | None | None | None | 6.3 |
| Hughesnet Read full review |
Satellite | $50-$65 | 50-100Mbps | $15 | None | 24 months | 6 |
| Shentel | Cable | $70-$205 | 200Mbps-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | N/A |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$55 with eligible mobile plan) | 87-415Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Viasat Read full review |
Satellite | $99 | 12-150Mbps | $15 | None | 24 months | 6.1 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
All available Charles Town residential internet providers
Other internet service providers in Charles Town exist besides Xfinity, Frontier and T-Mobile. Depending on your budget or speed requirements, you may also want to consider one of the following companies.
- Hughesnet: HughesNet is another satellite internet provider in Charles Town. Plans start at $50 per month for 50Mbps speed. More expensive plans don’t offer faster download speeds but do offer more data usage before you slow down.
- Shentel: This company has speeds up to 1Gbps at $205 per month, but you can also get 200Mbps speeds for $70 per month if Shentel is available at your address. The company covers about 58% of Charles Town as of April 2025.
- Viasat: Viasat offers satellite internet, which may be right for rural customers who are not within range of other providers. Plans are usually priced at $99 per month.
Pricing info on Charles Town home internet service
You can expect to pay at least $50 per month for internet in Charles Town, though the fastest plans go for well over $100 monthly. A more expensive plan is often worth it if you have multiple users or want to play video games.
Cheap internet options in the Charles Town metro area
With Xfinity offering a plan at just $30 per month, you can get quality service at a low price in Charles Town. T-Mobile and HughesNet also come in at under $60 per month, but T-Mobile requires no contract and has no additional equipment fee.
What’s the cheapest internet plan in Charles Town?
| Provider | Starting price | Max download speed | Monthly equipment fee | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity Connect Read full review |
$30 | 400Mbps | $15 (optional) | None |
| Xfinity Connect Read full review |
$45 | 600Mbps | $15 (optional) | None |
| Frontier Fiber 200 Read full review |
$30 | 200Mbps | None | None |
| Frontier Fiber 500 Read full review |
$30 | 500Mbps | None | None |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$50 ($35 with eligible mobile plan) | 318Mbps | None | None |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
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How fast is internet service in Charles Town?
Charles Town has surprisingly fast speeds for West Virginia, where the median download speed for the state is approximately 149Mbps. Fiber options in this part of the state are the best way to guarantee that you’ll enjoy fast downloads and uninterrupted streaming.
Frontier and Xfinity have the fastest plans in Charles Town. Frontier has two multigig internet plans, and the provider also throws in a free router.
What are the fastest internet plans in Charles Town?
| Provider | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Starting price | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Fiber 5 Gig Read full review |
5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $90 | None | None |
| Frontier Fiber 2 Gig Read full review |
2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $70 | None | None |
| Frontier Fiber 1 Gig Read full review |
1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $50 | None | None |
| Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review |
1,300Mbps | 200Mbps | $65 | None | None |
| Shentel | 1,000Mbps | 10Mbps | $205 | 3.25TB | None |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
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? 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.
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 answer to those questions is often layered and complex, 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.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Charles Town?
If you need fast internet in Charles Town, look no further than Frontier plans. If price is top of mind, the cheapest Xfinity plan will leave a budget for streaming platforms. It’s worth noting that while 5Gbps plans are impressive, most casual internet users won’t require that type of speed to be satisfied with their service.
Internet providers in Charles Town FAQs