So why should you care about the monthly costs of that super-fast Internet? What should you do to get a cheap but highly dependable Internet? Who has the lowest cost Internet for your home out there? All these questions will be answered below.
Keep reading if you are shopping to services and are interested in gaming, uploading/downloading, streaming movies or listening to music on Spotify then these are best internet deals at the cheapest prices.
Table of Contents
Why get Fast Internet at an Affordable Price?
The speed of your Internet will offer you quick response time for online tools, maximize the utilization of capacity and resources, high productivity, facilitate safe backups, video conferencing, and reliability for your Business. It also helps you stream your favorite movie, song, upload images, and videos, and also video chat seamlessly at home.
With so many options in the U.S. market, it can be overwhelming to choose any of the cheapest plans. Moreover, the best and cheap Internet Service Providers (ISP) will be different for each Business and household depending on the requirements, ability, and willingness to pay.
Very many factors also determine the monthly price for the Internet. Some of these factors include regional availability, business needs, data caps, and speed. When you are looking for ISP with the cheapest Internet, don’t forget to check their bundle packages, discounts, and promotions.
Besides that, be very careful with the introductory rates which some ISPs use to lure new customers. These rates will have to skyrocket with time until you end up paying for standard rates. All these factors are very important when choosing who has cheap Internet.
Benefits of using the Internet in your home
Businesses have a couple of monthly bills, but one that keeps on increasing is the Internet and electricity Bill. For every Business, having good Internet is vital for productivity and being up to date. Though, with the ever-increasing internet bills, it’s no surprise that your Business will face huge operation costs.
An average internet cost for a business should be somewhere between $35-$50 every month for an unlimited package. Unluckily, most Businesses are paying as high as $100 for the introduction average starting price. Depending on where you live in the U.S., the Internet costs per month would go as high as $150 or more for some limited plans. Besides this, add the cost of leasing equipment every month and a couple of other necessities that your business needs, and your monthly internet costs for the Business will be higher than electricity and water combined.
With such trends, you may be wondering why the internet cost is that high. Just note that this ISP is not hiking prices for the sake of it. Research shows that more than 94% of Americans and businesses have access to more than two ISP, which shows that the prices are fairly competitive.
If you have been wondering why the Internet is expensive, here are some of the reasons. One of the main reasons why the Internet is expensive is the cost of internet equipment and the cost of installation. A good example is fiber-optic cables, which are very expensive to purchase and install. Consequently, Fiber internet is expensive to cover up the cost of this equipment and the installation.
This is the same with Satellite Internet and DSL. Satellite internet attracts a lot of money on the professional installation process and, on the other hand, the cost of Modems and the dish. The cheapest of all Internets here is the DSL, which uses the existing phone lines to connect families and businesses.
Secondly, the Plan you go for will determine the amount of money your business will have to put aside every month for the Internet only. Better know that the faster the Plan, the more the cost. Bundle packages also come at higher costs. Cable and Fiber internet comes with the highest download and upload speeds, and so you can expect they are expensive.
Fees and Hidden costs are also determinants of the price. There are few ISPs in the U.S. that provide full information about their plans and Pricing to the public on their website. Talk about the early contract termination fees, installation costs, equipment rental fees, Wi-Fi fees, and data overages. If these factors are not factored in, they can get you by surprise at the end of the month.
So, how much should affordable Internet expect to be?
This question doesn’t have a precise answer because how cheap an internet plan is for your business or home will be determined by the businesses and household overall internet usage and how much the owner is willing and able to pay every month. I am just trying to mean that an affordable plan for one Business is expensive to the other.
Though, if you are a startup or a small business, you shouldn’t pay more than $70 for the Internet at any month unless your business internet needs are high. The other thing that will determine how much to pay for the Internet is internet speed, high-data allowances, and Wi-Fi. If your business internet needs are high, at least pay $100/month for the Internet.
Criteria of comparison and selecting cheap Internet Providers
With that information, you must be wondering what defines a cheap and affordable internet provider. Well, in this brief, I used several criteria for choosing the ISP and their plans. This means that the list provided is for the cheap internet providers with the best plans in terms of speed and Pricing.
Availability
The first criterion of determining is a broad coverage. The cheapest Internet provider is the one with the broadest coverage and the one that is near your job site or home. In this case, AT&T would pose as the second-largest DSL broadband provider in the U.S. market. The company delivers high-speed Internet to almost 123Million people in the U.S. AT&T is also trying to get a share of the country’s fiber-optic service. The company offers Fiber-Optic services to about 25 Million citizens
This is good news because you can be sure that the services rendered are of high quality and affordable. Their wide coverage also guarantees high speed and lower prices.
Equipment included and the cost of installation.
The amount of money you will be paying every month for leased internet equipment will play a big role in your monthly utility bills. Many cable and Fiber companies offer plans with high-speed at affordable prices per month. They also offer internet installation equipment at affordable prices every month. Most of them will only need $10 for the leased equipment.
Speeds and Pricing
The speed and the price of the Plan you get vary significantly from one location to the other. Take AT&T for example, the company offers 5Mbps at $40 in Houston but you can get 100Mbps in Freeport at $10. The mileage may vary and eventually affect the amount of money you are going to pay for the packages.
Recommended Cheap Internet providers
Let’s now get to the Business of the day. At this point, I am going to offer you my biggest recommendations of the providers with the cheapest Internet for home and your Business. The list below offers value in varying ways for every person, whether it is a business owner or someone living in a residential home. They give you value in terms of cheap home and business plans, affordable cost per Mbps, incentives, promotions, and contract and bundle incentives.
AT&T Internet Service
Small Businesses have a small internet budget and minimal Internet needs would be fine. For businesses that only have few connected devices, no one would want to think so much about the super-high speeds and higher data caps. AT&T becomes our number one provider for cheap Internet for both homes and Business.
The first reason this company is at the top of my list of cheap internet providers is because of its wide availability, speed, and affordable plans. AT&T is a global telecommunication giant that has already established itself in the market.
Today, AT&T offers internet services and bundle plans of all kinds to businesses of all types and sizes and homes. It gives you two major categories to choose from, which are Fiber-optic internet and DSL high-speed internet. Though AT&T is known for its affordable and fast DSL internet, it stands out in a pool of competitors with DSL download speeds of up to 100Mbps.
To rent your internet equipment, the company only adds $5-$10 every month on your Internet bills. Though, with AT&T, you must be ready to get varying downloads and upload speeds depending on where you live.
AT&T cheapest Plan
The cheapest Plan on AT&T is known as Unlimited Starter. This Plan works perfectly fine for small businesses and households at the cost of $65 every month for one line. Those with greater internet needs can get a four-line Bundle for only $140 per month for your Business.
AT&T bundle
Another great way to save money on AT&T is to go for AT&T bundle. Verily, you have a chance to bundle AT&T internet, Wireless, U-Verse T.V. or DirecTV and phone. Going for AT&T bundle gives you the benefit of enjoying all the services from one company and at the same time save money.
Comcast Xfinity Internet Service
Comcast and Xfinity are two brands from the same company. Xfinity is owned by Comcast and offers T.V. and Internet to its customers. The company is a very renowned ISP in the U.S. for all good reasons. Firstly, it’s one of the ISPs that are widely available for U.S. citizens. Secondly, they offer super-fast and reliable Cable and Fiber Internet.
Furthermore, Comcast offers X1 DVR to record every show you want to watch on the Xfinity Stream App. You also get Xfinity on Demand to watch your current and past recorded T.V. shows from wherever you are whenever you want.
One major drawback is that Xfinity offers a data cap in all their plans. Nevertheless, they offer a 1TB data cap, which I assume is enough for your home and Business. This shouldn’t be an issue unless you and the rest of the family like to stream videos, shows, and Movies on Netflix Frequently.
Cheapest Xfinity Internet plans for budgeters
I recommend a Performance starter plan for all Budgeters. This Plan offers you 25Mbps download speed and 2Mbps upload speed for only $29.99 per month. The speed is not that fast, but it’s enough for every person that wants to watch a movie or two from Netflix or to keep up with some games on Hulu.
Best Xfinity Internet plan for Gamers
If you have a large family or you like playing online games, Blast Pro is the best Internet plan for you. This offers you 300Mbps download speed, and 5Mbps upload speed, which I assume is enough for gaming. Though, you better be ready to pay $80 per month.
Comcast Xfinity Bundle
Xfinity offers Double Play and Triple Play packages, which provides extra features that you cannot get with stand-alone services. This is for people that want to get T.V., Voice service, and Internet in one package. Some of the Bundle packages include X1 Saver Pro+ Double Play for only $79.99 with over 140 digital Channels, Internet with download speeds of up to 200Mbps, Free access to Millions of Wi-Fi Hotspots and ESPN, TBS and HGTV.
Another bundle package is the X1 Starter pro+ Triple play that comes with over 140 digital channels, unlimited national wide talk and Texts, Download speeds of up to 600Mbps, ESPN, TBS, HGTV and more for only $114.99 per month.
Mediacom Internet Service
Mediacom is another ISP that offers limited data with data caps as high as 400GB/month. They also have a promotional rate of $40 every month which is the reason why we have included this company here on the list of providers with the cheapest plans.
However, their activation fee ($10), Installation Fee ($100) and the monthly fee of the equipment ($11.50) makes the whole Plan a little higher compared to AT&T and Comcast Xfinity. Another issue is that after reaching your data limit, you will pay $10 for every 50GB of data you use after that.
Besides that, Mediacom offers internet speeds of up to 1GBps which I think is enough for Homes and Businesses. The prices for each Plan are also very affordable and best fit for everybody that wants to save significantly on their monthly data.
Unfortunately, their highest data cap is 600GB which I think is too low for medium-sized homes and businesses. What this means is that although the Mediacom data plans are cheap, they are not perfect for gamers, streamers and businesses with high internet needs.
Mediacom is also available in major cities which also limit the use of data in rural areas. They actually advertise that they have wide availability in over 22 states in the county which I don’t believe is true.
Mediacom Cheapest plan
Mediacom offers cheap plans for all internet users. You can choose Best Budget plan access Internet 60 at a monthly fee of $19.99 and download speeds of up to 60Mbps and upload speed of 5Mbps. For businesses that have medium internet plans, choosing the Fastest Plan 1Gig at a monthly rate of $69.99 and download speeds of 1,000Mbps is a wise decision.
Mediacom best value plan
Internet 100 at a monthly cost of $39.99 and a data cap of 1TB is the best value plan on Mediacom. Homes can as well get Internet 60+TV at $49.99, Access Internet 60+Essential T.V. at the cost of $59.99 or Internet 60+Variety T.V. at a cost of $79.99.
Mediacom Bundle package
Mediacom just like other ISPs has a bundle package for you. The best bundle package for you is Mediacom Xtream 100Platinum Triple Play Bundle that combines phone service, T.V. and Internet. With this package, you enjoy the unlimited digital family channel, calls and texts and Internet in one package.
Another Mediacom bundle package is the Xtream 100 Gold Triple Play Bundle for only $119.98 every month. With this package, you get an Internet connection, phone service and unlimited entertainment in a month. The internet speed is 100Mbps with unlimited nationwide call and Texts. It also has 16 calling features and other features including HJBO or ShowTime.
Lastly, you can go for the Mediacom Xtream 100 Silver Triple play for only $109.98 every month. With this package, you get Internet and Home Phone service with super-speed internet speed and fast in-home Wi-Fi.
Spectrum Internet Service
Spectrum now poses as the country’s second-largest Internet service provider with large availability and reliable Internet plans. The company is also known for offering a wide range of speeds for different internet needs in the market. This way, you can choose the plan that works perfectly for you whether you like streaming videos online or gaming.
One major drawback with spectrum is that they have very confusing fees. Sometimes you will be required to pay WI-FI activation fee. Another major blow is the complaints about their customer service. Moreover, there are better ISPs than Spectrum out there but remember those ISPs also have their drawbacks and it’s possible to get a worse ISP than Spectrum.
The cheapest Spectrum Internet plans
If you are looking for cheapest Spectrum Internet, then Spectrum T.V. Select and the Spectrum Internet are the best for you. This works perfectly fine for families with more than two users. With Internet speeds of up to 100Mbps, this is a fast enough internet for streaming Movies and Gaming.
Spectrum Best Plan for heavy users
For families with more than 4 users or a family with someone working online, children uploading and streaming kids rhythms online, it’s better to go for the 400Mbps and 950Mbps. This is enough for such activities and also perfect for video conferencing and gaming.
What does Spectrum Bundle package include?
Spectrum Bundle package includes Internet with speeds starting from 60Mbps, Spectrum T.V. and Spectrum Voice. With such services, you will get super-speed Internet, unlimited calls and T.V. for your family in one package.
It’s up to you to choose spectrum Double Play select with Internet access, internet speeds of up to 940Mbps with a modem, 125+ H.D. channels and access to thousands of on-demand titles for only $89.98.
For more services, get Triple Play silver for only $124.97 per month. Here you have 175+HD channels, internet speeds of up to 940Mbps, a modem, unlimited calls in the U.S. Territories, US, Canada and Mexico.
Lastly, choose Spectrum Triple Play Gold for only $144.97 per month for one year. Here, you have more than 200 HD channels, access to thousands of movies and shows on-demand, internet speeds of more than 100Mbps, a modem and unlimited calling to the US, Canada, Mexico and U.S., territories.
RCN Internet connection
RCN is another award-winning Internet Provider in the U.S. The company offers high speed and highly dependable Internet plans for all types of users. The one thing that sets this company aside is the fact that they offer internet speeds of up to 950Mbps which is enough for video conferencing, gaming, online streaming and surfing. With RCN internet, you can as well connect multiple wireless devices in your house without any problems.
RCN unlike some ISPs in the U.S. will not make you sign contracts; they also offer a 30-Day Money back guarantee for people that are not satisfied with the services. Another benefit is that their support includes engineers certified by the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers. These engineers will show up within a two hours service window or you get a $20 credit.
The cheapest RCN internet Plan
For people in small households or those with a home-based business, 50Mbps Internet is perfect for all your operations. This service comes with upload speeds of 50Mbps and a cost of $34.99 every month for one year.
The best Value RCN internet Plan
Businesses and households with a growing Internet needs, it’s a good idea to go for 500Mbps for $54.99/month for 1 year. The reason why we have chosen this is because of the low cost and high internet speed which I think is enough for Video Conferencing, Surfing, gaming and streaming videos online.
RCN Internet Bundle Packages
RCN has some goodies when it comes to Bundle packages. The company gives you access to RCN Gig Internet + Signature T.V. This package offers you Signature T.V. package with reliable Internet and Cable T.V. on the same package. The bundle comes with 1Gbps download speed which I assume is enough for everybody in the house to watch, game, post, surf, stream and video chat.
Additionally, the RCN’s 500 Mbps Internet + Signature T.V. bundle has some of the best download speeds and T.V. channels for you and your family for only $95.99 per month. On the other hand, RCN 250Mbps Internet + signature are available to you at a cost of $79.99 per month with download speeds of up to 250Mbps and unlimited access to some of your best channels.
Frontier internet connection
With Frontier Internet, there are no data caps, there’s high-speed Internet, No hidden costs and you get a two-year price-lock Guarantee. The company offers services in many states in the U.S. which brings their Fiber Internet plans close to you. The Frontier Fiber Internet plans are impressive but only available to the people living in large cities.
For people lucky enough to set their Business or live where Frontier Fiber is available, you get some affordable yet high-speed Internet plans. It’s up to you to choose Simply FiOS 50/50 plan at a cost of $29.99 per month and a download speed of 50Mbps or Simply FiOS Gig Service which comes at a cost of $74.99 and download speeds of 1Gbps. It’s also a good option to go for the Simply FiOS 500/500 Fiber Internet plan with download speeds of 500Mbps and unlimited data access for only $39.99.
I have particularly liked the Frontier Unlimited data access and super-speed data plans, But its customer care is not the best. Additionally, this company has brought some high-speed Internet Plans to some rural areas which are a good thing. They also bring a wide range of options for you but you are going to hate their response time when you have connectivity, speed or fees issue or inquiry.
Frontier best value Fiber Plan for Budgeters
I highly recommend Frontier FiOS 500/500 for families that have a medium need for Internet. The speed is good for video streaming, gaming and people that like video chatting or uploading YouTube videos. The reason why I picked FiOS 500/500 for the best value plan is because of the impressive Internet speeds and low price. This internet speed will keep your family connected and happy.
Frontier Internet high-speed Fiber Plan
If you operate a home business or wants to have the best internet plan in terms of speed, Simply FiOS Gig service is the best option. This offers you download speeds of up to 1000Mbps which is perfect for Video Conferencing, Video Chatting and any other need.
Frontier Internet Bundle package
The frontier Internet Bundle package comes with Internet speeds of up to 500Mbps, access to equal upload and download speeds and multi-device streaming and most importantly 150,000+ on demand T.V. channels. You can choose FiOS 50/50 + FiOS T.V. prime H.D. for only $99.98 every month for one month. FiOS 500/500 + FiOS TV Prime HD for $109.98 per month and FiOS 500+ FiOS TV Extreme HD + Digital Voice.
CenturyLink Home Internet
Lastly, let’s touch on CenturyLink and their Internet plans. This company offers some impressive internet speeds at an affordable rate. One major selling point for this ISP is that you don’t need to sign any contract. You are very likely to love the company’s price for Life Guarantee.
I spent time checking the thing people complains most about CenturyLink and found out their Customer support is below average. This is their major drawback besides the low availably of the Century Link Fiber Internet.
This ISP has only six Internet plans with varying Internet speeds. It’s easy to notice also that the company offers five out of six plans at the same price. What makes the difference in these 5 Plans is where you live or where the Business is established. What this means is that the speed of the Internet you get depends on where you live. The download speeds vary from 15Mbps to 100Mbps with the DSL Internet service.
CenturyLink Data Caps
CenturyLink offers a 1TB data limit for all the six plans. I don’t think this is a complete limit because nothing noticeable happens after this. You just get a notice when you reach your data cap and nothing goes beyond that.
I also can’t understand how you can use more than 1TB in a month unless you are offering Wi-Fi to a community of people or a school. I think 1TB is a monstrous amount of data that is enough for all your household and business Internet needs.
CenturyLink best value Internet plan
Medium-sized families made up of average streamers and gamers would find Price for Life 80Mbps as a good fit. The reason I picked this Plan for you is because of the speed which I think is enough for all the household operations and the price. With this Internet Plan, you have enough Internet speed to surf, stream videos, and play online games and to video chat. However, be ready for varying Internet speeds and prices depending on where you live in the country.
CenturyLink super-speed Internet plan
Do you have a home-based business or a startup in an area where CenturyLink Fiber Internet is available? If yes, CenturyLink Fiber Internet is the fastest Internet plan on their list. This offers you download speeds of up to 940Mbps for only $65 per month. That kind of speed is enough for video conferencing and other business operations.
CenturyLink Customer care
Every time I review an ISP, I put more emphasis on their customer support. I think customer satisfaction is a great thing to consider. CenturyLink customer care is not the best but still not the worst. According to a 2019 survey on the best ISP in the U.S. in terms of customer satisfaction, CenturyLink fell at Position 5. The results were based on their customer support, modem satisfaction and reliability among many other merits.
CenturyLink Bundle Package
For different reasons, you can Bundle on CenturyLink. Here are some of the CenturyLink Fiber and DSL bundles that you can go with today.
Best Fiber Bundle on CenturyLink
The best Fiber Bundle on CenturyLink is Price for Life Double Play Fiber Gigabit Bundle at a cost of $85 per month. This bundle offers you the price for life capability, up to 10 Calling features with no activation fees or contract. You can make unlimited calls in the US, Canada and U.S. territory.
Best DSL Bundle on CenturyLink
If you live in a place where you cannot access CenturyLink Fiber Internet, it’s always a good thing to go for. The best DSL Bundle on CenturyLink is Price for Life Double Play 100Mbps. You have up to 100Mbps download speed and 30Mbps upload speed. On top of that, you get Unlimited Nationwide calls. This feature includes unlimited Calls in Canada and U.S. territories. The package also has 10 calling features. The best feature is a price for life Guarantee, no activation fees or contract.
For Budgeters, choose Price for Life Double Play 15Mbps at a monthly cost of 85 and download speeds of up to 15Mbps. Additionally; you have access to unlimited calls in the US, Canada and U.S. territories. You also get access to 10 Calling features, the price for life and no contract or activation cost.
How can I avoid Overpaying for Internet?
We can all agree that most times we pay for more Internet than our businesses or homes need. Other times, we pay for lower plans with data caps that would cost us ultimately in data overages and loading our data cups again.
The first method of avoiding overpaying the Internet is to understand your Internet needs. This will help you pay for what you need and at the same time help you avoid getting stuck with a plan your Business doesn’t need at all.
Note: It’s important to ask any of the internet providers that you are considering subscribing to about any additional fees and increases in monthly bills, asking this simple question could very well save you many headaches down the road with your potential internet provider. The way you intend to use your Internet is also very important. This helps you determine how many connected devices will be working a month, how much data each device will be consuming and most importantly which area is consuming a lot of data. With all that data, you are at a better position to narrow your speeds and needs for the Internet. Another way of ensuring you don’t spend a lot of money on your monthly internet bills is to take enough time researching to determine the ideal internet speed for your needs and eventually shop around for affordable internet plans with the same speeds. Fortunately, you have more than two providers in your area to choose from. Don’t rush in this process, take your time and if possible check reviews of each ISP plans and check the Pricing and speed. Avoid investing money on plans that are significantly lower than your business needs because it can be an opportunity cost to your staff productivity and maximum utilization of the resources. No one wants to get Internet bills, T.V. bills and monthly phone bills separately unless they are confident they can afford all the services separately. Choosing a Bundle package from a single provider helps you save pointedly at the end of the month and on equipment. The sticker prices for bundle packages may be very high but what you get at last is the most important thing. We started by saying you should determine your Business’s internet needs. With that said, it’s also important to ensure you don’t choose a data plan that will cost you again before the end of the month. If unlimited data plans are not available in your area, choosing those with a higher data cap is a wise idea. One mistake businesses make is ignoring data overages. You may end up incurring another $50 on the same Plan if you are not careful. In the U.S. market, many ISPs have imposed data caps. Providentially some of them put higher data caps. It’s not a surprise to see some of them with data caps of up to 1TB per month and some few with data caps as low as 50GB per month. In most instances, the data plan varies depending on the Plan you choose and the provider you are going for. If you have access to unlimited data plans, those are better than these with data caps and other restrictions. As we indicated earlier, hidden costs add significantly on the overall monthly internet bills and if you don’t want to see your bills increase then it’s advisable to ask the right questions before you sign up. So, it’s very important to check the Fine print of the provider to take note of the extra costs involved. Installation costs can go up to $100-$250 can be very high for the initial cost and its advisable to ask if they can waive the installation cost, which in many cases they do. Equipment rental fees can also go up to $20 extra every month which can cost you $240 every year, so there is a good reason to get any installation costs waived before signing the contract. Additionally, by mindful of their sneaky ways to lock you into a contract for 12 to 24 months. And if the service degrades over time, internet blackout and outrages, slow speeds, no customer service to fix any problems then you may be unable to exist that contract unless you pay a high termination fee. You are in a very competitive market where each provider is trying to get a share of the market by introducing tasty internet plans. Take your time to search for an internet provider that gives you reasonable speeds at affordable prices. The cheapest Internet provider for you depends on where you live and the type of bundle or plans you go for. The good thing is that over 90% of Americans have access to more than two ISP. Take your time and research options available for you. The cost of the Internet in the U.S. varies depending on the provider and the connections available for you. Though, the average price for the Internet in the U.S. is $35. Each bundle package has different features which are why the prices vary suggestively. Check AT&T, Xfinity, Comcast, Spectrum and many other providers depending on where you live. You can find all the options and their bundle packages above. Consider carefully for a riskless decision. With all the main ISPs listed above with their cheapest DSL and Fiber Internet plans, Bundle packages and other features, you are at a better position to make an informed decision regarding the Internet provider with the cheapest Plans and Bundle packages depending on where you live.1) What will you be using your Internet for?
2) Research Available affordable data plans for Internet
3) Consider Bundle packages with TV & Phone
4) Avoid plans with lower data caps
5) Be careful of hidden costs
6) Compare Pricing and speeds
Frequently Asked Questions
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