The Average Internet Bill in the US Is $63 a Month. Here’s How You Can Lower It | Global News Avenue

If you’ve been using the same internet provider for a while, it’s probably getting more expensive with each passing year. In fact, the price is first reason People are choosing not to have a home internet connection at all.

CNET’s analysis of available internet plans found that the average price for internet in the U.S. at all available speeds is $63 per month, with automatic payment discounts. This price does not include equipment rental charges, which will add an average of $15 to your monthly bill. That brings the total monthly cost of home internet to about $78 — almost exactly the same as the $75 from Consumer Reports established The company analyzed 18,359 internet bills for 2022.

That’s a lot of money to be sure – especially when you consider price increase Many ISPs include it in their plans – but the price of internet has Growth is slower than overall inflation. according to a FCC analysisBetween 2009 and 2023, inflation-adjusted internet prices fell 19%.

To get a sense of the true cost of Internet in the United States, I consulted CNET’s Internet Service Provider Database, which is regularly updated by entering the national addresses of the 27 largest providers.

There is a huge price range to choose from. shock, mediacom, unlimited and Ziply fiber All discounted plans start at just $20 per month. Ziply also has the most expensive (and fastest) internet plan in the country: a 50Gbps plan for $900 per month.

For many people, $63 per month may sound like a good deal. If you’re paying much more than this, consider this a wake-up call. There are steps you can take to reduce costs, such as negotiating your bill, buying your own device, or downgrading to a cheaper plan. But your best option may be to switch providers entirely. There was once a unprecedented federal investment The development of Internet infrastructure over the past few years, as well as e.g. 5G home internet. If you haven’t evaluated your options in a while, you might be surprised to discover some new internet providers.

Internet costs by connection type

How much you pay for the internet depends largely on the type of connection you use. This analysis confirmed many Rural Internet Customers have known this for years: rural providers are the most expensive and have the slowest connections around.

DSL and satellite internet – often the only options in rural areas – are by far the slowest connections. DSL is particularly slow, with a median download speed of just 40Mbps, which is substandard FCC’s Minimum Definition of Broadband Internet.

Satellite internet is prohibitively expensive than other connection types. The average price from satellite providers for 100Mbps download speeds is $110 per month.

Prices for cable internet tend to start out pretty low, but these providers are most likely to raise prices after a year or two (or both). Fiber optic internet is also more expensive, but plans don’t usually come with price increases. The median price for fiber optic internet is $75 per month in the first year and $83 per month in the third year, well below cable’s $28 increase from year one to year three.

Equipment fee

About half of the internet plans I looked at included a monthly device fee, but you always have the option Buy your own modem and router Instead of renting it from your ISP every month. The median equipment cost is $15 per month. Rise Broadband and spectrum Equipment costs the lowest at $10 per month, while Starlink At the top, the required pre-ordered equipment costs from $499 to $2,500.

The following providers do not charge additional equipment fees:

Some providers raise prices after a year or two

Bills skyrocketing It’s one of the most frustrating parts of being an internet customer, and this analysis reveals just how much your bill will grow in your second (or third) year.

While the median price is $63 per month in the first year, it rises to $76 in the second year and $80 in the third year. some of the steepest providers price increase They are Mediacom ($50 in the second year), Spectrum ($20-$30 in the second year), and Cox ($28 in the third year). Here are the average price increases associated with each provider:

garbage fee

These are extra charges that internet providers add to your bill for vague purposes like “network maintenance” or “technical services.” Thankfully, these are largely a thing of the past. Altice, the company behind Optimum and Suddenlink, forced to pay $15 million 2023 Class Action Lawsuit for such fees. I found that only five providers currently charge waste fees.

That said, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that your internet provider adds fees that aren’t listed when you make purchases after you sign up. Consumer Reports’ analysis was conducted through 2022, but it found that 13 ISPs included garbage fees in their bills.

How to lower your internet bills

If your internet bill is too high, here are a few steps you can take Reduce your monthly expenses. You can do the following:

• Buy your own modem and router: This is low-hanging fruit for lowering your internet bills. If your provider charges you for the device, buy it yourself Modems and routers The cost will almost always be paid for itself within the first year. when i spent Renting equipment from Xfinity costs nearly $1,000 Six years. Both products can usually be purchased for a little over $100. CNET’s Choice The best Wi-Fi routers Currently selling for $75, you can buy a decent modem for about $50. Before you pull the trigger, make sure it’s compatible with your internet provider. As an added bonus, you may also see a significant increase in your internet speed.
• Negotiate with your current provider: Internet providers used to be willing to work with customers when prices got out of control, but that has changed a bit in recent years. However, sometimes getting a better price is as simple as calling your ISP and asking for the price. Before you call, research their prices for new customers and the plans offered by competitors in the area. If there is a store in your area, go visit it in person. Many customers have better luck talking face-to-face than trying to talk to a real person on the phone.
• Lower your plan: Many of us may be paying the price Faster internet speeds than we really need. The median internet plan offers download speeds of 600Mbps, enough to stream 4K Netflix on 40 TVs simultaneously. The speeds advertised by providers are for wired connections, Wi-Fi will slow things down considerably, but you get the idea. If you have speeds over 500Mbps, I recommend evaluating whether you can get on a slower plan.
• Switch provider: If all else fails, the best way to get better prices on the internet is Switch ISP Take full advantage of first-year pricing. You can see exactly which providers are available to you by entering your address on the page. FCC’s Broadband Map. From there, you must enter your address on each provider’s website to find details about their plans and prices.