Best Cheap Internet Plans

Is it time to trim your monthly budget? Maybe you have a child in college, or you’re saving up for a more reliable car. Whatever your reason, one great way to save money is by choosing a cheap internet plan.

They do exist, but it’s not always easy to find them. So many internet service providers use complicated pricing systems. It can be hard to figure out what is actually your lowest available price for internet.

This guide to affordable internet plans will go over the most important things you need to know to choose a great deal that is still fast and reliable. We’ll give you the scoop on some specific providers that offer trustworthy internet at a low price. We’ll also go over some special plans for lower-income households.

Can Cheap Internet Be Good Internet?

Getting cheap internet involves more than just finding the lowest advertised monthly price. You will need to calculate your final monthly price after any extra fees. You will also need to understand what performance you will be getting for the price you plan to pay.

Be Aware of Price Hikes and Hidden Fees

Because many ISPs have complicated pricing systems, the monthly price may not be all it’s cracked up to be. You could be surprised later by the actual bill compared to your idea of the bill.

Here are some potential issues that could affect your plan cost.

Price hikes after promotional rates expire

Many cheap plans offer promotional rates for the first 6-12 months, after which the price jumps much higher. Sometimes, the internet provider will be upfront about what your standard price will be after your promotion expires. At other times, the ISP won’t mention what the new rate will be, in the hope that you won’t think about that part. This bait-and-switch tactic catches many customers off guard.

Equipment fees

Many providers charge extra fees to rent modems and routers. Buying your own equipment upfront can avoid these recurring charges. But you will lay out money up front, and it will usually take six months to a year to start saving money by buying your own router.

If you choose a plan that has an equipment fee (usually $5-15), remember to add that fee in to the cost of your monthly plan. A plan that looks $15 cheaper than the competition but has a $15 monthly router fee is not cheaper than the other provider’s plan that includes free use of a modem/router.

Installation fees

An installation fee can often run you $100. Calculate how much that is costing you, if one provider offers free installation and another does not.

Hidden charges

Companies often tack on extra fees like infrastructure or activation fees that don’t show up in the advertised monthly rate. Scrutinize the fine print or ask your sales rep in person about any extra charges.

Early termination fees

It’s getting rare for ISPs to require contracts, but a few still do, especially satellite providers. Make sure that your agreement is very clear about whether you are on an annual or two-year contract. if so, how much will you pay for terminating your contract early?

How to Get Fast and Reliable Cheap Internet

Speed is another key but factor when you evaluate cheap internet plans. Here’s what to consider:

Getting more speed for your money – Plans with 100 – 300 Mbps download speeds tend to offer the best value currently. Getting faster with a gigabit internet speed often requires pricey upgrades. And most of the time, a 200 Mbps plan will supply what an average household needs to support streaming and gaming.

Symmetrical speeds with fiber – Fiber-optic internet provides equal upload and download speeds. All other internet types have unequal speeds: they will give you a fast download speed but a much slower upload speed. Faster upload speed enables smooth video calls, gaming, and cloud usage. So cable internet, DSL or satellite internet will give you different performance than a cable connection.

Chasing low latency – Latency is a lag in the time it takes for you to get a response to your request from the internet. So high latency means more lag, and that can affect activities such as HD streaming and real-time gaming. You will get the best low-latency connections from fiber and cable internet.

Fiber is the gold standard for internet technology, which is clear from its lightning-fast, equal speeds and low latency..

But there’s good news. Today’s cable internet is supported by hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) networks. That means that for most households, these part-cable, part-fiber internet connections will be fast enough for all normal internet activities. Many cable companies will offer you up to a gigabit of download speed and 50 Mbps of upload speed. That’s enough to handle multiple devices streaming HD all at once.

Best Cheap Internet Providers and Plans

We have weighed a number of factors to choose some of the most affordable internet plans. Obviously, the first qualification is price. We also look at dollars-per-megabit to see how much speed you’re getting for your buck.

In addition, we look at which providers tend to have clear pricing without “surprises” for you. If you’re ready to find out which providers are in your area, enter your zip code for a list of plans and prices. But if you want to know about some general good buys from fast, reliable internet providers, here are a few.

Best Cheap Fiber Plans

AT&T Fiber

AT&T Fiber is known for its reliability, super-high speeds up to 5 Gigs, and strong support. Their fiber internet will give you the game-changing symmetrical upload and download speeds that only fiber offers. So, even though the company’s prices aren’t the absolute rock-bottom for today’s market, we choose AT&T as one of the best value internet providers.

Most important: AT&T does not offer promotional rates or add any other fees to the basic rate. You will pay the monthly plan price each month without surprises. That is rare, and very helpful for budget planning. Currently, their entry-level plan supplies 300 Mbps for $55 while their 1 Gig plan costs $80 per month [1].

Frontier Fiber

Frontier is also known for great fiber plans that supply a lot of speed for your dollar. For example, their current price offers their first-tier plan for under $50. That plan will give you 500 Mbps download speed and upload speed. That’s far more speed than most entry-level plans.

Frontier’s 1 Gig plan is now running $60 a month for new customers, which is the lowest price for gigabit internet from a national provider [2].

Best Cheap Cable Plans

Spectrum

Spectrum is one of the largest cable internet providers in the country, along with Xfinity. Here’s why Spectrum offers a better deal.

First, Spectrum has no data caps. That means your bill will be more consistent with Spectrum than if you are hit with Xfinity’s potential data overage charges. Then, Spectrum has only a $5 equipment fee, which is much lower than Xfinity’s. So even though it may look like Xfinity is offering you a great promotional rate, Spectrum’s prices will be cheaper in the long run.

And finally, there’s the bundling. Spectrum’s bundle deal is shockingly good and can save you hundreds and hundreds off standard cell phone pricing. So even though Spectrum’s basic plan prices for internet aren’t the lowest, the amount you save if you bundle your phone service can be eye-popping [3].

WOW!

WOW! is a regional provider known for great prices and strong customer satisfaction. Their first-tier cable internet plan is only $20 on its promotional rate, then rises to $40 after a year. You will get 100 Mbps download, which is fast, but not as fast as some other providers. But if you need super-cheap internet fast, WOW! might be your answer.

Their gigabit plan starts at $65, then moves to $75 after a year. The only downside is WOW!’s equipment fee: they charge $14 for your modem rental, which is pretty steep and can wipe out the savings from their low monthly prices. We recommend buying your own modem/router if you want to go with WOW! [4]

Best Promotional Rates for Home Internet

Some of the best promotional rates come from regional providers, such as WOW! cable internet listed above. Two more regional providers also offer excellent promotional rates.

Fidium Fiber

As its name implies, Fidium Fiber supplies all-fiber internet with equal download and upload speeds. Their first-year promo offers are fantastic–$25/month for 100 Mbps and $55/month for a full gigabit speed plan. Like most fiber plans, they have no data caps and no equipment fees.

Your monthly plan fees will rise after that year to $45 for the 100 Mbps plan and $75 for the gigabit plan. While this is closer to norms for other budget providers, it’s still on the very low end of industry prices.

Ziply Fiber

Unlike Fidium Fiber, Ziply Fiber is actually not an exclusively all-fiber provider. There’s quite a bit of DSL still left in Ziply’s network, which means you will have to check carefully to make sure you are able to get their fiber plan. But if you can get it, you’ll get a great promo rate for the first year that is very similar to Fidium Fiber’s.

You’ll start at $20/month for the 100 Mbps plan, which then rises to $40 after the first year. For gigabit fiber, you will start at $60/month for a year, then move to $80/month. Overall, it’s a great deal as long as you are getting the all-fiber connection with symmetrical speeds.

Best Cheap DSL Providers

In general, DSL is not going to be your first choice. This older tech type is usually much slower than other options. But we wanted to mention two noteworthy DSL providers that are a little different from the usual $50 DSL plan that only gets you 10 Mbps.

CenturyLink

Like most DSL networks, CenturyLink varies widely, and it will cost you $55/month no matter what speed you get. But there’s something unusual about CenturyLink’s network. Around 28% of their customers get over 100 Mbps download speed. This is lightning-fast by DSL standards and can match the speeds of slower cable internet plans.

So, if you have to get DSL, and you’re one of the lucky CenturyLink customers who can get those faster speeds, you’ll be happier with your service than most DSL customers.

Kinetic by Windstream

The virtue of DSL from Kinetic by Windstream is its consistency. 85% of their customers get speeds above 25 Mbps. That means it’s most likely that you will have decent enough internet speed to be able to videoconference and stream pretty smoothly.

No guarantees, because it depends on where you live. But the other good news is that for the first year, that DSL will only cost you $30/month, which is far cheaper than the usual standard DSL price. But can you guess what the price goes back to after that promo rate? You got it — $55.

Still, both Kinetic and CenturyLink may give you better DSL than average, and Kinetic will give you a lower price.

Affordable Connectivity Program: Bridging the Digital Divide

For low-income households, government initiatives like the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) offer payment assistance for internet plans.

If you belong to a lower-income household, you may qualify for $30 a month in internet support. This amount will be paid directly to your internet provider. If your plan is very low-priced, you may get your internet “free.” This would be true, for example for any of the $20 and $30 promotional prices in this guide.

Some internet providers also lower their prices in order to help those on the ACP. Spectrum, for example, offers $25 plans under its Internet Assist plan if you qualify for the ACP. Brightspeed also discounts its first-tier internet plan so that after the discount, the ACP payment will cover the rest.

Find out if you qualify for the ACP here. The federal government is currently debating whether to add more money to continue the ACP program after February.

Government and state leaders recognize that home internet access is now key to economic opportunity. The gap between those who have home internet and those who don’t is known as the digital divide. Sometimes, people don’ know how to use the internet, but more often, they can’t afford it.

FAQs: Cheap or Free Internet Plans

Are any internet plans with no price hikes (or price locks)?

As with most businesses, there are usually no absolute guarantees that your prices will remain the same. But some ISPs will definitely increase your prices, and others offer plans that have a price lock. So, you can increase your chances that your prices will remain consistent by reading your fine print.

Is there any way to get free internet for low-income households?

Yes, the federal government currently offers payment assistance if you qualify for the ACP program. If your plan is $30 or under or your provider gives you an ACP discount, your home internet plan may end up being free.

Is there free internet for tribal households?

The ACP provides a stipend of $75 for qualifying tribal households.

Do I have to pay to rent a modem or router from my ISP?

Many providers will allow you to use your own modem or router. Just be aware that it must be compatible with your provider’s service. Also, your personal modem/router won’t be supported by their tech support, but if you are comfortable troubleshooting, you should be fine.

How can I save money on internet?

You can save money with many approaches, including changing plans, watching data caps, or negotiating with your ISP. See our article for more tips on how to save on internet.

To look for a better deal on internet service, just enter your zip code. You’ll get detailed information on providers and plans in your area.

 

Sources

[1] Fiber.ATT.com. “Fiber Home."

[2] Internet.Frontier.com. “Plans and Pricing."

[3] Spectrum.com. “Mobile Plans."

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